16 Historical Figures Surprisingly Bad at Spelling
Spelling bees would have been torture for some of history’s greatest minds. These brilliant people changed the world with their ideas, inventions, and leadership, but they couldn’t spell simple words to save their lives.
Before spell check existed, these famous figures had to rely on secretaries, editors, and friends to fix their embarrassing mistakes. Let’s meet some surprisingly bad spellers who proved that genius doesn’t always come with good grammar skills.
Andrew Jackson couldn’t spell “development”
America’s seventh president had a famously short temper and an equally famous inability to spell basic words correctly. Examples of Old Hickory’s seemingly innumerable botched spelling attempts include “devilopment,” the continent of “Urope,” and performing before a “larg” audience.
Jackson once defended himself by saying “It is a damn poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word.” His political rival John Quincy Adams regularly made fun of Jackson’s spelling mistakes during their heated campaigns.
Despite becoming president, Jackson never improved his spelling and continued making the same errors throughout his entire political career.
William Shakespeare spelled his own name differently every time
The most famous writer in the English language couldn’t even spell his own name consistently, which seems pretty embarrassing for someone who invented thousands of new words. Historians have found at least six different spellings of Shakespeare’s signature, including “Shakespere,” “Shackspere,” and “Shakspere.”
His wife Anne Hathaway also spelled her own name several different ways on various documents. Nobody seemed to worry about consistent spelling back in the 1600s, which probably made life a lot easier for people who struggled with letters.
Shakespeare’s spelling problems didn’t stop him from creating some of the greatest literature in human history.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Leonardo da Vinci wrote everything backwards and misspelled it too
The ultimate Renaissance genius had terrible spelling in both Italian and Latin, and he made things worse by writing everything backwards in mirror image. Leonardo’s notebooks are filled with spelling mistakes that scholars still struggle to decipher centuries later.
He often spelled the same word three different ways on the same page, which suggests he wasn’t even trying to be consistent. The backwards writing was probably to protect his ideas from being stolen, but the bad spelling was just poor education.
Despite his spelling problems, Leonardo managed to design flying machines, paint masterpieces, and study human anatomy in ways that were centuries ahead of their time.
Napoleon Bonaparte struggled with French spelling
The emperor who conquered most of Europe had trouble conquering basic French spelling rules, which must have been embarrassing for someone trying to spread French culture across the continent. Napoleon’s personal letters are filled with spelling errors that his secretaries had to constantly fix before sending them to other world leaders.
He often misspelled common military terms, which seems particularly awkward for someone who spent his entire career fighting wars. The emperor’s spelling got worse when he was stressed or excited, leading to some very confusing battlefield communications.
Despite his spelling problems, Napoleon managed to revolutionize warfare and reshape the entire European continent.
Benjamin Franklin couldn’t spell despite inventing bifocals
One of America’s founding fathers and greatest inventors had surprisingly poor spelling skills that persisted throughout his long life. Franklin’s personal letters and diary entries contain numerous spelling mistakes that would make any English teacher cringe with embarrassment.
He often spelled the same word multiple ways within a single document, showing that he never quite figured out the rules. Franklin tried to reform English spelling to make it more logical, probably because traditional spelling gave him so much trouble.
His proposed spelling system never caught on, but his scientific discoveries and political achievements definitely did.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Thomas Jefferson made spelling mistakes in the Declaration of Independence
The author of the Declaration of Independence had to have his spelling corrected by other committee members before the final document was approved. Jefferson’s original draft contained several spelling errors that could have been quite embarrassing for America’s founding document.
His personal letters show consistent problems with words that most educated people of his time could spell correctly. Jefferson founded the University of Virginia but probably would have failed his own institution’s spelling requirements.
Despite his spelling challenges, Jefferson managed to become president and complete the Louisiana Purchase that doubled America’s size.
F. Scott Fitzgerald couldn’t spell “Fitzgerald”
The author of “The Great Gatsby” regularly misspelled his own last name and had to rely heavily on editors to fix his manuscripts. Ernest Hemingway may not have had much room to judge when it came to his friend Fitzgerald not spelling his name correctly.
Fitzgerald’s original manuscripts are covered in red ink from editors who had to correct hundreds of spelling mistakes. He often misspelled common words that appeared frequently in his own writing, making the editing process extremely time-consuming.
Despite his spelling problems, Fitzgerald created some of American literature’s most beautiful and memorable prose.
Herman Melville struggled with the whale story
The author of America’s greatest whale story had spelling problems that made his editors want to jump overboard and swim away. Melville’s manuscripts required extensive editing to fix spelling errors that appeared on nearly every page of his writing.
He consistently misspelled nautical terms despite spending years working on ships and writing about ocean adventures. Publishers sometimes had to delay his book releases because editors needed extra time to correct all the spelling mistakes.
Melville’s spelling never improved throughout his career, but his storytelling ability made him one of America’s greatest authors.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Woodrow Wilson couldn’t read until age ten
America’s 28th president suffered from dyslexia that made spelling extremely difficult throughout his entire academic and political career. Thomas Jefferson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Herman Melville, Woodrow Wilson and John Irving among them.
