10 Feb 2012
Checking your work for errors is a tricky business. And that’s because you’re brain is fiendishly clever and will ‘make good’ the word even if it’s written incorrectly. I’m sure you’re familiar with the paragraph below where the first and last letters of the word are correct but the rest of the letters are muddled. And you can still read it, right?
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteers be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
So how about if the letters are replaced with numbers?
7H15 M3554G3 53RV35 7O PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5! 1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG 17 WA5 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3 Y0UR M1ND 1S R34D1NG 17 4U70M471C4LLY W17H 0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17, B3 PROUD! 0NLY C3R741N P30PL3 C4N R3AD 7H15.
It’s hard for the first few words isn’t it? And then it feels quite easy.
So if you’re reading your work back and checking for errors, chances are you’re going to miss some, as your brain autocorrects as you read.
Ideally, what you need is a proofreader to proofread all your work. Or for a cheaper option follow these 12 Steps to Perfect Copy.
Andy Nattan
Posted at 12:38h, 10 Februaryw0w 5ar4h, 7h47’5 4 gr347 p057!
But never, ever make me type like that again…
Ben Locker
Posted at 12:51h, 10 FebruaryFigurinely spanking? What’s that? 😉
Rochelle Alvaro
Posted at 01:47h, 30 OctoberIt’s Figuratively Speaking, hehe
Gareth Cook
Posted at 15:42h, 10 FebruaryNice post Sarah. A quirky, quick way to make an excellent point. It reminded me of CASIOSpk – when we used to type in 771077345 or more commonly 58008 into our calculators and turn them upside down to reveal the ‘hilarious’ results.
Sarah Turner
Posted at 15:57h, 10 FebruaryOh yeah. I remember 7100553 – Esso Oil. There’s a whole bunch of people reading this now and thinking ‘what on earth are they talking about?’
Gareth Cook
Posted at 16:05h, 10 FebruaryPhew! Thank goodness I’m not alone. Thought I was risking showing me age, but I’m beyond caring about that. Just imagine how our young minds would have been blown by being able to type on a telephone!
Sarah Turner
Posted at 16:14h, 10 FebruaryI know! To be honest I still use FaceTime on the iPhone even now and think of Star Trek.
Oliver Radini
Posted at 17:39h, 10 FebruaryThe more I proof the more I enjoy it… and it’s certainly very useful. This post illustrates the point very well.
Max Taylor
Posted at 20:12h, 21 JuneThnx for posting tht, now im gunna put it on my profile and amaze my friends (u may not get credit sawwy) TY SO MUCH 54R4H
wiseman55
Posted at 20:01h, 09 Julyi like this post
Ritvik Sharma
Posted at 06:00h, 22 OctoberThanks. I wanted a username so bad on instagram and using your post I made it out of numbers. Thank you. It’s 4u7umn though ?.
Azee Yadav
Posted at 13:02h, 02 DecemberThis message serves to prove how our minds can do amazing things! Impressive things! In the beginning it was hard but now, on this line your mind is reading it automatically without even thinking about it, be proud! Only certain people can read this! Please forward if you can read this????????
Lilly
Posted at 03:32h, 08 JanuaryH3110
Cole sipes
Posted at 14:53h, 20 AprilI like how you said H3110
Ed English
Posted at 09:48h, 04 August1 r3411y 10v3 r34d1ng 1h353 1h3yr3 411 50 c001 🙂
naghan
Posted at 06:11h, 14 April7n3y’r3 5o c001
Jules Cappello
Posted at 01:59h, 07 May4=a
1=i
3=e
0=o
7=t
2=z
5=s
9=g
6=b
joseph seth fowler
Posted at 13:22h, 09 July1 l1k3 th1s sh4ra 1 c4n 7ext 17 m0re cl34rly g00d j06 0n th1s
Kallen Micha
Posted at 23:37h, 23 September9066le, 9066l3. H4ppy 7h4nks91v1n9.
Bella thomas
Posted at 19:19h, 24 AprilThat’s so cool i read that without a problem
Samantha Brown
Posted at 07:37h, 18 MayI re411y l1k3d th15 p057 th4nk5 5o much! N0w 1 w1ll b3 4913 7o 53nd things 5o much m0r3 3451ly! (h4h4 1 m34n tr1ck13r!)
😉
Matthew Edwards
Posted at 15:15h, 17 November5318008 upside down on a calculator 🙂
Michael Langston
Posted at 23:28h, 06 Januarylol. i love reading these
Sylvester Larsen
Posted at 13:03h, 25 March7h1s 15 50 c00l
Emilia Evans
Posted at 22:09h, 25 March1 h093 p30p13 w111 r34d th15 4nd b3 11k3, “1 3nj0y3d th15” b3c4u53 th15 t00k 50m3 t1m3. 101 1 3v3n m4d3 101 0ut of 0n3 z3r0 0n3. s33 th4t?
Ximena Hernandez
Posted at 22:13h, 25 March0mg th3 cr1ng3 ?
colinryan
Posted at 02:24h, 10 June1 10v3 7h353
Monina Aviles
Posted at 08:01h, 23 AugustMY 5ON, WH3N H3 W45 53V3N Y34R5 OLD 1 G4V3 7H15 P4RAGR4PH 7O H1M 4ND 1 W45 4M423D TH4T H3 R34D 7H3 7H1Ng!
Gill Smith
Posted at 07:59h, 23 SeptemberI love this and use it all the time to create passwords. I don’t always use the same numbers for substitutions, eg 4 could be A or H, I mix it up a bit which means I occasionally need a second go at a password but that’s OK.
Jesse
Posted at 01:41h, 11 JanuaryWhat’s this called tho? The ability to do this?
tan
Posted at 07:18h, 03 October0 1 63t it
Luna Lee
Posted at 07:22h, 03 October1 und3rs74nd 1t s0 unq1c3
vrb
Posted at 12:35h, 20 NovemberIt is called “pattern recognition”
timothy br.
Posted at 21:23h, 12 AugustN347 – W3LL D0N3 !!
isola Favour
Posted at 20:31h, 16 March7h15 15 r3411y 900d 4nd v3ry cool
isola Favour
Posted at 20:33h, 16 March1 l0v3 7h15 n0w 1 c4n 53cr373ly 53nd m355493