Henke 2022j

Proper Spelling is Essential in Communication and not a “Fetish” or an “Art”

Kevin R. Henke

September 15, 2022

Normally, people perform spell checks on their essays and correct any typos and misspellings. This helps their readers and tells them that the writer is capable, not lazy, and cares about properly communicating with them. However, it’s clear from his various emails on May 16, 2022 that Mr. Lundahl has no concern about proper spelling or effectively communicating with our readers. He even tells me to “get over my US fetish for US spelling” (2:21 AM US Eastern time) and that somehow “spelling is an art” (7:24 AM US Eastern time). While I will certainly accept British spellings (e.g., colour or organise), Mr. Lundahl’s many sloppy misspellings are not acceptable in modern English (see the examples with “career” in Henke 2022k and Henke 2022L or “undecisives” in Henke 2022n).

No, Mr. Lundahl, for the sake our readers, I will not “get over” my legitimate concerns about proper spelling and communication. Proper spelling in English is not an “art.” It involves a set of rules that we all must follow for effective communication. Mainstream dictionaries tell us how words should be spelled and defined, and not Mr. Lundahl or any other individual.