The 11 Things You Must Know about Online Spell Checking
Applications, inquiries, transactions, interactions... We use email on a professional level in a variety of different situations. Often an email is the first introduction between two people and the construction of that all so important first impression. One way to make the best impact you can is to use correct spelling. If you usually assume that you spelled everything correct and hurriedly click the send button without checking first, you might want to think again. Here is some food for thought... Reasons why spelling is so important for professional emails:
COMMUNICATION - People recognise words because there is generally a universal way to spell them. Once recognised the reader immediately understands what it means and the point that the reader intended to convey is conveyed. Throw in some incorrect spelling into the mix and the reader is forced to guess or assume what the writer is getting at. In a business context universal understanding of the point can be critical. Correct spelling can avoid confusion and the annoyance of further correspondence to explain the same point over again.
PROSPECTS - Securing a deal? Applying for a job that you really want? Suggesting a collaboration to someone you would love to work with? Make a better impression and look like the professional that you are! There is no way around it... Correct and concise writing will grab the reader’s attention and make them respect you. Find your favorite best grammar checker that will assist you.
DISTRACTION - Don’t distract from the content of the text. After all that’s the main reason you are writing an email - to convey a point to someone. The eye is naturally drawn to flaws such as spelling and grammar mistakes. The attention span of the reader is limited... Don’t waste that precious time by giving them loads of spelling errors to take note of. If you write in Word, for example, you can do the spell check in Word directly without having to go somewhere else.
LEAVE A GOOD IMPRESSION - Will you leave the reader thinking about how concise and professional you are? Or leave them feeling agitated that they had to struggle to get to the real meaning of the text? First contact between you two? Don’t give them any excuse not to respond.
SPELL CHECK - Make sure you use the online spell checker that is built in to your computer or device and then give it a read over yourself. Spell check is not foolproof! Don’t be deluded by it’s false sense of security. It can’t pick up on everything that a human can. For example, you may have written “there was a really great vice” when you mean to say “there was a really great vibe”. Both are correct spelling, although only one makes sense. If you don’t trust yourself to be able to spot all mistakes then make use of your resources. Another pair of eyes to look it over is a good idea, especially if the eyes of a native speaker. If you don’t have anyone at hand you can always use eAngel; a fast and accurate online platform that proofreads and corrects your emails so you don’t have to worry.
CONSISTENCY – With English spelling, there are variations. Are you going to use American or British spelling? It is important to be consistent throughout your written work. For example, the US spell ‘color’ and the British spell ‘colour’. You do not want to end up with an email ‘flavoured’ with different ‘colors’! Keep to one, or the other. Oh, and when we talk about consistency, do not forget to do a punctuation check.
YOU ARE BEING JUDGED - Yes, people do judge us by our writing, as we noted earlier. Did you know that poor spelling suggests to others that the writer is careless, lazy, and unintelligent. We know that these claims are not necessarily true, so it is worth making the effort to do what we can to improve our spelling and presentation. After all, if you want to ensure that your email, letter, job application, or sales pitch gets read, you do not want to have spelling mistakes. What do you think when you receive an email from someone who has not bothered to check how to spell your name correctly? How do you judge that person?
WRITING IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE – It is not easy to choose the correct word, let alone spell it correctly, when you are writing in another language. However, if you keep practising to get it correct, you will find that your efforts will be rewarded and you will learn more about the other language.
PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT – This old saying also applies to spelling. Look online, and keep a dictionary on your desk, so you can check your spelling. Good spelling develops proficiency with language. However, the more times you misspell, the harder it will be to correct in the long run.
YOU FEEL GOOD WHEN YOU SPELL WELL – Poor spelling has been linked to low self-esteem, as people will often go to great lengths to avoid writing emails or letters, when they cannot spell correctly. It is worth working on your literacy skills, and learn how to spell words correctly. You can see from the above points the various benefits of good spelling. You will feel a lot better about yourself if you know you can write a note that is free of spelling mistakes. Using an online spell checker may be a good idea here. You can google spell check to find a few alternatives, and there are even some free spell checkers out there, however they can't compete with the quality of a human spell checker.
PROMOTE HIGH STANDARDS – Writing well, including good spelling, is important if you want to set high standards for your business or profession. If you are a business leader, you are in a strong position to set a fine example to your staff and colleagues. You are more convincing if you can spell correctly.
Have a look at our next article about Success in Business.