Friday, May 29, 2009

Today in Class: Odd Spellings

I've been collecting odd spellings. Maybe because I read so much, I'm a pretty good speller. But English phonetics works against my students.

Take, for example, the kid who want to spell "true" with a "ch." Sound it out--that actually makes sense "Chuh-roo," he said, and I couldn't argue.

Or the kid yesterday who wanted to spell pizza with a "t." "Peet-za," he said, and he had a point.

Me? I was always tripped up as a kid by "visit." For some reason, that extra "i" always looks weird to me.

So what unusual words can you just NOT spell?

15 comments:

Stacy Nyikos said...

"Weird." I can never remember if it's the "i" that comes first or the "e". Of all the words to get hung up on, that's mine. Go figure.

Clementine said...

I know EXACTLY what you mean. I didn't learn how to spell using phonetics. In my day, I just memorized it. But my son Ben has a difficult time with it, just like your student.
The word, unfortunately always tripped me up. Now when I write or type it, I think of two words - tuna and tely. That seems to help.

Eric said...

Being a linguist, I ought to be exceptional at spelling (since I learned transliteration so long ago). Alas, I'm afflicted with spelling uncertainty just like everyone else. Like the word "vacuum". I always think it should have two C's.

Robyn Campbell said...

Getting ready to leave for the show. Ivy is nervous, but excited. Hope she does good so she can see all her hard work paid off. ;)

Hmm, spelling was always my thing, I won all the spelling bees, but now I find I need to look certain words up. Probably old age, huh? :)

Elana Johnson said...

I am an excellent speller. ;-) But I named my boy kid Isaac with two a's and everyone wants to put two s's. I mean, really? Issac? That's lame. Poor kid. I didn't know I was cursing him with a weird-spelled name. I have one of those and it's practically the worst thing on the planet. :) Maybe that's why I'm so good at spelling....hmmm.

PJ Hoover said...

They don't trip me up, but I love the Sugar and Sure are the only two su words that make the shu sound.

Erin said...

I also have trouble with weird, vacuum and definitely. I spelled it "definately" for the longest time. I think that's common though. ;)

Also, when I was growing up I knew of only two ways to spell my own name: Erin and Aaron (which I was told were the female and male ways of spelling it.) Now I get asked ALL THE TIME how to spell it. I've come to realize more modern spelling of my once simple name include: Eryn, Eran, Errin (this one freaks me out!), Arin, Aryn, Arynn, Aeryn. GEESH!

Erin said...

PS... I hope you don't mind, but I used this post in my own blog today. Funny stuff!

Cinnamon said...

Recommend. I never get it right.

Unknown said...

Ugh--I definItely have trouble with definitely--so much so that I had to double check before I wrote this!!!

(And I never mind cross posting--I love it, in fact!)

It's been so great looking at all the words that you all struggle with! Even us good spellers and writers have our Krypotnite!

Mim said...

I consider myself a good speller, but I can never get responsibility right. I have to slow down when I'm typing it. Maybe it's because I don't want any

When I'm in doubt I google the word. Yeah, sad!

Trisha Pearson said...

I have trouble with vacuum and tomorrow. I always try to spell vacuum with two C's and tomorrow with two M's.

My son's name is Michael and I'm amazed at how many people have trouble spelling it. Many people spell it Micheal which just looks so wrong!

Danyelle L. said...

The spelling of true reminds me of chimney sweeps. :P

Spelling. >.< I'm a creative type. And, to paraphrase Mr. Twain, why limit myself to a single spelling for a word?

Tara Maya said...

isical (icicle)

emeny (enemy)

The list goes on and one, actually. I used to get 22 wrong out of 25 on spelling tests, week after week. Bane of my school subjects.

Angela said...

It used to be that I only spelled wrong becasue I didn't know how to spell the word. Now I'm finding an additional problem - I type really really fast and there are some words where I skip a letter almost every time I spell them - my left hand goes faster than my right. Typically these are words I used every day when I write my notes at work. If I don't spell check I drop "i"s and "m"s out of some words.