When a Writer Misspells

Some writers are rather laissez-faire about spelling and grammar. Others have such low tolerance that the word “police” comes to mind. When you read anything–whether it’s a blog entry, a comment or a novel or other book–should it be free of at least spelling errors? I can’t help it: if you want to be a writer, I say you should master spelling as well as other skills.
Writing Tip for Today: I’m not talking about typos, although they can be amusing. I’m talking mostly about homophone misuse. Homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled differently. They are not filtered out by a spell check, because spell checkers don’t differentiate usage. All I know is that when I spot one misused homophone, I’ll mentally dock my esteem of that writer a few points. More than one, and maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I stop reading. What are some commonly misused homophones?

  • It’s, its. Currently, a national TV ad for an office organizer uses “it’s” when the correct word is “its.” You can bet I don’t have much interest in that kind of organization. Its is possessive. It’s is the contraction of the words “it is.”
  • Die, dye. If they inject a patient with die, does the patient survive? I saw this one on a professional e-loop for writers this week.
  • Stints, stents. In keeping with the medical theme, a stint is a term of duty (he did a stint in the Army) whereas a stent is a device doctors insert into veins to help keep blood flowing.
  • Break, brake, waist, waste. Break a leg, brake a car. A waist is around your middle, to waste is to fritter away a resource.
  • What’s your favorite mangled homophone? I love, “She waited with baited breath.” EEW!

About Linda S. Clare

I'm an author, speaker, writing coach and mentor. I teach both fiction and nonfiction writing at Lane Community College and in the doctoral program as expert writing advisor for George Fox University. I love helping writers improve their craft and I'm both an avid reader and writer of stories about those with wounded hearts.

8 comments on “When a Writer Misspells

  1. I’ve seen many that made me cringe, but none as much as the personal ad that said, “Come sore with me.”

  2. One I just saw this week in the Columbian newspaper (in Vancouver, WA), in an article about the new library. In speaking about an organization that supports the library, the article applauded the work of the Fiends of the Library…{Sigh}

  3. It’s/its is a pet peeve of mine. So are there/their/they’re and your/you’re. There are others but one of my own problems is lay/lie/laid – I just can’t keep the rule straight in my head. I think a lot of these aren’t so much about the author not knowing the difference. I had “she bent over at the waste” all the way through the ARC stage before someone caught it. Lol Everyone who read before that “heard” the right word, I guess. And yes, I know the difference between waste and waist. 🙂

  4. Karen, that is just gross! LOL

    While it is not a homophone, an error that I have seen several times lately is the incorrect use of lose and loose.

    I am a person who has always been unable to discontinue reading a book, no matter how poorly written. However, nothing will tempt me to put it aside more quickly than improper word usage.

  5. Hanger/Hangar. A hanger is what you hang clothes on. A hangar is where airplanes are stored.

    Board/Bored. I’ve seen this misused several times it’s no longer funny.

    Plain/plane. Just one of those irritating things that some writers end up using and not sentence check before hand.

    Hans/Hands. Some people I know mispronounce “hands” without the “d”.

    Peace/Piece. I know, it’s sad that one even comes up.

    Break/Brake.

    Pea/Pee. I cried when someone wrote “She ate her pees.” in a sentence.

    Week/Weak. Not butchered as the others, but it has happened.

    Soulless/Solace. Soulless means no soul. Solace goes along with peace and quiet.

    That’s all I have.

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