Typos! How many are ok in emails?

5 Comments

1. Suzanne FunkAugust 9,2024 at 5:37PM UTC

   Install Grammarly onto your web browser and gmail if you use it. I am an English teacher and it still catches my typos.

2. AnonymousAugust 9,2024 at 6:20PM UTC

   I don't know how many typos are ok -- that's subjective and I feel most people would say, it should be flawless.

   While ChatGPT is a popular tool to turn to, it's still known to not be the perfect solution. In fact, all digital writing assistances run the risk of still missing typos too, so just continue to practice with editing your own stuff.

   My advice would be to start keeping track of words, punctuation, etc. that you typically tend to overlook. That way, when you edit your emails or other content, you know to spot check those specific areas.

   I also try to review my content like 4 times before I send it off. I still might run it through a writing asst like Word's spell/grammar check or Grammarly though. I read it aloud and I read it backwards to make sure everything flows and looks correct. I also read for punctuation, misspellings, grammar, etc. An honorable mention is taking a step back for a few hours and coming back to it with a fresh pair of eyes.

   Hope these tips help!

3. AnonymousAugust 9,2024 at 7:34PM UTC

   Honestly, I tend to believe that words should be 100% spelled correctly, but my punctuation and grammar are awful so I can't judge too much on that.

   I use a combo of free grammarly and ChatGPT for my really important emails. I tend to be wordy, so reading out loud helps with misspellings but it does not help with punctuation and grammar because I type the way I talk. When I want help with that I put it in ChatGPT and ask it if the punctuation and grammar are correct. Once it answers that I ask how it would change the email to be more concise or more clear.

   If you don't want to use chatGPT or grammarly, you might try drafting it and then stepping away/doing something else and come back to it with fresh eyes. Also, talking it out with a trusted colleague can help as well.

   Hope this helps a bit! Good luck :)

4. AnonymousAugust 9,2024 at 7:38PM UTC

   Ask a friend to read it for you. Typos are our way of saying we're human, but I also Google words to make sure I'm using them correctly. Especially except and accept. Those are commonly misused in sentences. I think too we text so much it's okay to make typos but in writing for business I'm more of a stickler. Especially if the job requires attention to detail. I work with someone at a higher level that makes a lot of typos. Doesn't look good most of the time but I know some people are forgiving. It's not really age I think it's more of a we type fast, and old school ways of handwriting are out. I'm close to 60 and I swear my handwriting is awful. I'm used to typing and texting now. LOL

5. AnonymousAugust 10,2024 at 2:27AM UTC

   Make sure you are using spell-checkers and syntax checkers, like Grammarly, to check not only your spelling but also your context. Simple spell checkers cannot discern misuse of there/their/they're and your/you're, which happens in at least half of the emails I get and all too frequently in more formal writing.