How many people can really spell that many words correctly today? Without a red squiggly line that is. I know I personally am terrible at it. Like really, really bad. So are most people I know well enough to admit it. English for example is a terrible language with so many edge cases and tons of inconsistency that to me as a layman make zero sense.

For example I try to sound out words with my kids as they learn to read. But it's not that simple. So many words are pronounced "incorrectly". It makes it very frustrating for all parties involved.

So.. is mass memorizing how to spell complicated words truly a sign of intelligence or just applied memorization to a field.

I would simply say I hate spelling but I loathe it so I can seem smarter even though they mean the same thing. English...

How many 8-year olds could pass a spelling bee of a 3,000-year old language, though?