I’ve never met anyone that actually liked learning to spell or practices it as a hobby. It is, simply, a necessary evil. Something that was brought home by a tiny news item this week regarding a cookbook with a recipe recommending ‘freshly ground black people’. People vs pepper is in fact only a two character difference (they share two p’s and two e’s) but oh, what a world of social statement.  Which is precisely what Ben Franklin was trying to create (in a slightly more positive way) by advocating different spelling for Americans versus the British – Esperanto hadn’t yet been created or perhaps he’d have steered us towards a different language altogether.

With Daniel Webster’s help it happened and all it really takes is a careful look at how one spells color or colour, honor or honour and you will know where the writer’s allegiance lies – even if you’re  a native Italian speaker living in Portugal; you’re brief lapses into English will put you into one of two camps.

Spell check is not always your friend, particularly if it leaves you with a false sense of confidence that only spices are being ground. Proof read – you’ll save a lot on legal fees!