Forget spellechecker, how about a meaning checker?

Spellcheckers (I know it's "supposed" to be two words, but literary license lets me make it all one word) are OK - as far as they go. There are certain words that they don't catch, and there are others that they don't recognize. At least once a week, I have to Google a word or go to dictonary.com to find a word that I thought I was using and spelling correctly just to verify that I was.

Then there are words that seem to go better together than apart, but spellchecker doesn't seem to care. "Everyday" is OK but "everytime" is not. Then there's "alright" and "all right" but not "allright." When do you use "a while" and when "awhile"? I could go on.

Now to meaning or context checkers. Of course, I do not get something "form" you even though I may have typed it that way. And I usually don't offer a choice between one thing "of" another - even though I may type it that way. Then there's "fro" for "for" and many others.

Spellchecker seems to enjoy flagging "it's" when I use it correctly, thinking I don't know when to use the contraction form and the possessive form correctly. The same with "you're" when I use it.

Now if we could just get some help where it counts - on the context or words - regardless if they actually make a word the way they are spelled but make no sense typed that way.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings. © Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

14 comments • Steve Hoffacker - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Consulting and Strategies • March 21 2009 11:14AM

What a difference a vowel makes

On Wednesday, I wrote about my challenges in using the letter “r” and the “f” correctly so that I could type “or” when that is what I meant and “of” when I intended to use that – instead of accidently typing the wrong word and ending up with a “piece or cake” instead of a “piece of cake.”

Now, I have uncovered yet another typing challenge. Did you know that the “i” and the “o” were exactly next to each other on the keyboard? Of course you did.

Imagine that. Two adjacent vowels – 3 actually, if you count the “u” to the left. I hadn’t really thought about it until I started making some unusual spelling mistakes.

“Of” and “if” actually have different meanings, so instead of typing “piece of cake” I have typed “piece if cake.” Doesn’t make much sense, does it?

Then occasionally I type “ot” for “it” which is doubly confusing because in my haste I often type “ot” for “to.” And so it goes.

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For more information on my coaching services or sales tips visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my blog homesalesinsights.com.

4 comments • Steve Hoffacker - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Consulting and Strategies • July 26 2008 08:33AM

What a difference one row makes

What a difference the top row of letters to the second row makes on the keyboard. I’m talking about the “r” and the “f” as in “or” and “of” – 2 commonly used words and 2 that I invariably manage to use to mess up the meaning of what I’m writing by typing the wrong one. They are in basically the same physical position on the keyboard, just a row apart.

I know what I mean to say – it’s just that what I type is not always what I mean. Not only that, but spell check won’t help here!

“Of” something has a whole lot different meaning than “or” something as in “piece of cake” not “piece or cake.” If you are looking at one of my posts and it doesn’t seem to read correctly, maybe I used the wrong 2-letter “o” word. Sorry.

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For more information on my coaching services or sales tips visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my blog homesalesinsights.com.

6 comments • Steve Hoffacker - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Consulting and Strategies • July 23 2008 10:18PM