Ode to the spell checker
By By Michelle Blaylock, Mom’s Corner
Every so often I am reminded of how difficult the English language can be. As my kindergartener has begun writing in earnest, sometimes it is hard to explain to him why one word sounds just like another but it is not the same, add a speech issue and he ends up writing things like “dis” for “this.” The speech issue will eventually be corrected with hard work and practice. Learning about homophones and homonyms, well, that will take more time.
I wrote an article a couple years ago about homonyms. Well, according to Wikipedia, I made a mistake. Most of the words I shared are actually “homophones,” not “homonyms.” The difference is that homophones are pronounced alike, but differ in spelling. Homonyms are pronounced the same and have the same spelling. I am also going to confuse you a little more. There are also words classified as “homographs.” Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but pronounced differently, such as “bow and arrow” or “bow of a ship.” Confused, yet?
FYI there are at least 706 pairs or groups of homophones/homonyms in the English language. As far as I can tell there are no homophones beginning with the letter “z.” I also discovered some of them depend on where you live and how you pronounce them. For example the words “ant” and “aunt.” My mother-in-law is from Chicago. She pronounces “aunt” with a “aw” sound. Where I grew up in Southeast Missouri we pronounce them the same.
Another totally confusing thing is the number of words that just one letter change makes a huge difference. Here’s a few of them: sell – cell, sew- sow, acts – ax, affect – effect, bawl – ball, be – bee, cent – sent, and cession – session.
Of course it doesn’t just stop with two words sounding the same, sometimes it has to be even more confusing and we have three or more words that are homonyms. How about “their,” “they’re,” and “there” or “bases,” “basses,” and “basis.” Try out “boar,” “bore,” “boor,” and “Boer” or “right,” “write,” “wright,” and “rite.” No wonder our children get confused learning to read and write!
Occasionally though an incorrect word can be funny. One time a student I was working with substituted “sex” for “sects.” Um, oops? Another time I was reading a newspaper and the columnist had made an oops and put in “pincher” in place of “pinscher.” That substitution left an interesting picture in my mind. I could just see this dog walking around trying to pinch people. I’ve also seen the word “you” substituted for “ewe” one time in an advertisement. So what was being sold??
I’ve also discovered that computers don’t always help. Sometimes my computer will self-correct a typo. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always put in the proper word. I find that frustrating. I found this poem by Janet E. Byford that sums up the entire situation.
An Ode to the Spelling Chequer
Prays the Lord for the spelling chequer
That came with our pea sea!
Mecca mistake and it puts you rite
Its so easy to ewes, you sea.
I never used to no, was it e before eye?
(Four sometimes its eye before e.)
But now I've discovered the quay to success
It's as simple as won, too, free!
Sew watt if you lose a letter or two,
The whirled won't come two an end!
Can't you sea? It's as plane as the knows on yore face
S. Chequer's my very best friend
I've always had trubble with letters that double
"Is it one or to S's?" I'd wine
But now, as I've tolled you this chequer is grate
And its hi thyme you got won, like mine.
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