Different spelling errors when typing.

[Floppit]

Has anyone else found that they make mistakes typing that they never would writing by hand?

Until I typed a lot I don't remember ever hand writing 'no' for 'know', handwritten it feels almost impossible to make such a mistake but I do occassionally, when typing, since typing took over as my primary means of writing. I've also noticed that I can make similar mistakes with most phonetically identical words - like 'your' and 'you're'. Additionally I sometimes fluff verb endings putting an 'ing' where an 'ed' should be. Again, I don't make the same mistakes in speech or in hand written form.

My grammar's far from perfect, there's always something I'm working to correct or refine but I'm talking about stuff I'd mastered in childhood. I'm curious why this happens, if it's just me or if it's something about the act of typing, the way the thought gets turned into written word - faced with such a blatant choice of letters (like multiple choice) do we think more phonetically?

[brianp]

Yes - I frequently make the their/there and no/know substitutions when typing and theirs simply know excuse for that. Luckily I usually spot such errors before sending/saving the text, but I have been known to edit a forum post to belatedly put them right. Sometimes, of course the error is spotted too late - an e-mail that's already gone off or, much worse, when it's in a printed publication. I make word-ending errors too, but in my case it's usually omission, as in "fluff" instead of "fluffed" or "fluffing", rather than omission.

As with you, these are not the sort of errors which I would ever make when writing, so I too wonder why it should happen on a keyboard. I suppose it could be speed - do we type faster than we write, so fast that we're forced to think of what's coming next rather than paying attention to the current word?

[Floppit]

Do you touch type? I don't, although I think my fingers do seem to know where to go before I've looked for the letter but it means I look down at a keyboard rather than directly at what I'm typing on the screen. When I write (obviously) I look at the text produced.

I'm less sure it's speed, I've always struggled with errors in handwriting but they are different errors, malforming letters etc., or incorrect capitalisation (which I do less when typing). I struggle to write much by hand without crossing out stuff somewhere. For me at least, it's not that I'm more error prone typing, rather I'm prone to different errors.

[brianp]

Do you touch type? I don't, although I think my fingers do seem to know where to go before I've looked for the letter but it means I look down at a keyboard rather than directly at what I'm typing on the screen. When I write (obviously) I look at the text produced.

No I don't touch-type - two fingers and a thumb are all I can manage. And you could well be right - the errors may occur because we look more at the keyboard than at the output on the screen.

I'm less sure it's speed, I've always struggled with errors in handwriting but they are different errors, malforming letters etc., or incorrect capitalisation (which I do less when typing). I struggle to write much by hand without crossing out stuff somewhere. For me at least, it's not that I'm more error prone typing, rather I'm prone to different errors.

My handwriting has never been particularly good but it has deteriorated noticeably in recent years. Sometimes it's as if my brain has forgotten how to write.

[polomint38]

[QUOTE=brianp;70644]but in my case it's usually omission, as in "fluff" instead of "fluffed" or "fluffing", rather than omission.
QUOTE]

er..?

[Mulder]

Again, I don't make the same mistakes in speech or in hand written form.

Are you sure? Try recording a conversation you have and listen! I think you may be shocked by how many mistakes we make in speech. The fact that we can go back and check typewritten words makes mistakes more obvious. On the other hand, if we rely remembering whether we said something correctly - of course we did!

I don't touch type but I think I may be one of the fastest one finger and thumb typists around! I hardly EVER write by hand - when I do it is so bad, even I can't read it.

[Floppit]

Are you sure? Try recording a conversation you have and listen! I think you may be shocked by how many mistakes we make in speech. The fact that we can go back and check typewritten words makes mistakes more obvious. On the other hand, if we rely remembering whether we said something correctly - of course we did!

I don't touch type but I think I may be one of the fastest one finger and thumb typists around! I hardly EVER write by hand - when I do it is so bad, even I can't read it.

I think the people I spend time with would tell me if I struggled with verb tenses, let's just say that I'm quietly confident that I don't.

[Mulder]

I think the people I spend time with would tell me if I struggled with verb tenses, let's just say that I'm quietly confident that I don't.

Wow, if someone did that to me, I'd make sure I didn't spend so much time with them.

There are, of course, also fewer ways to go wrong in spoken language. No one knows if you're saying 'there' or 'their'.

How do you know you make fewer mistakes when writing by hand? Do you read it back?

[Croydon Bob]

What is this "writing by hand" that is being spoken of?

