Hey, Just want to let you know you spelt something incorrectly on your last post.

But you understood what I said.

That's the first thought that pops into my head every time someone sends me a private message correcting my spelling on a post I have written. I didn't always react that way. When I first started posting online, I actually didn't mind it, I even felt grateful that someone had saved me from embarrassing myself. But then it became really triggering. Its assumed that 'its not that difficult to put the right 'there' or 'where' in a sentence. and that we should all know how to spell certain words by a certain age. Usually by the same people who completely malfunction when they see incorrect spelling and have to send someone a message to correct them privately or publicly.

Here are some reasons why I think its not helpful to correct people online and why its more important for people to share their views on world matters and express them self than have perfect spelling and grammar.

* When we think we are helping someone by pointing out their incorrect spelling we could actually be discouraging them from posting again.

If you are someone who like me couldn't spell to save their life in school and felt terrified to go up to the board and write a sentence because you knew the other children would laugh and the teacher is going to correct you in front of everyone. And your classroom books were always returned with red markings on them. Chances are it took you a long time to get comfortable sharing anything in written form online, and the last thing you need is to feel like your back in school with people pointing out you spelt something wrong and stop sharing your thoughts all together.

* We have neurodiversity's that effect the way we learn and spell

For those who are dyslexic the hidden rules in English can be pretty confusing. Like why is there a silent R in Iron or a K in Knife? most of us only know how to spell Because, because we spent a long time learning that 'Big Elephants can always understand small Elephants' and sang B E A utiful at the top of are lungs in primary school. Personally if I hadnt i would still be spelling them as becoz and butiful because thats how they sounds in my head. for people to assume that everyone thinks the same way and get frustrated every time someone comes a cross a word spelt wrong, comes across very ignorant to the learning difficulties and neurodiversity's present in society.

* Your bairn donst raed all the wrods in a snetence

lastly there has been research done that indicates that it doesn't matter if words are spelt incorrectly. As long as the First and last letter and a few in the middle are in the right place our brains know what the word is. Are minds are capable of understanding what others say because they skim over words rather than read every single letter when reading.

Does that mean that I think we should just spell everything wrong? I don't think that at all. if it can be helped its better to spell things correctly to make sure there is no confusion at all. but I think we should be more mindful of the struggles others face when it comes to writing, for some English is there 2nd or 3rd etc language, for others They have a learning disability like dyslexia, and some have just had a long day and have had to sit down to complete work after putting the kids to bed.

When allowing ourselves to be more mindful, We can point our attention away from the incorrect spelling and towards what others are saying we allow ourselves to learn something new from others and to take in different prospective.

I will leave you with a small task until we meet on the next news letter, Next time you come across someone who continuously spells words incorrectly, I encourage you to head over to their profile and discover the skills they do have. Chances are you would be very surprised and inspired by what they can do.

Best Wishes

Asma Elbadawi