misspelled words in Hubs

1. 82

   mary615posted 12 years ago

   How come I can't see a misspelled word in my own Hubs, but I can spot one a mile away on someone else's Hubs?  I read one today that had a word used incorrectly (could have two different meanings, but spelled the same).  The Hub had about 25 comments, and no one had mentioned the word. I politely told the Hubber about the word.  I'd appreciate someone letting me know.  What would you do????

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      brittanytoddposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I'll let you know if I see any, but you usually write great hubs.  If its a bad mistake, I will personally contact the person to avoid causing any embarrassment.

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         mary615posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks.  Yes let me know if you see anything wrong with mine.  I'll do the same.

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      KeithTaxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I can find my spelling errors just fine. All I do is review what I published two years ago and I soon wonder "What was I thinking!?"

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         wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Isn't that the truth.  I'm so bad about it that my SOP is to go back every month and proofread any hub published 2 months ago.  Even though they have all been proofread at least twice, I still find errors.

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      Sally's Troveposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      We get blind to our own words. We revisit our writings, our intentions, and, well, there's only so much we can do without the help of another pair of eyes.
      
      If you message a hubber privately to point out the problem, then that is a good thing. That hubber can take your considered advice or not. I'd be happy if someone did that for me, but I also recognize that some don't care the way I do or the way they should.

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      thranaxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I personally let it go. I sometimes use spelling errors or different variations of words to add a bit more "SEO" scanning to the content. So sometimes when things don't have an "s" on the end or are backwards its referring to how the term would be searched for in Google.
      
      Example:
      
      Today I was walking down the street and saw a cat black that had glowing yellow eyes and was just staring at me the whole time I was walking!
      
      I should have put "Black Cat" but the term "Cat Black" is searched for and has better overall bids on ads. That way I skip the whole "black cat" keyword which is saturated and have "cat black" that might have little to no competition with many searches.
      
      ~thranax~

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         Bills Placeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Interesting concept, I had not thought about it that way. I will have to remember to look into this when I get a chance...

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   5. 77

      Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I just had a comment on one of my top performing hubs that gets hundreds of views a day and has for years point out that I misspelled "Hemingway." LOL. It is a hub on writing, no less, and me touting my literary credentials and all that rot. I was mortified. LOL. How many times have I read that damn hub and didn't spot a second M in that f-ers name. (sigh).
      
      Nice people will send you an email. Grammar Nazis with self-esteem issues will point it out in comments with some snarky attitude.
      
      Either way, I'd rather know.

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         mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I always smile when I see you have commented anywhere Shades, and that is because I know it will be worth reading, and I know I just have to go and read it! I am never disappointed

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            Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            You contribute to my delusions of whatever they are with those sorts of comments.

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               mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

               LOL

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            Sally's Troveposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I agree. And I love the "Hemingway" thing...who would have guessed? At the same time, there's often a good reason for misspelling a keyword: After all, we're going for traffic.

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      Dave Mathewsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Misspelled words terrible grammar, incoherent English are all prevelent he at hub. It irks me to no end.

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2. 0

   The Writers Dogposted 12 years ago

   It may be that not all Hubbers are aware of the spell check feature in the text capsules. I always try to remember to run it before I publish, but sometimes it slips my mind

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      Dorsiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I wrote a hub about how to use the HP spell checker along time ago for those that would like to learn. It's very easy. It's a good idea to check old hubs for mistakes when you are answering comments too. I still find some spelling mistakes in my older hubs.
      
      http://dorsi.hubpages.com/hub/Using-Spe … t-HubPages

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3. 82

   mary615posted 12 years ago

   As you know, there are many words that have different meaning and spelling.  The word I noticed was "morn" used instead of the intended word, "mourn".  That will go past the spell checkers.  Another one that is misused a lot is "their" instead of "there", and visa versa.  Lots more!

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It would be nice if there were some kind of vetting system like Helium has. An article won't get put up with mispelled words or wrong usage. They politely fix it and inform you it was fixed or they tell you to fix it before they'll publish it. But articles there are up for sale so I guess they have to be more careful.