Some people, even geniuses, just can’t spell. Wilson’s personal letters contain spelling mistakes that his staff had to fix before sending them to other world leaders.
He relied heavily on secretaries and assistants to handle all written correspondence during his presidency. Despite his spelling challenges, Wilson led America through World War I and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to establish the League of Nations.
John Irving won awards despite terrible spelling
The author of “The World According to Garp” has openly discussed his lifelong struggle with spelling and dyslexia throughout his successful writing career. Irving’s manuscripts require extensive editing to fix spelling errors, but his storytelling ability has earned him international recognition and literary awards.
He often jokes about his spelling problems during interviews and public appearances, showing that he doesn’t let it affect his confidence. Irving’s success proves that great storytelling matters more than perfect spelling when it comes to connecting with readers.
His novels continue to be bestsellers despite his ongoing battle with letters and words.
Olivia Langdon Clemens embarrassed Mark Twain
“Livy’s” frequent compositional errors were an endless source of amusement to her husband Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain. After receiving one of her letters, in which she miraculously made virtually no bloopers, he wrote “Oh you darling little speller!—you spell ‘terrible’ right, …
Mark Twain’s wife had spelling problems that provided endless entertainment for one of America’s greatest humorists. Twain would read her letters aloud to friends and family members, turning her spelling mistakes into comedy material.
Despite being married to a professional writer, Olivia never improved her spelling and continued making the same errors for decades. Her husband’s teasing was probably affectionate, but it must have been embarrassing to have your spelling mistakes become family entertainment.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
George Washington couldn’t spell “choose”
America’s first president had spelling problems that his secretaries worked hard to hide from the public and other world leaders. Washington’s personal diary contains numerous spelling errors, including consistently misspelling simple words like “choose” as “chuse.”
His letters to Martha Washington show spelling mistakes that reveal his limited formal education during childhood. Washington relied on well-educated assistants to write his official correspondence and public speeches throughout his presidency.
Despite his spelling challenges, Washington successfully led the Continental Army to victory and established the precedents that future presidents would follow.
Agatha Christie struggled with words but mastered mysteries
The world’s best-selling mystery author had lifelong spelling problems that made writing her famous detective stories much more difficult. Christie’s original manuscripts required extensive editing to fix spelling errors that appeared throughout her work.
She often misspelled character names and locations within the same story, creating confusion for editors and publishers. Despite her spelling challenges, Christie created iconic characters like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple that continue to entertain readers worldwide.
Her plotting abilities were so brilliant that publishers were happy to fix her spelling mistakes in exchange for her incredible stories.
Winston Churchill couldn’t spell but could inspire nations
Britain’s wartime prime minister had spelling problems that his staff worked constantly to fix during World War II. Churchill’s speeches and written communications required careful editing to ensure that spelling mistakes didn’t undermine his powerful messages.
He often dictated his famous speeches to secretaries who would fix spelling errors while preserving his distinctive speaking style. Churchill’s spelling never improved despite his extensive education and long political career.
His ability to inspire the British people during their darkest hour proved that leadership skills matter more than perfect spelling when facing life-or-death situations.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Albert Einstein made mistakes in multiple languages
The genius who revolutionized physics had spelling problems in both German and English that persisted throughout his scientific career. Einstein’s personal letters contain spelling errors that show he struggled with written communication in every language he attempted to use.
His scientific papers required careful editing to ensure that spelling mistakes didn’t distract from his revolutionary theories. Einstein often joked about his spelling problems and seemed unconcerned about making mistakes in his personal correspondence.
His mathematical abilities were so extraordinary that nobody cared about his spelling when he was explaining how the universe actually works.
Jane Austen needed her sister’s help
The author of “Pride and Prejudice” had spelling problems that required constant assistance from her sister Cassandra throughout her writing career. Austen’s original manuscripts show numerous spelling errors that had to be corrected before publication.
She often relied on family members to proofread her work and suggest corrections for words she couldn’t spell correctly. Despite her spelling challenges, Austen created some of English literature’s most beloved characters and witty social commentary.
Her novels continue to be adapted into movies and television shows that prove great storytelling transcends spelling ability.
When genius meets grammar today
These brilliant minds prove that spelling ability has nothing to do with intelligence, creativity, or the capacity to change the world through important achievements. Modern spell check technology would have saved these historical figures countless hours of embarrassment and made their secretaries much happier with their jobs.
Today’s struggling spellers can take comfort knowing they’re in excellent company with presidents, Nobel Prize winners, and literary giants who also couldn’t master the art of putting letters in the right order. The lesson here isn’t that spelling doesn’t matter, but that it shouldn’t stop anyone from pursuing their dreams or sharing their ideas with the world.
More from Go2Tutors!
- 16 Historical Figures Who Were Nothing Like You Think
- 12 Things Sold in the 80s That Are Now Illegal
- 15 VHS Tapes That Could Be Worth Thousands
- 17 Historical “What Ifs” That Would Have Changed Everything
- 18 TV Shows That Vanished Without a Finale
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
