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Mispeller? You’re One of a Select Few!

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Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Updated on

I just found excellent validation for spelling mistakes and typos. When I checked my blog statistics to see which search strings had brought people to this site, I noticed that someone visited tonight looking for a "solitication letter."

How had that brought the searcher to me? After all, I know how to spell "solicitation." But there it was, a link to this blog. It seems that I had missed a typo in my recent post, "When Good Writing Goes Bad."

I was in good company. Google had found 310 matches for the misspelled "solitication letter." My post was listed sixth.

But wait–a Google search with only 310 matches?

Inspired, I decided to search for the phrase spelled correctly. The number of matches for "solicitation letter"?

3,620,000

Well, I’ve decided not to correct that error I made last week, and I bet you can guess why.

But now I’m experiencing an ethical dilemma. As a professional teacher of effective business writing, would I be justified to include the phrase "effective buisness writing" or "effective business wirting" now and then–just to increases my odds?

No, I don’t think so. But let me know what you think: Should I correct the error in the title of this post?

Posted by Lynn Gaertner Johnson
By Lynn Gaertner-Johnston

Lynn Gaertner-Johnston has helped thousands of employees and managers improve their business writing skills and confidence through her company, Syntax Training. In her corporate training career of more than 20 years, she has worked with executives, engineers, scientists, sales staff, and many other professionals, helping them get their messages across with clarity and tact.

A gifted teacher, Lynn has led writing classes at more than 100 companies and organizations such as MasterCard, Microsoft, Boeing, Nintendo, REI, AARP, Ledcor, and Kaiser Permanente. Near her home in Seattle, Washington, she has taught managerial communications in the MBA programs of the University of Washington and UW Bothell. She has created a communications course, Business Writing That Builds Relationships, and provides the curriculum at no cost to college instructors.

A recognized expert in business writing etiquette, Lynn has been quoted in "The Wall Street Journal," "The Atlantic," "Vanity Fair," and other media.

Lynn sharpened her business writing skills at the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a master's degree in communication, and at Bradley University, with a bachelor's degree in English. She grew up in suburban Chicago, Illinois.

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