Did I forget how to spell? Why is my spelling getting worse? What do I need to do? Adults often ask these questions after getting several red marks from the spellchecking software after checking their writing with it.
Nowadays, most people who use computers, mobile phones, or similar devices use spellcheckers for good writing. Employees check their documents with these programs to find any mistakes. And that is when they see how many spelling mistakes they usually make.
In this article, we will talk about the reason behind the adults’ spelling getting worse and find the solution to it.
Are The Spellcheckers Always Right?
Before panicking about spelling getting worse, let me tell you something- the spellcheckers are not always right!
There is no denial of the fact that English spelling can be confusing-, and not because of irregular spelling patterns or words borrowed from other languages only. Many words have different spellings depending on the region. You should know which one your spellchecker is using.
If you are a British who wrote ‘I love red because this is the colour of passion’ and ran it through a spellchecker using the US spelling system, what do you think the result will be? And this is not just one case! Here is a list of some words that have different spellings:
|
USA |
Canada |
UK |
UK (Oxford Spelling) |
Australia |
|
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
Aluminium |
Aluminium |
Aluminium |
|
Globalization |
Globalization |
Globalisation |
Globalization |
Globalisation |
|
Program (Concert) |
Program (Concert) |
Programme (Concert) |
Programmme (Concert) |
Program (Concert) |
|
Gray |
Grey |
Grey |
Grey |
Grey |
|
Defense |
Defence |
Defence |
Defence |
Defence |
|
Analyze |
Analyze |
Analyse |
Analyse |
Analyse |
|
Center |
Centre |
Centre |
Centre |
Centre |
Also, different regions use different words to express certain things. Your spellchecker might not suggest the appropriate word for your writing. For example, the definition of ‘biscuit’ is different in the USA and in the UK. Australians call it ‘Footpath’ what Americans call ‘Sidewalk’. So, evaluating your skill based on spellchecking software is not a good idea.
If you are still concerned about your spelling getting worse, let’s see what can be the reason for this.
Why Is My Spelling Getting Worse?
Even the best ones make mistakes. It is okay if you spell a word wrong accidentally. But if this keeps happening on a regular basis, then it is an alarming sign that your spelling skill might have gotten worse than you think.
Here are some reasons why our spelling gets worse:
Lack of Practice
The main reason behind the poor skill is just simply lack of practice. Think about mathematics. All of us learned to solve math problems in school without the help of the calculator. But now, it is a compulsory item for even simple calculations. How many of you calculate your monthly budget without a calculator? It is not like we forgot how to calculate; we just found a new tool for it.
The same thing happens with spelling skills. We have ‘autocorrect’, spellcheckers, etc., to correct our spelling mistakes, so we don’t need to think about it.
No More Monitoring
You must remember getting poor scores because of spelling mistakes in school; all of us do. Teachers often instructed us to revise our writing several times after finishing. The school has strict rules for students to be held responsible for the mistakes they make and might even be penalized for spelling.
But after leaving school, there is no need to be so serious about these mistakes. Naturally, people shift their focus to more important things.
How can I hack spelling in my classroom? Check out our full guide on this.
Picking Up Habits
It might sound absurd, but teachers often say that they have picked up the habit of a misspelling from their students. This is actually a great reason behind one’s spelling getting worse.
They have seen the same type of misspelling and mispronunciation so many times that sometimes they are confused about which word is correct.
And not just teachers, many ESL students also face this problem. As you might know, there are many English level tests available on the internet, and some of them give the task of choosing the right words from the wrong ones. If a student practices them again and again, even the misspelled words become familiar to them. As a result, they sometimes use misspelled words without realizing it.
Another fact that is affecting our spelling skills is the newly invented spelling words for texting. Even the school students face problems spelling some words correctly because they text the word differently. If you keep texting ‘r8 u r’, ‘c u’, ‘brb’ or ‘gtg’ continuously, it gets hard after a time to write ‘See you soon’ or ‘Be right back’.
