It makes a great news story: the university tutor who has collected and published examples of poor spelling and illiteracy from his students.
The problem is that good spelling is more a sign of experience than of intelligence given the notorious irregularity of written English. While I agree that good written communication skills should be expected of all graduates – and are essential for PR graduates – it helps to admit to our own howlers. Here are some of mine:
- I circulated a questionnaire among staff when at school as research for a magazine article. Many gleefully corrected my use of ‘favor’ in place of the conventional UK spelling.
- When I worked as a typesetter, I produced a menu for a local pub. They came back months later to ask me to insert a second s in ‘lemon mouse’.
- As a PR consultant, I pitched my plans for a product launch to a very large client. Problem was, the slide said it was a ‘press lunch’. Hard to justify the expense.
- My wife – who now writes for a living – once completed a graduate job application for the role of a university Accommodation Officer. She spelt accommodation wrong throughout (easily done) – and failed to be shortlisted.
- In recent years, I misnamed a local university in a presentation to colleagues. There’s a second s in Teesside. Odd, but true.
PR Studies 
My latest blog post title is: “Facebook security flaw found.”
Didn’t always say that though. “Facebook security floor found” was the first attempt.
Not that I didn’t know the difference between flaw and floor. I just had a “Doh!” moment.
The idea of a lemon mouse will keep me smiling all day – thanks.
Of course, the greatest fear working in public relations is omitting that first l. Haven’t we all done it? Worth setting the autotext to correct it automatically.
Neither of these are admissions, as such, but both are funny.
From my hacking days, a story once went out on the wires under my name with the following intro:
“A woman today told of how she woke up in enormous paint…” (I blame copy-takers.)
A colleague at a similar time had a story about illiteracy go out with “literasy” in the intro.(He blamed subs.)
I once wrote a newsletter story on pubic relations. Never noticed until it was published.
I invariably write that my head is attached to the flabby bit below by a kneck…