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         Joan Kingposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I have to disagree that articles with mispelled words don`t get on Helium, since I catch plenty years after they were published. Helium is no different than HP since it is up to other writers to hop hubs, check out articles and flag or advise the writer. We can all help each other this way and the quality of articles published.

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4. 79

   mega1posted 12 years ago

   I see what you mean, and I never tell people about their spelling mistakes every since ("every since" is a pet peeve of mine, just threw it in there) I mentioned one to someone and he said "Oh I don't care about spelling - I need to be free when I write - don't bother me with writing conventions like spelling!"  ok.
   
   And although they are irritating - things like their for they're and your for you're I just let go.  If its a word that radically changes the meaning of the sentence - perhaps not.
   
   But while we're on the subject - why do people use words like "whilst" and "amongst" ?   They strike me as affectation words (unless you're a Brit)  but I see them all the time here in the forums and in hubs.  Why not just say "while" and "among"?  See how easily I am irritated!  Also when people use the word "as" in awkward ways where the word "since" would sound better to my ears. 
   
   OK.  As I am tired and have been losing it whilst I wrote the above, I will let you go now while your still listening! 

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5. 97

   Glenn Stokposted 12 years ago

   We all make mistakes. But it’s hard to catch our own errors because our brain knows what was meant. So our brain overlooks our own errors when we proofread, but we quickly see the errors others make.
   
   I never could understand why some people don’t want to be corrected. Wouldn’t they want to be more successful?  After all, they put all their effort into writing, only to have a lower score because they don’t want to make corrections.
   
   I want my writing to be as successful as possible. So I appreciate it when someone corrects me. Proper spelling can lead to higher ranking with Google. 
   
   When I don’t know how the other person will take it, I don’t bother to bring their errors to their attention.  But I do mention it privately when I know they want to be corrected.

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6. 79

   Uninvited Writerposted 12 years ago

   I get embarrassed when I revisit a hub months or even years later and find a spelling error or typo glaring out at me.

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      summerberrieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I just noticed an error in the first sentence of one of my hubs! I feel embarrassed,too. I would rather a fellow hubber let me know (in whatever way is convenient for them) than have it effect the quality of my hub. Thanks, fellow proofreaders!

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7. 61

   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   I don't point out people's errors.  To me, if it's a small error it's usually either a typo or spelling error, and I think the person might eventually discover (sometimes sooner, rather than later, too).  If he doesn't I don't see it as a huge deal (particularly with some of the stuff that shows up on here and really could use some major, major, editing/fixing).  In isolated typo just doesn't seem like a big deal to me.  Spelling errors:  same thing.  Even the "they're"/their/there" kind of thing is sometimes really a typing thing because a person can here the word in his head, and his typing fingers tend to take over what he hears.  Besides not wanting to appoint myself minder-of-other-people's-minor -"issues", another reason I don't point out the small stuff is this:  So often whenever I've seen someone pointing out someone else's errors (in spelling or punctuation), I look at the person's profile.
   
   What so often happens is that the person who has "tons" of Hubs and "zillions" of words written has some minor thing pointed out.  The profile of the person who did the pointing out will often have about eight lines in it, and there'll be spelling and/or punctuation errors in just those few lines.  When I've taken the time to scan a few of the person's Hubs there's usually a number of errors in those too.  I don't want to be the person who points out something to someone, only to have someone do what I do (which is look at the profile and Hubs of the pointer-outer to see how "perfect" everything is, see that "ton" of errors, and think I ought to busy my brain on fixing my own stuff - not theirs.
   
