Laura Marrich [ Wed Jan 12 2011 1:43 PM ]

[click to enlarge]

Spelt words are gluten-free.

Allow me to nerd out for a spell. [Hey-o!]

When you look up “spellcheck” or “spellchecker” on Google, the very first entry—beating out 7,340,000 other results—is SpellCheck.net. (Adding a space between the two words bumps it to the third and second hit, respectively. So it’s not a question of grammar swaying the search results.) This site is the most popular of its kind.

I used the online tool today to run some text. ... Now, you tell me what’s wrong with this picture. [click the image to enlarge]

SpellCheck.net doesn’t give any (other) indication that it might be joking. It’s a fully functional online tool. I could find no discussion on the Interwebs about it being a gag site. And how in Jebus’ name could it reach #1 on Google all just to prop up one irony writ small?

Maybe I’m overthinking this. Or maybe I’m onto something huge—maybe I’m a whistleblower in the greatest copy-editing scandal the Internet has ever borne. Or maybe, just maybe, I’m overthinking this.

Public Comments (11)

- BettySprocket
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- Since 2010-05-31
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colour me pedantic [ Wed Jan 12 2011 2:47 PM ]

"Spelt" is a British thang and a totes legit particip. The site accepts both British and American spelling variants.
- Jessica
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- Since 2005-08-04
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co-operation [ Wed Jan 12 2011 2:49 PM ]

It's not the Cupertino effect: [link]
- BettySprocket
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co-commentation [ Wed Jan 12 2011 2:54 PM ]

Nor the Scunthorpe problem: Visit Page
- Jessica
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That's what she said [ Wed Jan 12 2011 3:08 PM ]

Scunthorpe
- Marrich
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- Since 2008-10-14
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
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But Sprocket [ Wed Jan 12 2011 3:25 PM ]

The site is totally 'Merican.
The Units Converter pages uses "liter," "-meter," etc, instead of the British "litre," "-metre." Even more telling, the volumes are all U.S., with no option for Imperial (it's all 16-ounce pints, all the time).
The Kitchen Converter measures ingredients by volume (cups, etc, the American preference), with no option for weight (grams, etc, the British preference).
SpellCheck.net, j'accuse!
- BettySprocket
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oh gross [ Wed Jan 12 2011 3:56 PM ]

Just like those American idiots who think that closing a letter with "Cheers" is somehow OK, SpellCheck.net is probably laboring under the illusion that its little British affectation makes it look cool.
- faun lebowitz
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just like [ Wed Jan 12 2011 4:43 PM ]

those Americans over the age of 17 who think saying totes is ok.
poke poke.
- faun lebowitz
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Cupertino, Scunthorpe [ Wed Jan 12 2011 4:47 PM ]

How do you people know this stuff?
- aw0L
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- Since 2009-02-20
- Pylea, and Albuquerque
- Posts: 55
these are the types of things [ Wed Jan 19 2011 3:24 PM ]

i've come across in my random, information-addiction-spree forays into wikipedia, et al.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I'd actually read both of those articles (Cupertino, Scunthorpe) on wikipedia ... it was years ago, and I wouldn't of thought to remember it, but ...
For me, it's "how do you remember that stuff?" :)
- Steinar
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That’s just wrong! [ Wed Jan 19 2011 11:17 PM ]

I think so is what I think...I know so because I went to the school of redundancy school. Spelt is potentially an ingredient in a pizza crust or what I did to my beer last night ;), but not a proper replacement for the word spelled. Are we not in America? Will someone press one for Spanish?
Since we are on the subject, I’ve got my own Scunthorpe problem when I use my Droid: I seem to get the word chatting auto corrected with cheating...I’m not sure if that is contagious or not, but it can get you into a lot of trouble. Just sayin’
- mherrera
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this spell checker is OK [ Fri Mar 25 2011 10:21 AM ]

hi,
Here is a free <a href="[link]">spell check</a> [link]

The Internet’s most popular spellchecking tool can’t spell “spelled”