The importance of spelling…

A blog reader (thanks!) sent me this text, which I was able to read immediately and easily. How about you?

 

Title: “Only great minds can read this” (so far, so good…)

 

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

 

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

 

As usual, I checked Snopes (http://tinyurl.com/nxfw) before posting this text. There is actually a scientific basis (split-fovea processing and so on…don’t ask!) for this “scrambled” reading ability. As long as certain letters are in their “proper places,” that is, almost everyone can comprehend a scrambled text. Not 55 out of 100 (as claimed above), but probably a much higher percentage.

 

But the real reason I am posting about this today is that I came across another text thanks to Snopes. If you really want a challenge, try to read this one (hehe):

Iltnsegnetiry I’m sdutynig tihs crsrootaivnel pnoheenmon at the Dptmnearet of Liuniigctss at Absytrytewh Uivsreitny and my exartrnairdoy doisiervecs waleoetderhlhy cndairotct the picsbeliud fdnngiis rrgdinaeg the rtlvaeie dfuictlify of ialtnstny ttalrisanng sentences. My rsceeerhars deplveeod a cnionevent ctnoiaptorn at hnasoa/tw.nartswdbvweos/utrtek:p./il taht dosnatterems that the hhpsteyios uuiqelny wrtaarns criieltidby if the aoussmpitn that the prreoecandpne of your wrods is not eendetxd is uueniqtolnabse. Aoilegpos for aidnoptg a cdocianorttry vwpiienot but, ttoheliacrley spkeaing, lgitehnneng the words can mnartafucue an iocnuurgons samenttet that is vlrtiauly isbpilechmoenrne.

Good luck!

 

[Give up? You will find the solution here: http://tinyurl.com/2h62m]

2 Comments

  1. Hi Margaret

    Brilliant and I’ve always been so worried about the fact I couldn’t spell very well. I can read the first one perfectly, the other one i have to admit is a mbit more challenging.

    Love and health as always

    Sue

  2. Hi Margaret

    I am not good speller in English although this is my second language. I started to study when I was 30 years old. Decoding first part was easy, but to crack following part I needed two attempts.

    Peter 06

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