Why Is My Vocabulary Getting Worse?
Are you trying to avoid certain words because you forgot the spelling? Is remembering the appropriate word getting harder for you? Let’s see what might be the reason for it:
Poor Spelling Skill
Spelling is connected to vocabulary. So, your spelling getting worse must have affected your vocabulary skill too. If one is struggling to remember the spelling of a complex word, they will avoid the word and forget it later.
No Need of Wide Vocabulary Range
Your profession or field of study has a huge impact on your vocabulary skill. You will use the words related to your field more than others. For example, an engineer will not remember medical terms as properly as a doctor. Similarly, a doctor might have little to no knowledge about terms used by lawyers.
Even though you learned a lot of words in your school, lack of usage eventually erases them from your memory. Unless you are a bookworm or passionate speller who still has their spelling notebook in their bag, it is hard to remember all those words. And this might be a good cause for your spelling getting worse.
Learn more from our guide on spelling homework ideas for 1st grade to understand how you can prevent your spelling from getting worse.
Being Multilingual
If you know languages other than English, it is pretty normal for you to struggle to find a perfect word to describe something. Here are some reasons behind spelling getting worse for being Multilingual:
1. If your first language is not English, you might have some English words or not appropriate enough or totally inappropriate to describe a concept that can be perfectly described with your mother tongue.
2. Even if you are a native English speaker, your vocabulary can be affected by other languages. If you are living in a non-English speaking country for a long time and learning their language, you might struggle to remember a specific word of a language you hardly speak now.
3. Even students who take foreign language courses sometimes face problems remembering a certain English word. Their English is not getting worse; it is just that their brain is now dealing with a new language, so it is sometimes hard to switch between two languages.
Why Is My English Getting Worse?
If you are struggling with your spelling skill and vocabulary, your English getting worse is a ripple effect of it. First, you forget the spelling, then you avoid complex words and limit your vocabulary; then, after a time, you realize that your language skill is also limited now. You struggle to find appropriate words, you forget the meaning of them, and so on.
What To Do?
Don’t panic! You were good once, you still are; just a bit of strategic approach is all you need to regain your skill.
Before claiming that your language skill is getting worse, you need to know exactly which section of your language skill is lacking. Are you struggling only with spelling words? Is your listening skill okay? Do you have trouble pronouncing certain words?
If spelling is the only section, you are facing trouble, and other skills are still satisfactory, then no need to worry at all. You can regain your expertise by following the suggestion given below:
Try reading our guide on spelling scheme Year 3 to better your spelling skills now.
Practice, Practice, and Practice
Sadly, there is no alternative to this, at least not effective ones. You should read more materials, look for your old spelling notebook if they are still there. Don’t try to learn every word at once.
But first, you need to determine your current level and then practice new words to improve your skill. And in this case, SpellQuiz is your best friend! Just register and practice. You don’t need to buy anything at first. SpellQuiz offers a 14-days free trial to let you see available features before you decide to purchase.
Take SpellQuiz Vocabulary Test to determine your English level in just 10 minutes! You would be given an estimation of how many words you know and a suitable grade from where you can start your spelling practice.
Use Sight Words
It is a good strategy to start practicing with the sight words. Check the SpellQuiz Printable Sight Word list, to begin with. They are divided based on grades so choose the list appropriate for you. Learn a few words a day and take time to properly memorize them. No need to rush- SpellQuiz offers Adaptive Spelling that lets you advance at your own pace.
You can also use Spelling Bee Online competitions to hone your spelling to perfection by competing in real-time.
But practicing won’t bring a good result if we don’t monitor our progress regularly. Try SpellQuiz Spelling Test to evaluate your skill. The tests are divided by grades so that you don’t have to look much for a suitable test.
It is natural to forget something without regular practice, be it singing, playing, or spelling. All you need to do is go back to practice. Make a little time in your daily life to practice spelling, and you will be a pro again in no time.
Good luck!