This post has been submitted by Libby Carswell. You can find more on her work at www.emmaburns.com.

Bloge. Blog. Bloog. Blug. Can you pick out the correct spelling of the word? Most people have learned to read English with a certain set of rules attached. We learn the alphabet first along with what sounds each letter makes, we learn how to put those letters together to make words and then we learn how to put those words together to form sentences. One of the most important parts of that learning process includes being taught how to spell words correctly. In the United States, children are drilled with spelling word lists each week at school. Knowing how to spell words properly helps them to know in what context words should be used and what the meanings of those words are. You may be asking, “Does spelling really matter in my blog?”  In this article we’ll examine some reasons why spelling is so important when blogging your heart away.

Consider your audience

Some bloggers may not care if their blogs are read and may only be using their blogs as an outlet for expression. However, if you do care what your audience thinks, then creating a post that is interesting and free of errors is what will lend your blog the most credibility. Posting a blog entry that is fraught with spelling mistakes and other such errors may distract your reader from the original purpose of the blog. It can detract from your message or story and cause the reader to be frustrated with your blog or even to stop reading altogether.

Let’s say you begin writing for a specific blog site that has an established audience. There are standards that are expected for that readership. The integrity and accuracy of what you post is vital to maintaining the readers you have as well as obtaining new ones. You could consider yourself a mini novelist. Readers of great novels come to anticipate the sequels to the novels they have already scoured. Blog readers are not much different. They want to be either entertained or learn something from their reading. However, if you have words misspelled throughout your piece, your audience will not get the full meaning or value of what you have written. Even one misspelled word can throw your reader off.

Another common problem with spelling errors is using a homophone or a word that sounds like another you are intending to use but has a very different meaning. There are many times that I have seen individuals use ‘there’ when they intended to use ‘their’ and vice versa. These two words are not interchangeable but they are often so misused. Using the incorrect word can completely alter the meaning of a sentence and even make it unintelligible. Look at the following sentences:

“They were given there tickets to the concert.”

“They were given their tickets to the concert.”

Although the word ‘there’ is not misspelled, it is a spelling mistake because the word ‘their’ should be used instead. Using standard language and grammar practices will help to ensure your audience’s appreciation of your consistency with those practices. They will want to come back again and again once you have shown yourself to be able to not only keep them engaged with masterful writing technique, but also to give them quality in the structure and layout of your blog. Yes, spelling is important in your blog if you are writing to keep your audience attentive. Making the most of your spell-checker and getting help from a proof-reader can help you offer the kind of reading experience necessary to maintain your blog presence. You never know, that error-free post just might get you that blog job you’ve been looking for.

Libby Carswell
www.emmaburns.com

Don't miss a post in 2008, subscribe to receive PiggyBankPie's articles by Email. Using an RSS reader? Subscribe to our Full RSS Feed.

This Post Was Sponsored by:

Add me as a Friend on StumbeUpon - Blogging Collaboration Starts Here, Join Me Over at StumbleUpon

Follow me on Twitter - Let's Tweet Together!

Need a Little Hug? - rssHugger