Being Discreet

Sometimes when we rush through a message, we type too fast. The letters are all there, but in an odd order. I don’t know how many times I’ve typed “hte ” instead of “the”. I don’t know because the word automatically changes when I move on to the next word. Thanks, AutoCorrect!

But for words we don’t use all the time, we have to be on guard against misplacement of letters in a word.

This common problem affects how people read and understand our messages. One word that comes to mind in this confusing spelling mix-up is discreet. Since there is a double-e, it should be pretty easy to keep them together. However, even the easy words get misspelled. If the word comes out wrong, it usually looks like discrete. This is a problem because that is a word with a definition that’s not even close to discreet’s definition.

Discreet means judicious regarding conduct or speech, showing wisdom or discernment. Discrete means individually separate and distinct.

I’m sure you know other words which are butchered by rushing fingers. If we take the time to check our messages before sending them out, we’ll achieve successful communications more often.

Happy proofreading!