Can Spelling a Word Wrong be Right?

Have you ever noticed that some words have more than one acceptable spelling? 

Have you ever seen a word spelled wrong intentionally? What was the reason? Was it just for fun, to add emphasis, or to present a certain tone? 

The reasons for alternate spellings can vary, but sometimes, new spellings are used widely enough that they eventually become accepted. 

Recently, I read about an incident where a woman defended a misspelling on the artwork she was selling because people were still buying it. The concept that the spelling of a word can be decided by the people buying and selling products could be termed "free-market spelling." 

What do you think about this? 

The BuzzFeed copy chief, Emmy Favilla concedes that "sometimes there's no such thing as correct spelling."  However, it is important to notice that she adds the caveat "sometimes." Favilla also says that "Traditional values still apply to language we use in nontraditional media" (it's not complete anarchy). Although Favilla says that "being resistant to change is impractical," she also says that certain things should be correct in order to avoid seeming "ignorant," "uneducated," or less than trustworthy." 

So when can we spell things our own way? What if everyone started spelling everything however they wanted? Favilla says she understands "the frustration in this and can see someone asking: Well, what's next? We start spelling the word cat as caat add the extra a for awesome!) and suddenly it's raining caats and dogs from New York to Melbourne?"

In my opinion, the answer involves circumstance, usage, and credibility.

When using alternate spellings, ask yourself:

• How many people will see this alternate spelling?
• What is the reason for the alternate spelling?
• Will the people reading the word understand the intent?
• Is the alternate spelling of the word becoming more widespread?
• Is the word misspelled so often that people don't seem to notice anymore?
• Is one alternate spelling more common than another in your area?
• Will the alternate spelling affect your credibility?

The last question on the list is particularly important if you want to appear trustworthy. Favilla states, "how am I to have faith that the guy who can't be bothered to get his stationery and stationary straight got the reported facts correct in a story about a missile strike?" 

I know this subject can be a bit tricky, but using the bulleted questions above can help. There is a difference between having some fun with spelling between friends and making errors in an article or report. 

Real-world examples:

One word that has two spellings is "theatre" and "theater." I have noticed that "theatre" is sometimes used in more formal situations. I have also noticed that "theater" seems to be used more often. 

One example from my workplace is "orthopaedics" and "orthopedics." "Orthopaedics" seems to be the British and academic way to spell the word. The signs in our office were recently changed from "orthopaedic" to "orthopedic" to better reflect the more common usage for our area.