How to Avoid Common Spelling Mistakes

Spelling errors are very distracting, whether you are reading a friend's blog, a website or an email. Fair or not, people form impressions about your knowledge and intelligence based upon spelling. Here are some common spelling errors to avoid and tips on preventing future mistakes.

Instructions

1. Know when to use "to." This is one of the most common spelling mistakes. You should use "too" when you are talking about something in excess, or to mean "also." For example, you might write, "The cake is too rich," or "I like pie too." The appropriate way to use "to" is when something is going to something else. You could write, "I gave my card collection to Bobby," or "I am going to the mall."

2. Avoid the extra letter O. Use "lose" when referring to something that has been lost. "Loose" applies when something is not as tight as it should be.

3. Be careful to use an apostrophe when you need one. Many people confuse "your" and "you're." An apostrophe should be used when two words are joined together and one or more letters are removed. "You're" is short for "you are," so it needs an apostrophe. If you wrote "I gave it to your mother," you would not use an apostrophe. The same rule applies for "their" and "they're."

4. Get someone to read edit your writing if you are in doubt about your spelling. Someone who is looking over your writing with a fresh pair of eyes can see things that you missed, even though you read over it several times.

5. Keep a dictionary handy, and when in doubt, check the word for accurate spelling.

6. Use your word processor's spell check function. This prevents many spelling mistakes.