Spell-check vs Sense check

As much as I'm a stickler for spelling and proper grammar, I have now added another filter when I'm writing: "Sense-check." The reason is very simple: A number of words that slip through on written communication could create damage if not caught.

Several examples come to mind...

There was one of such in a wedding programme. If I can recall correctly, it said something like:

"May this man and woman remain untied in marriage."

I sure the couple and even the Pastor meant "United." 

I actually wrote about saying someone is your "fiend."*

Imagine writing "I'd love to see you later" and because you misplace the "l" when typing quickly, it turns out to be "I'd like to see you alter." Indeed all the same letters & a valid word - just not the appropriate or even sensible word in that context - even if that's what you're really thinking. :)

In June, I started signing off my emails "Have a safe and splendid summer." I was in a hurry one morning and misspelt the word "splendid" (actually missed the "l") and auto-correct, in it's "wisdom," changed it to "spending."
I'm so glad that I caught it before I hit the "send" button. Can you imagine what would have happened if I sent to email to one of my children or someone I could "instruct" to do something?

And then on the day that I was writing this you won't believe what I wrote. A group of us were celebrating 10 years since we attended a Leadership course and one of my sentences was:

"Guess what, our plague with all our pictures is on my bedroom wall 

- you all have special place in my heart."

Notice the underlined word. To be clear, the word I meant to type was "plaque" and of course even if I used it, spell-check wouldn't have picked it. Now by "plaque" I meant a commemorative ornamental tablet, not the dental or medical meanings. Be that as it may, I'm definitely grateful that God in His mercy won't let that sentence be a sentence on me and my Cohort-mates. Here's a recent example: yesterday, I almost typed "impeding clients" instead of "impending clients."

Switching gears slightly, I like this cartoon.
It sure puts a different "checkpoint" on this spell-check matter. And that's another thing to watch when you absent-mindedly choose to "Add to Dictionary"  because you could very well be creating a future issue.

My message is simple...don't rely only on "spell check," it could get you in trouble.

Reference: 

* http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.com/2013/09/its-all-about-r.html
Read: http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.com/2014/04/so-you-think-you-can-spell.html