Want to Get Rid of Typos? It’s Time to Turn Off Spellcheck

Using spellcheckers while writing has become a new normal for both amateurs and professional writers. Microsoft Word and other text editors come with integrated spellcheck tools. You can also use third-party software, such as Grammarly.

However, if you pay close attention, you notice that your content has grammar and spelling mistakes despite using multiple checking apps. That is because no spellchecking tool is perfect, and you should learn not to rely on it too much.

Let’s take a look at reasons why you need to turn off spellcheck.

You will try harder

If you use a spellchecker, you know that the tool will check the content for you. That causes motivation problems and makes you lazy. But if you are aware that there is no tool to identify what you’ve written, you will pay more attention. That will make you think more about what you are writing. That is a proven language learning technique that will improve your writing skills.

As time passes, you will become more confident. If you need to write something quickly, you will be able to rely on your skills. You will also be better prepared whenever you need to use a pen and paper to write something.

Learn from Your Mistakes

The world literacy statistics show that incorrect spelling and wrong articles are among the most common mistakes made when writing.

As you invest additional effort into your writing, you start noticing which areas trouble you the most. For example, you might stop to think about whether it is correct to write “effect” or “affect.” Once you clear up that dilemma yourself, you will remember the right way of writing the word for the future.

What If Typos Are Actual Words?

The nature of grammar limits the capability of spellcheckers. While they might be high-quality tools, they are far from perfect. It is why these checkers won’t recognize typos that are actual words.

You will find typing mistakes like “in miss you” instead of “I’ll miss you” as the most common ones missed by spellchecking tools. That is the main downside of these apps. While they might recognize you wrote “fcatory” instead of “factory,” you can’t rely on them to identify if you should write “whether” rather than “weather.”

Spellcheckers Aren’t Always Right!

No spellchecking software can replace the human mind. For example, an MS Word checker can correct your writing as you go. But what if you want to say, “I meant Rick,” and the tool fixes it to “I mean trick.” It won’t seem wrong to the software, but it will completely change what you wanted to say.

There is also the issue of terminology. For example, a startup is a company that only recently entered the market. But if you use Grammarly or a similar tool, they might suggest “start-up” as the only right option. The only problem is that it is not the correct way to type that word.

Other Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use a Spellcheck

Here is a list of other reasons why you should turn off spellcheckers and grammar tools:

• The use of names – the Ignore All option has a problem with recognizing many names. For example, let’s say you want to write “Konstantin,” and the tool recognizes that as a mistake. You click on Ignore All the first time because you see you’ve written it correctly. However, that prevents you from noticing that you wrote “Kenstantin” in the middle of the article.
• Not good at noticing split words – if you use a space and type “sun day” instead of “Sunday,” these checkers usually don’t detect the mistake.
• Not a mind reader – spellchecking tools can’t read your mind. You could write “best retards” instead of “regards,” and they will think everything is okay.

The only way to improve your English is not to become dependent on spellcheckers. If you proofread and edit everything yourself, that will enhance your overall writing skills. It will make you try harder, and you will avoid mistakes that would seem embarrassing in the eyes of the readers.

Ultimately, you don’t allow a machine to write on your behalf. Why would you be so confident it could do the proofreading? Take the matter into your own hands and make that content the best you have ever written!

See also: Spellchecker Dangers