Interesting e-mail

[Ell]

Received this from a reader friend:

"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteesr are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe."

I found this fascinating because, just as it says, I had no trouble reading it. Then I got to wondering if it's true of readers who have English as a second language?

So, Idun, lies, Kaz, and others who have English as a second language. Are you able to read the above?

 

[xallyx]

Lol...It's funny that you posted that because they were talking about that on a show called the Panel here in Australia last night. That had that quote up as well. Very interesting

 

[member 737]

Unexpectedly... no problem at all. I've just read it as fast as I usually read texts written in "normal" English. The only word about which I had doubts (and I think I guessed it from the context and gramatical structure) was "iprmoetnt". I wonder why, because it's not the longest one.

Truly, it's a very interesting idea. I must check if it also works in Polish.

 

[lies]

Ha, that's actually pretty funny. I don't have a problem reading that quote either, and up until Idun singled out the word "iprmoetnt" I had no problem reading that either. (is it a context thing, or does it work with single words as well?)

It's just too bad it probably only works for syllabic languages; it'd be fun if it were true for all languages...

 

[Martin]

Nope, no problem whatsoever. And I'm Dutch.

I do think it's a context-thing, though. You kind of predict the coming words, and then you see those letters, the first and the last, and you make the link between what you see and what you predicted.

I think.

Cheers, Martin

 

[Kaz]

I have no problems to read it. It is interesting. Makes me think can dyslexic people read it or not. Only I know the letters go other way around as same with words as well. I am not expert on dyslexic area.

 

[Ell]

Hmmmm. Good question Kaz. You'd think dyslexics would see the words correctly.

 

[member 737]

I can't agree that people with dyslexia would see the words correctly. At least, my brother didn't.

 

[Ell]

I can't agree that people with dyslexia would see the words correctly. At least, my brother didn't.

But, was he able to read it?

 

[member 737]

Hard to say. He resigned from trying after first line, which was partly successful, because he didn't like it.

 

[phil_t]

I found that it was actually easier to read if you just scan through it really quickly, rather than letting your brain actually try and work out each word!

Tres Weird, non?