Buy new:
$12.92
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$12.92
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 9 hrs 40 mins
Only 8 left in stock (more on the way).
$$12.92 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.92
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$5.85
FREE delivery May 13 - 14. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$12.92 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.92
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by Gulf Coast Books LLC.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Marilyn VosSavant
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Art of Spelling: The Madness and the Method Reprint Edition

by Marilyn vos Savant (Author), Joan Reilly (Illustrator)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 17 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.92","priceAmount":12.92,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"92","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"NIAqkjHHsEs6OfVrXLroaUrynBjv8ZBftTgkWy0GaQqlw0uAivUbFUSff1aeWNkY9u4AnBiJ0YfPh5kEf49LdQ74ctvsiN8SgU%2FWywZtLfoOMVcUc8o65VnFppHP1B5PAJ9IYjmGWYI%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$5.85","priceAmount":5.85,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"85","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"NIAqkjHHsEs6OfVrXLroaUrynBjv8ZBfQ7tEXUIVPN4XAd2vXkEkRoRsgDYZ6uVCNBh1kKGYIRK%2BunCsXbI7n9DZNDB1uY8t3zdKHBaiK%2BN8ZEZ7EgbW953YFyTUCOXmmt7Xu1jaKW889n4Xukuk25cBir2yI%2FCpHdp80Z3B43QQhgs%2Foxzf24EEWjrCEwmP","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The national bestseller from Parade's "Ask Marilyn" columnist―the definitive book for anyone who cares about spelling.

Like The Elements of Style and On Writing Well, The Art of Spelling has emerged as a writing manual for the ages, the backlist volume that will tell us everything we will ever want to know about spelling. Begun as a spelling survey in the "Ask Marilyn" column of Parade magazine, The Art of Spelling dispels the myth that good spelling is simply a measure of intelligence or education. With her trademark no-nonsense wit, vos Savant shows where good (and bad) spelling originates, provides personality portraits of all kinds of spellers, and offers the most effective methods of spelling improvement known. Also included are lively chapters on the turbulent history of English spelling and the pitfalls of computer spell-checkers and other writing tools. The Art of Spelling will appeal to scholars, students, and language lovers of all ages.
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0393322084
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0393322088
  3. Edition
    Reprint
  4. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  5. Publication date
    August 17, 2001
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.1 x 0.6 x 8.4 inches
  8. Print length
    208 pages
  9. See all details
Next page
Books with Buzz
Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more

Frequently bought together

The Art of Spelling: The Madness and the Method
$12.92
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
Only 8 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
The Power of Logical Thinking: Easy Lessons in the Art of Reasoning...and Hard Facts About Its Absence in Our Lives
$11.99
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Brain Building in Just 12 Weeks: The World's Smartest Person Shows You How to Exercise Yourself Smarter . . .
$18.60
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by Prime Goods Outlet and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marilyn vos Savant is listed in The Guinness Book of Records Hall of Fame for the highest IQ and writes the popular "Ask Marilyn" column for Parade magazine. She has raised two children and lives in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (August 17, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393322084
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393322088
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.6 x 8.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 17 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Marilyn VosSavant

