Email Spelling Tips & ProofreadingPosted by Nick Niesen on November 1st, 2010 As a professional business person, how do you want to be perceived? Even something as seemingly insignificant as spelling can determine whether others believe you?re competent or sloppy. Take a moment, and think about that. Ask yourself, ?Are my customers likely to want my services if I can?t be bothered with the details of spelling a word correctly?? The answer is no. Okay, so your customers may not go running down the street to find someone else at the first sign of a misspelled word. However, misspellings and typos certainly don?t add to your credibility. Recognize that spelling counts. Computer Spell Check Function However, the intended use for this tool is for reference, not as your only source for catching errors. There?s only one acceptable tool for that?your brain. (Phooey! You were hoping I had a magic wand to wave over the email screen!) Verify Versus Correct ?Little? words in particular are notorious for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You should pay special attention to these potential hazards when typing. Here are a few examples of pairs that are often mistaken for each other (and, hence, often missed when proofreading): ?for? and ?from?; ?it,? ?is,? and ?if?; ?you? New Words A perfect example is the spelling of the hi-tech word ?email.? In addition to that spelling, there are at least two other versions: ?e-mail? and ?e mail.? For this article, I chose ?email? as the preferred spelling. Why? There are three reasons. One, the word ?email? is faster to type since there?s no hyphen and no space. Two, there are fewer opportunities to make typos if you aren?t typing a hyphen. Three, the word ?email? simply appears neater and clearer. If you still have any doubts about using your brain versus the spell checker, read the following humorous poem. Spell Chequer Poem
Eye strike a key and type a word As soon as a mist ache is maid I?m sorry to say the source of this delightful poem is unknown. I?ve tried to track down the author. If you have information, please send it to: kelly@keepcustomers.com. Thanks! In addition to amusement, the purpose of sharing this poem is to remind you to proofread carefully. You can?t leave a positive impression on customers and colleagues with sloppy email messages. Like it? Share it!More by this author |