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submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by IncogCyberspaceUser@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

What about similar oddities in English?
(This question is inspired by this comic by https://www.exocomics.com/193/ (link found by BunScientist@lemmy.zip)) Edit: it's to its in the title. Damn autocorrect.

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[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Where, were, we're. Even native speakers have problems with this. I don't know how many times I had to correct such cases, especially with American authors.

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

Pretty much only native speakers have problems with this, I see this type of mistake far less frequently with those who learned English as an additional language.

[-] Samskara@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

Exactly. People with English as a second language go from meaning to writing. Native speakers go from sound to writing.

There, their, they’re is something native speakers confuse as well. I have only ever observed native speaker write should of instead of should‘ve or should have.

[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Pretty much only native speakers have problems with this

99% agree with this. This is a native speaker issue, except where someone took up bad habits from the natives...

[-] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Pretty much only native speakers have problems with this

That makes no sense since they would use it more, however native speakers from the US do have problems with it, and other words (they're/their).

Rarely encounter it with others.
Their spelling is embarrassing, same as their very limited vocabulary. IDK what they do in schools.

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

It's true that I see it more rarely with the British. I suppose they read more or something.

[-] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Possibly, education is my main guess

[-] mapu@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I pronounce these all differently though? [wɛɹ], [wəɹ] and [wiɹ]

[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Maybe, yes, but as someone who has seen tons of unedited writings, I can tell you those mixup as common as muck.

[-] Jyek@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

This one has also bothered me because I pronounce all three of these differently.

[-] ulterno@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago

Where, were, we’re.

I never had a problem with those, until I started with stuff like Reddit.

Now, I find myself making the mistake and catching it in proofreading.
Guess my brain is starting to age too.

this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2025
543 points (96.6% liked)

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