[brianp]

but in my case it's usually omission, as in "fluff" instead of "fluffed" or "fluffing", rather than omission.

er..?

... rather than substitution.

[Trinoc]

What is this "writing by hand" that is being spoken of?

Is it something like the gripping hand?

[Tony Williams]

The most common mistake I make when typing is to get the lettres ni eht rwogn rodre.

Some 15 years ago I decided to do a part-time taught MA. The assessment finished with a three-hour written exam, during which I was expect to produce three handwritten essays. It was 20 years since I'd done anything like that and for many years all I'd picked up a pen for was to sign my name. Being a methodical sort of chap, I decided to revise by tackling some sample exam questions in the time allowed. At first, I couldn't get past the first page before my hand cramped up. I literally had to go into physical training for a couple of weeks before I could write for three hours flat out.

There was a more subtle problem connected with this. I had got used to word processing and just bunged down my thoughts more or less in order, then tidied up each paragraph afterwards. You can't do that in a written essay, so I had to relearn the discipline of thinking through each paragraph in detail before starting it.

I'm pleased to say that having done all of that preparation, the exam was no problem and I sailed through. Makes you think, though...

[Admin]

The assessment finished with a three-hour written exam, during which I was expect to produce three handwritten essays.

[Admin]

I've also noticed that I can make similar mistakes with most phonetically identical words - like 'your' and 'you're'. Additionally I sometimes fluff verb endings putting an 'ing' where an 'ed' should be.

[.....]

I'm curious why this happens, if it's just me or if it's something about the act of typing, the way the thought gets turned into written word - faced with such a blatant choice of letters (like multiple choice) do we think more phonetically?

I'm not sure whether typing differs from the written word but as it's a fast, two-handed process that is quite different to the slower, single-handed process of writing, it could well be that a different type of error dominates.

Using language in written form seems to be a dual process. We read words both as an automatic (lexical) process and phonetically where we turn them into sounds using our internal voice. For most people the lexical process dominates and the phonetic route only comes into play with unusual words, low-frequency homophones (words that sound the same but with different spellings), and mistakes.

Outputting language probably works along the same lines.

I think this is why people who are good at spelling and grammar get so annoyed when people write badly whereas those who write badly themselves say things like, "well what difference does it make as long as people know what you mean?".

Those who read/write well utilise the lexical route when reading and every time they encounter a mistake (their instead of there etc.) they have to baulk to make sure they're getting the correct meaning where as those who are bad a grammar probably use the phonetic route most of the time anyway and as they're turning words into sounds before grasping their intended meaning, things like there/their/they're don't make any difference to them. To those people, reading and writing are little different to understanding spoken language.

I think I digressed a bit there but interesting stuff all the same.

[chaggle]

I'm not sure whether typing differs from the written word but as it's a fast, two-handed process that is quite different to the slower, single-handed process of writing, it could well be that a different type of error dominates.

Using language in written form seems to be a dual process. We read words both as an automatic (lexical) process and phonetically where we turn them into sounds using our internal voice. For most people the lexical process dominates and the phonetic route only comes into play with unusual words, low-frequency homophones (words that sound the same but with different spellings), and mistakes.

Outputting language probably works along the same lines.

I think this is why people who are good at spelling and grammar get so annoyed when people write badly whereas those who write badly themselves say things like, "well what difference does it make as long as people know what you mean?".

Those who read/write well utilise the lexical route when reading and every time they encounter a mistake (their instead of there etc.) they have to baulk to make sure they're getting the correct meaning where as those who are bad a grammar probably use the phonetic route most of the time anyway and as they're turning words into sounds before grasping their intended meaning, things like there/their/they're don't make any difference to them. To those people, reading and writing are little different to understanding spoken language.

I think I digressed a bit there but interesting stuff all the same.

You seem to be saying there are two types of reader/writer: The lexical and the phonetic types. Are these ideas yours or has it been researched? I'm interested as I think I have detected two types of language learner - and I'm wondering whether there might be a link. There are those who can get by after a few weeks learning and those who struggle for years. There doesn't appear to be any correlation between these two types and intelligence nor education. One difference I have noticed is that the quick learners are able to understand spoken language much more readily than slow learners. One quick learner I met years ago could speak Spanish fluently (but probably badly) after a few months with no lessons. He was amazed that I (who at that time could understand little spoken Spanish) could easily read a Spanish newspaper. He couldn't read an English newspaper nor could he write in English.

Is there anythink I can read about this?