1001 Commonly Misspelled Words: What Your Spell Checker Won't Tell You (Paperback)

~ (Author), Mary Lou Santovec (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Many otherwise intelligent and talented people have trouble spelling correctly, and yet a single misspelled work on a letter or important document creates a bad impression, and can even damage job prospects or networking opportunities. Yet the way traditional dictionaries are organized makes it very difficult for misspellers to look up words unless they already know how to spell them. Computer spell-checkers can be a big help, but they don't address the issue with homophones--a big spelling problem for those who write down words based on how they "sound." Finally, here's a solution for all of the frustrated misspellers who can't spell a word well enough to find it in a dictionary. 1,001 Commonly Misspelled words features an easy-to-use phonetic access system, so that readers don't need to know how to spell words correctly before looking them up. In addition, readers get handy memory techniques (i.e., there's a "rat" in separate) and other tips so that they can remember correct spellings in the future. Lean and mean enough to carry around and use easily, 1,001 Commonly Misspelled Words is comprehensive enough to protect readers from the words they are most likely to get wrong.

From the Back Cover

English can be a language full of spellings that look right but are dead wrong. Toss in those infuriating sound-alikes (they're/their/there, its/it's, except/accept), which computer spell checkers usually don't catch, and it's no wonder that 99% of us are often embarassed and undermined by unwitting typos.

If you have ever searched for a world in a dictionary and have not been able to find it or if you are at a loss about a word, good news: you've just picked up the book that promises to be the single most invaluable resource on your desk.

1001 Commonly Misspelled Words is organized phonetically, enabling readers to look up words without having to know how to spell them (look up, for example, illusive, and find the correct spelling: elusive) also packed with excellent memeory shortcuts ("there's a rat in separate"), 1001 Commonly Misspelled Words is a wonderfully painless solution to spelling maladies. Because when it comes down to it, the art of corret spelling is a crucial ingredient for getting ahead in today's knowledgeable - er, knowledgeable - world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (May 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007135736X
• ISBN-13: 978-0071357364
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #392,788 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You CAN Look Up the Words You Can't Already Spell!, August 3, 2000

By	Peter Vogt (Bloomington, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I was in high school, I and a few good friends made a pretty good hobby out of tormenting (in a good way, of course) one particular English teacher in our school.

One of my favorite tactics in this teacher's classroom was to blurt out, in mock consternation, "How do you spell ______?" whenever I couldn't spell a word. Why? Because a) I was young and immature and a legend in my own mind, and b) the teacher always fell right into my trap...

"Look it up in the dictionary!" he'd scream, without fail, pitching me a nice softball right over the plate ...

"But HOW," I whined, "am I supposed to look up a word when I can't spell it in the first place?!"

(GLARING SCOWL)

Problem was, I was only half-kidding with most of my questions (though I'd never admit as much to the teacher). Often it really WAS difficult (not to mention time-consuming) to look up the words I didn't know, especially if their spellings weren't very intuitive.

I guess that's why I'm enjoying my copy of "1,001 Commonly Misspelled Words." With this handy book, you don't need to know how to spell a word already before looking it up. You need only know how to pronounce it -- because you can then look it up phonetically. Why didn't someone think of this before?! Once you get to the word's phonetic spelling, you can then see the correct (though often counterintuitive!) spelling. Plus, you might get a little story about the word or, better yet, some sort of nemonic -- er, I mean mnemonic -- device so that you can remember how to spell it in the future.

I only wish the book included more words. But in any case, it's a nice tool -- especially for a writer type like me. I would think it might also make a good gift for new college students and others who will be tearing their spelling hair out from time to time in the years to come.

Highly recommended!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Correct Spellings and More, August 25, 2001

By	John Woods (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The thing I really like about this book is the system it uses to help you find the correct spelling of lots and lots of words. Arranged alphabetically are all the possible phonetic ways different words could be spelled with the correct spelling next to it. The incorrect spellings are in one font and the correct spellings are in another. There are also numerous explanations of the words, including sources, usages, and so on. These are very entertaining to read. I highly recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! A spell-checker for dyslexics!, May 12, 2008

By	M. E. Schutz "mes_madison" (Madison, WI, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

With two dyslexic teenagers, you can imagine how often I hear, "Mom! How do you spell..." Finally, there's a reference that they can and will use to look up spelling themselves.

Not only does the book include "inventive" spelling and correct spelling, but definitions are added so they can be certain they have the right word. This book truly gives them information the spell-checker won't! Great reference for kids & adults using Davis Methods.

1001 Commonly Misspelled Words: What Your Spell Checker Won't Tell You The Gift of Dyslexia The Gift of Learning