Spelling and IQ

[herr_oberst]

Is there a correlation? Probably not, but subconsciously and then consciously, I know I judge.

It's wrong for me to be that way, I know. I can't help it.

[911 Rod]

Then my IQ must be crashing as my spelling gets worse every year.

[flatbutt]

Given how complicated languages are and how very strange some spellings are I would not equate IQ and spelling. Education may be a part of it. However, try explaining why "there" and "their" sound the same to a nonnative English speaker. Or why "beer" and "ear" and "bare" and "bear" sound the same.

Then there are languages in which some words contain letters / phonemes that don't appear in pronunciation. It can make you dizzy.

[Crowbob]

I think poor spelling has more to do with how much one reads than with their IQ.

I usually can look at a word and if it doesn’t look right, I’ve probably misspelled it.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Is there a correlation? Probably not, but subconsciously and then consciously, I know I judge.

It's wrong for me to be that way, I know. I can't help it.

Perhaps.

For me it's mostly about how "structured" one is....how they carry themselves in public. How they want to be perceived.

And to a large degree....whether or not they are too lazy to take the time to ensure what they compose is correct.

The one word that represents all of this is "EXCELLENCE".

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

I think poor spelling has more to do with how much one reads than with their IQ.

I usually can look at a word and if it doesn’t look right, I’ve probably misspelled it.

I agree. Those who read a lot, especially when young and learning, learn the proper usage and spelling of words. They may not pronounce the words properly until they hear them spoken, but they still learn the words.

Now with texting the way most young people communicate, misspelling and no capitalization is just ignored. No big deal if texting with friends, but the business world will not accept it.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by Baz

For me it's mostly about how "structured" one is....how they carry themselves in public. How they want to be perceived.

And to a large degree....whether or not they are too lazy to take the time to ensure what they compose is correct.

Those points tie together for me. There’s an old quote from Ronny Coleman, a bodybuilder, saying “Everyone wants to look like a bodybuilder, nobody wants to life those damn weights!”

Everyone wants to be seen and treated as intelligent, competent, and together. But they don’t want the bother of acting like they are. There’s judging a book by its cover, which can be wrong, but there’s also judging the book it’s condition. If I get a copy of War and Peace that’s water damaged, ripped, with pages stuck together or dog-eared, with food spilled on it - it says something about you, not the book.

Given the limits of social media, it’s a lot less work to create a favorable impression on line than in person - if someone still can’t be bothered…

[Captain Ahab Jr]

My speling doesn't keep up with my enginering mind so my writting can read as if I'm a bit stoopid which is about half wright

[Norm K]

A lack of spelling accuracy certainly points to something, although that thing probably varies from person to person.

_

[masraum]

Technically, IQ is independent of education/knowledge so you could have someone with a very high IQ that was poorly educated and therefore may not exhibit correct spelling, grammar, syntax.

What you're talking about, IMO, is education level and personal focus/retention.

I work with a guy that's very smart. I have to think that he's got an above average IQ. He's a coder with a lot of knowledge. He likes to "learn something new every day" and reads books to learn new things all of the time. He's single handedly written an application that gathers information from thousands of devices, analyzes the data, and predicts failures based on trends in the data (among other things). I think he's probably got an above avg IQ. He often has typos in his emails. I am confident that he knows how to spell, but he doesn't go back and fix some errors.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Given how complicated languages are and how very strange some spellings are I would not equate IQ and spelling. Education may be a part of it. However, try explaining why "there" and "their" sound the same to a nonnative English speaker. Or why "beer" and "ear" and "bare" and "bear" sound the same.

Then there are languages in which some words contain letters / phonemes that don't appear in pronunciation. It can make you dizzy.

Yes, spelling is, I believe, primarily based on education, and then only in a person's native language. Anyone communicating in a non-native language should be given a pass on spelling, grammar, syntax, etc...

[pwd72s]

This might help

[craigster59]

I could read at age three and made it all the way through grammar school with a perfect score on all of my spelling tests.

My problem would be a Spelling Bee. I would have to write the word down and actually see it's structure and know I was right, visualizing the letters and repeating them in sequence is where I would have screwed up.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

I think poor spelling has more to do with how much one reads than with their IQ.

I usually can look at a word and if it doesn’t look right, I’ve probably misspelled it.

I am with Bob on this

It helps if you have taken foreign languages

[dennis in se pa]

Poor spelling and improper grammar bother me. Bad math - not so much. Math is a special talent.

[GH85Carrera]

Some people are just better spellers as well.

My maternal grandmother only had a 9th grade education, but she had a real knack for spelling words. Words that are almost never used in casual conversation were easy for her to spell.

[Bill Douglas]

A friend of mine from school days - same school same teachers, can barely spell and write. Really odd. He's the manager of a large paint store and paid well, owns multiple house etc. I immediately know when it's him sending a txt or email as it's like a young child having a go at slinging letters and words together LOL

[Dixie]

"Anyone who can only think of one way to spell a word obviously lacks imagination." - Mark Twain

[URY914]

Dyslexia can also play a role in spelling.

[masraum]

Where's KC911 to opine on this?