Spelling skills of lexical readers

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine spelling skills of adult readers who use a lexical reading strategy. Lexical readers were classified according to a tendency towards identifying single words via orthographic lexical access instead of via a sublexical routine. Word recognition was assessed using tasks requiring either direct orthographic lexical access or conversion of print to phonology. Results showed lexical readers were more accurate at spelling targets which required lexical access (irregularly spelt words and homophones) when compared with other subjects matched for reading ability but no different at spelling targets that do not require lexical access (non‐words and regularly spelt words). Differences in spelling skill were not due to variation in spelling task difficulty and could thus be attributed to a genuine preference for lexical readers to use a lexical spelling strategy. Correlations between errors on lexical spelling tasks were accompanied by null associations between errors on lexical and sublexical spelling tasks lending support to a dual‐route model of normal spelling. It is concluded that lexical readers use a lexical strategy when spelling words.