Common spelling errors in Spanish

We all make spelling errors. However, there is a difference between a typo and not knowing how to spell a word or even not including an accent when writing informally in Spanish such as on message boards (like DR1), texting, email etc.

Spanish is a language that does not have a complex spelling structure or set of rules. It is rather quite phonetic when it comes to spelling. Once you understand the rules you are good to go. However, there are common spelling errors that native, bilingual and casual speakers of Spanish make and if asked it is easy to come up with a list of frequently misspelled words in Spanish.


Well have your say and share your observations. What are common misspelled words in Spanish that you have noticed people of various levels of education, knowledge etc. make in Spanish?


For e.g.


1) Haser- should be hacer

2) Me allegro- should be me alegro

3) Targeta- should be tarjeta

4) Vaya vs valla- used incorrectly when the speaker does not know the difference in meaning of the two words

5) Boy- should be voy



-MP.

In my observation, spelling errors can even be categorized. There are typical spelling errors that English speakers make in Spanish. For e.g. doubling consonants in Spanish or writing /ph/ instead of /f/ and there are errors that are typical of unilingual Spanish speakers like the never ending /b/ vs. /v/ saga or /c/ vs /s/ vs /z/.


Regarding consonants that can be doubled in Spanish there are only three consonants that can be doubled and two are phonetic units. Therefore, any other consonant that is doubled should automatically look strange to the individual writing certain words in Spanish. 

ll, rr - these are phonetic units. cc- is the only exception and consonant that is actually doubled. In my experience, this error tends to be more prevalent among English speakers writing in Spanish. A double /g/, /t/, /l/ etc. like in my example above me allegro looks Italian to me and not Spanish.


-MP.

JasonD said:

C bende ielo

But then again, these aren't spelling mistakes, rather a byproduct of illiteracy.

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Yes, and I am glad you realized this in your own post. The examples you gave we have discussed in several threads and frankly that is an example of illiteracy due to not knowing how to spell. When a complete phrase has every word spelled incorrectly that is clearly another level and indication of a very low level of education.

What I am referring to are the ones you see that are common across the board among Spanish speakers and surprising (at least to me) when you know the individual has a high level of education and exposure to various levels of grammar in the language.



For example,

1) Haber si me puedes ayudar.

 2) Voy aya la semana que biene. I have seen this too. Voy spelled correctly but no clue how to spell viene.




 -MP.

JDJones said:

I've still got my large collection of signs if anybody needs a laugh.

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Rather than signs how about a conversation around the why.

Spelling and being able to write is a form of communication but yet so many people are incapable of writing properly in Spanish, English etc. 

What are your suggestions to improve the situation and why are people so challenged in Spanish a language that is relatively easy when it comes to spelling?



-MP.

Matilda said:

I translate a lot of text messages in Spanish for foreign ladies who can't get Google translate to understand them. Once you know the basic rules it is simple;

No "s" anywhere to be seen.
"b" instead of "v"
All "h" disappear (aser is hacer)
"ll" instead of "y" (apollo instead of apoyo)
"l" instead of "r" and vice versa.(abrir instead of abril)
"s" instead of "c"

Matilda

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Your examples are mix of issues as well. Not completely spelling errors but grammatical and speech patterns too.

No /s/ but the rest is spelt correctly is a result of vernacular speech. It poses such a problem for the predominant /s/ dropper speakers. I always say drop your /s/ and you pay the price when you write if you don’t read in Spanish. People who know how to form the plural in Spanish add the /s/ in writing. No exceptions to the rule. 

Abrir vs Abril that is a studied linguistic concept known as trueque common in the three Caribbean Spanish-speaking countries.

The /h/ issue of you don’t pronounce it but it is written is a problem for some. As a result, you see crazy spelling and incorrect word choice such as hola vs ola.


-MP.

Lucifer said:

After typing conección, I spring into acción with a quick corrección, and I fix my conexión.

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Gracias por la lección.



-MP.

There is a correlation between words that are misspelled and pronunciation. Words that are difficult to pronounce can be difficult to spell as well even in Spanish. Here is a top 50 list from one website of words that are hard to pronounce in Spanish and may be difficult to spell as well.


http://www.language-pro.info/most-difficult-spanish-words-to-pronounce/


Here are a few that stand out from the list:

1) Anaranjado

2) Ferrocarril

3) Ornitorrinco

4) Otorrinolaringólogo

5) Espantapájaros


In my opinion, only a handful from this list can be considered difficult to pronounce.


I will add murciélago for foreigners. Sound it out and put the stress on the right syllable is what I always say.



-MP.

Adding accents correctly

I noticed in few newspapers last week that accents are missing on words that change the meaning of sentences and the occurrence is not a one off. I am not sure what’s going on whether it’s a proofreading issue or the journalist/ commentator does not know the difference. However, putting an accent on a word in Spanish is not a style or fashion. Adding an accent to a word that should not have one in a particular context can change the meaning completely.

What I have notice over the past week:


1) Si vs Sí- If / Yes

) Gane vs Gané – Win- present subjunctive. For e.g. Espero que gane. / I won (past tense)

3) De vs Dé- From / Give- present subjunctive- Espero que te dé más tiempo.



In each example above the wrong word was used in the context because the accent was either missing or added incorrectly. I had to read the sentence over again to realize what was happening. I think newspaper articles should be written correctly. It starts with the journalist. You can’t rely on spell check for everything.



-MP.