spellaprop /spel-a-prop/ n. - A
computer spellchecker induced malapropism where, like the act of confusing
words that are similar in sound,
words that are similar in appearance are inadvertently substituted for one another.
Beware - This is a very insidious quirk in
computer software spellcheckers that causes a malapropism to be accidentally introduced into
one's writing. Occasionally, a spellchecker
will suggest a replacement word that, when glanced at quickly, looks the the misspelled word, but is actually a completely different word.
If you are rushed, you
will probably accept that recommended
change. Thus, inserting the "spellaprop" into your document. The spellchecker
will, of course, ignore this new error on subsequent passes because, though contextually inappropriate, the replacement word is spelled correctly. So, if you do not catch this error when proofreading your document, you
will appear stupid, ignorant, or at
best careless, to your readers.
Examples:
A misspelling of the word "edition" causes the spellchecker to suggest the replacement word "addition".
A misspelling of the word "partition" causes the spellchecker to suggest the replacement word "portion".
A misspelling of the word "revelation" causes the spellchecker to suggest the replacement word "revolution".