   I don't want mistakes in my stuff, and I'll either find them eventually or else not find them.  Either way, I'm not particularly embarrassed to have them show up. I don't like them, and I'm quick to fix them; but I don't find them hugely embarrassing.  When I write for someone else I make good and sure there are no errors anywhere.  With what I write on here I make quite a bit of effort not to have errors (and go over stuff again and again); but I don't want to be more meticulous than that for my purposes here.  I'd be a whole lot more embarrassed to be that pointer-outer who couldn't write eight lines' worth of profile without five or six errors in them.   I don't want to seem like have a horrible attitude problem (and maybe that's what I do have  ); but I just think, "In the scheme of a lot of the horrendously low-quality stuff that shows up on here, are the occasional typos or other errors that show up really what anyone should be worrying about?"   If HubPages put in editors/"vetters" I'd be absolutely fine with it (because it would be their "official job"), but they'd better have some solid background in writing and not just be any-old-body who got a B+ in eleventh-grade English and fancies himself more skilled than he is. 
   
   It's just kind of ironic, to me, that the person who takes the time to send other people e.mails is so often someone who has obviously not ever run a grammar-check on his own profile and/or Hubs.  (I know people mean well, and everyone thinks differently.  As you can tell, though, I'm not a big fan of minding other people's business, or other people's minding mine.  )  The occasional typo or spelling error will hardly be the downfall of this site as it is right now.

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      mobiasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Whew! ...regardless...not everyone that points out a glaring error, or honestly wishes to help their fellow Hubber fix a mistake, has a 'major' grammar/spelling issue themselves, and therefore, I still feel it's better to hope for a respectful response and let them know. The odds are, they want to know more than those that don't....even if they get a little defensive.   I hope that people let me know of any I make in my Hubs as well, for I'm nitpicky on mine, and others here...For me it detracts from reading if I have to stop and glare at an obviously sophomoric grammar mistake. Just because there are not so good writers here, and obvious second-language money makers 'writing'...doesn't mean I can't hold a higher standard to the real writers here!

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8. 83

   Marcy Goodfleischposted 12 years ago

   I'd prefer to be told (preferably in an email - not just out of politeness, but to avoid having a reference that stays in the comments section forever and confuses readers in the future).  We all know there are no editor-eyes screening things here, so we can help raise quality by spotting things for each other.
   
   As for the serious violators. - well, I just cringe. There's no real way to send someone a complete edit of a hub that has repeated errors. And when you see the same word abused multiple times, you know it's a regular problem, not a drive-by typo.

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9. 86

   Sunshine625posted 12 years ago

   Mary, I could also instantly spot someone else's, but never my own. I send the hubber a private message and I would hope someone would do the same for me. I don't understand how a hub could have so many comments and no one took the time to notify them.

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10. 86

    IzzyMposted 12 years ago

    I'm always missing them. I type them, and for some reason when I read back over a hub I just don't see them! Then months later I do.
    
    I think its a human nature thing.
    
    I also think there are a huge number of hubbers who do not know how to spell. They repeat the same mistake time and again.
    
    The amount of people who say "would of" instead of "would have" is incredible. That is not a typo, they really think that is what the sentence should say.
    
    "I would of stayed in, if I'd known what was going to happen", instead of "I would have stayed in...".
    
    "He could of told me" instead of "He could have told me". I'm even seeing this cropping up in print books.
    
    But simple spelling errors, if its just the one or two, from a hubber who I can see has perfect English, I either ignore it, knowing they will soon spot the error themselves, or I either email or comment, with the message that they are free to delete the comment.
    
    Then add another comment that they would want to keep.

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11. 82

    mary615posted 12 years ago

    I just saw a Hub today that had a misspelled word in the title.  It hadn't been published long, so I quickly emailed the author to let them know.  That way they can correct it right away.  I was surprised that it got past the Hub Hoppers.

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       IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Usually when it's in the title, it's also in the url. So the hub is doomed to failure from the word GO.
       
       Unless I see a lot of effort having being put into the hub - and by that I mean a minimum of at least 300 words, a picture or a video, then I ignore it.
       
       Their loss. Make the effort, or I won't.

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12. 82

    mary615posted 12 years ago

    I published a recipe today and I wanted to type "put the dry ingredients into a large bowl"....I typed "bowel" instead!  Wouldn't that have been terrible if I hadn't spotted that?????

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       summerberrieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Oh,my. Too, funny.

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