Part 1? I think this might be a series.
Every dyslexic has their own set of challenges and strengths. Misspelling words is probably one of more common challenges that dyslexics can face in addition to struggling to read. However, not every word is misspelled every time and it can be different each time you try to spell it.
These are some examples of words that I have personally spelled wrong or struggled to spell at some point. That doesn’t mean each time I go to write or type one of these words it has to be a struggle. Sometime I can get them on the first try and others it takes me a minute to figure out how to spell it.
The words
- whether – This is a word I struggle with constantly! It’s probably due to ‘weather’ being so memorized that anytime I try to “sound it out”, I don’t know where to start. I can only think about the other. This is a word I will use speak to text to figure out how to spell whenever I need to spell it.
- acceptance – I believe we all have those words that are difficult to spell because you don’t know how many of what letter to use. For this word in particular, it can be challenging with the letter c and then I get a lost with the rest.
- scissors – One day when I was subbing, I had to write scissors on the board for students to bring for art class. One of the students corrected me (nicely), we fixed and moved on with no problem. I think sometimes people assume that it is embarrassing every time you misspell a word but this time proved that doesn’t need to happen. It showed everyone makes mistakes, we fixed it, and moved on.
- fairy – you would think being called “Tinker Bell” for 9 summers (camp name), I would maybe know how to spell this word. However, I am working on a book that includes fairies and it is a word that is often difficult for me. I never know the order of the three letters in the middle. Now, I see that it spells “air” so maybe I won’t misspell it again.
- dyslexia – okay, I had to include this one. One of my first school visits I did as a volunteer for a local foundation included a presentation. In one of the first slides, dyslexia was spelled wrong. At the end, the person who attended with me asked if that was on purpose. I told that it wasn’t and I had no idea until she told me walking out of the building towards our cars.
Why share about misspelling words?
Back to being embarrassed about misspelling. I used to feel that all the time and if I’m being honest with myself I still do, but rarely. I hope this series of the blog, allows others who still feel embarrassed often to understand that it’s okay and your not the only one.
It’s normal and okay to misspell words regardless of your age, achievements, or anything. Leave a word or two in the comments you have misspelled recently. I think I know some words I will include in the next part of this series simply from writing this blog. 🙂
Abigail Griebelbauer is a children’s book author who has made it her mission to promote neurodiverse representation and inspire young readers. She loves speaking with students, teachers, and readers alike about dyslexia, writing, and so much more. Abigail’s love for travel and adventure is reflected in her blogs and books.
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