Confession time: I’m a terrible speller.

For most, this might not be such a problem. I’m thinking of that meme with the roadside produce stand advertising “maters, taters, qcomebur, peech, yeller skwash, zookeene, oakre [and] purpul-hurl peas.”

There are lots of misspellings in that list, sure. But most people could still understand the message.

Isn’t that the definition of effective communication?

The problem is, I’m paid to spell things correctly. It’s literally my j-o-b. And while I can get away with the occasional “mater” or “tater” in my prose, most of my editors would frown upon “qcomebur” or “yeller skwash.”...

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