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Gerald Erichsen

Gerald's Spanish Language Blog

By Gerald Erichsen, About.com Guide to Spanish Language

¿Peueds leer etso?

Saturday September 20, 2003
If you've checked your email box lately, you may have received a letter referring to a study that showed people can read scrambled words provided that the first and last letters are in the right places. One version of the email circulating starts out something like this: "Can you raed tihs? Aoccdrnig to a reersach peapr at an Elingsh uinervtisy,..."
 
While it appears doubtful that there ever was such a study, the phenomenon is intriguing enough that the "news" has spread rapidly in email and on some web sites during the past couple weeks. Now, there's a version circulating in Spanish:
Sgeún un etsduio de una uivenrsdiad ignlsea, no ipmotra el odren en el que las ltears etsan ersciats, la úicna csoa ipormtnate es que la pmrirea y la útlima ltera esten ecsritas en la psiócion cocrrtea. El rsteo peuden estar ttaolmntee mal y aun pordas lerelo sin pobrleams. Etso es pquore no lemeos cada ltera por si msima preo la paalbra es un tdoo.
The above may be a test of how familiar you are with the written language. Or it may indicate the extent to which you can think in Spanish rather than merely translate the words. Perhaps it's time for another "study" on the matter. Enjoy!

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