The other day, I took a spelling test. Among the words it asked me to check were committment, wholey, principly, slurr, and totaly. These misspellings felt like old friends—words I’ve corrected in manuscripts time and again over the years. I dutifully fixed them to commitment, wholly, principally, slur, and totally. I was praised for my competence, but considering my line of work, I think it would be rediculous if I had gotten any of them wrong (trying to leave it on the page for irony…oh, it’s so hard! The title was pretty painful too).

Let’s be honest: In an age of red squiggly underlines and autocorrect, spelling might seem like an outdated skill. Why bother mastering irresistible or privilege when your computer can fix it for you?

Spellcheck Ain’t Always Right

The truth is, spellcheck is helpful, but it’s not infallible. It’ll catch a lot of the obvious misspellings, sure, but it doesn’t know the difference between principle and principal. And it certainly won’t save you from creative wordplay gone wrong in a headline. Rely on it too much, and you risk missing the subtle errors that will erode your credibility.

Editors are trained to spot these things before they land in print or on screens. But spelling matters for everyone. It signals care, competence, and attention to detail. It builds trust with your reader, whether you’re writing a blog post, a grant proposal, or your dating profile. (Swipe left if someone says they are into “beachs and mountain peeks.”)

The Moral of the Story

The next time you’re tempted to rely entirely on spellcheck, remember that it’s a tool, not a safeguard. A backup, not a substitute. Sometimes a human eye is the best correction tool of all.