can only spell a word one way”
– Mark Twain
Remember that email about insanity few days ago?
The one where I said the definition of insanity is actually the opposite of what some would have us believe?
Well, here’s a funny little add-on:
That same day, someone told me I’d basically proven Albert Einstein wrong with that email — as the whole, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” is often attributed to him.
Although, I have heard he never said it, some author did.
But either way, whether Einstein said it or not, there’s one thing we’re in complete agreement with:
We both suck at spelling.
I cheerfully admit to being one of the world’s worst spellers.
And Einstein’s spelling was so bad he was pronounced “retarded.”
Ouch.
But you want to know something funny?
The more ads, emails and other writings I do, the less I seem to care about spelling anymore.
It’s just never an issue.
Especially since most adults read at a 5th grade level — and wouldn’t know the difference between “there” and “their” or “its” and “it’s” anyway.
And it never seems to effect response either way.
In fact, my ads are pulling better than ever — even though I couldn’t care less about spelling and grammar.
The point?
If you suck at spelling, don’t worry about it.
Use your spellcheck and try to sound like an intelligence adult.
But if a few typos or grammatical mistakes slip through the cracks, don’t sweat it.
They may actually work to your benefit.
And hey, if nothing else, you can say you have something in common with Albert Einstein 😉
Ben Settle
P.S. You can learn more about why (and how) bad spelling and typos can help your ads on page 60 of The Copywriting Grab Bag.
It’s a short chapter, but it explains why you will sometimes see certain marketers and copywriters laughing all the way to the bank even while butchering the English language.