Marilyn VosSavant

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
17 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Christine Lundstrom
5.0 out of 5 stars Spelling Made Simple
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2009
Verified Purchase
As an English teacher, I enjoyed this witty book. It was very accurate and error-free, but what do you expect from a woman with the world's highest IQ? There were many logical rules that can be memorized. I used portions of the book in the classroom, and I highly recommend it for good or bad spellers. Christine Lundstrom
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
jimheh
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book is excellently written as are all Ms. Savant's books.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Judith C. Kinney
1.0 out of 5 stars Facile
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2001
Here is an author who is said to have the highest IQ ever recorded. Why, then, did she waste her time writing this book? This book is also a waste of time for the reader. If you're a good speller, it has nothing to teach you. If you're a bad speller, it won't help you any more than all the rules you were taught in school but never learned. If you want to spell correctly, consult a dictionary or a good speller.
16 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Gerardo Perez
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
Great book!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Steve Bett
4.0 out of 5 stars The madness and the method
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2001
The Art of Spelling by Marilyn Vos Savant is a book to be read not an exercise manual. It summarizes much of the advice found in other books on spelling improvement and includes such things as a list of the most frequently misspelled words but contains no drills. As close as one gets to the usual content of a self help book on spelling is a personality questionnaire.
Nearly half of the book is devoted to the psychology of good and bad spellers so it makes sense to determine if the reader has the characteristics of either of these groups.
Unlike many books on this topic, the author has not only read the best books on the topic but has interviewed the authors.
It certainly makes sense to interview the experts but I have rarely seen this strategy used as effectively as it is in this book.
Although she interviews the Anglo-Saxon scholar who the president of the Simplified Spelling Society, she misses the opportunity to address any of the real solutions to the spelling problem.
She does identify the problem as "phonetic irregularity" -- many words are not spelled the way they are pronounced.
She follows up this insight with a misleading quote from author Edna Furness (p.119) "Research in linguistics has shown that the English language is more phonetic than we realize (approximately 85%)."
All languages are 100% phonetic. It is the writing systems that try to record meaningful sounds that go astray.
There is some statistical regularity in English spelling. Four spelling patterns for the 12 elementary vowels will account for 75% of the vowel spellings in the dictionary. [See [...]
Most writing systems achieve a spelling predictability rating of over 85% but not the traditional one used to transcribe English. In English, knowing how to pronounce a word will enable someone to come up with not one but a half dozen orthographically correct spellings. Since each sound in English is spelled 14 different ways, narrowing the spelling of a particular pronunciation down to 6 alternatives is an accomplishment.
There may be an 85% chance that one of these six allowable spellings is correct -- i.e., matches the dictionary.
Knowing the basic code does help narrow the field and Vos Savant lists up to five of the most common spellings for 39 of the 40 or so sounds in English speech. She also provides some useful mnemonic devices for selecting the best alternative in the group.
Other practical advice includes how to use a spelling checker without being overly dependent on it.
This is a book that anyone with an interest in spelling will enjoy reading. Marilyn Vos Savant is a seasoned writer and it shows.
28 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Rev. Dr. Michael K. Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A REVELATION!
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2000
All my life, that's 68 years, I've been a horrible speller. Even though I am a member of Mensa, as is Marilyn Vos Savant, I can not spell well. Even though I have an earned Ph.D. from Texas A&M University I can not spell. This lack of spelling ability has caused me many episodes of embarrassment and concern. I have a dictionary at hand when ever I write. I seldom send anything out without having it read by an editor, my wife, Nell.

Given the above, I wrote Marilyn Vos Savant and asked her this question. "Do you believe that the ability to spell is a measure of intelligence, education or desire?"

Ms.Savant's printed my question in Parade Magazine. She got 42,000 answers from readers. She then used her 200+ IQ and did a very comprehensive job of researching what others had said and written. After she examined the 42,000 answers and the results of her research she wrote one of the most informative books I could imagine. Her analysis and very readable writing style is a testament to her great mind.

I recommend this book to ALL teachers and others who are interested in spelling problems. It is worth much more than the few dollars Amazon is charging.
37 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
LMJ
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2014
Verified Purchase
Poor more of a theory lecture that "how to spell". Not spelling theory.
Helpful
 Report
Elisabeth
4.0 out of 5 stars The book I was going to write - or something like it
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2006
I believe our culture lacks an appreciation of the goofiness of our spelling system, its history, and its value. This book does a fairly good job of providing a humorous, insightful, and helpful look at English spelling, without taking either a superior or a belittling attitude. Down-to-earth, a fun read, and maybe helpful for people who really want to improve. A little bit less history than I would have included, but probably just as much as most people want to hear. For geeks like me, there's always the Oxford English Dictionary.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

João França
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
A very good book from Marylin Vos Savant.
Report