can you understand this?

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Alxmrphi

Senior Member
NW England
UK English
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
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I was amazed that I could speed read through this with tremendous ease and understand every word perfectly without stopping once.

My question is, I am not sure if it's just because I am a native English person or not, there are some fantastic English speaking people native of other countries and I was just wondering what happens when you read this, can you easily at speed, would it be more difficult, I have no idea how to compare, it just made me wonder.
 
    • Alex_Murphy said:
    I was amazed that I could speed read through this with tremendous ease and understand every word perfectly without stopping once.
    Click to expand...
    Me too, the first time I saw it... it seems that paragraph - and its many variations - have been floating about on the web for ages. ;)

    I've seen almost the same text in Spanish too (with Salamanca University as the supposed research place instead of Cambridge) and was also amazed at how easily I could read it, being a non-native, so I'm guessing that it's the same for non-English natives reading the above paragraph... but let's see what they say.
     
    Well, yeah, I could read it perfectly and at my usual English reading speed.

    I remember the Spanish version of that text... It stated something like "I cannot believe I wasted all those years in school, after all..." (sorry, it sounds much funnier in Spanish!)

    Cheers,
    VS.
     
    I couldn't imagine seeing it as a foreign language and reading it easily.
    But then again a paragraph that size in Italian I wouldn't be able to read anyway, haha.
     
    Maybe the WR rule about decent language could be changed:
    19. Please keep your language clean and decent or at least keep the first and the last letter of a word in their original places.

    But in languages with long (compound) words like in Finnish and possibly also in German it doesn't work as easily. We tried it once in Finnish and at least for me it was more difficult to understand than this "Elgnsih".

    This is probably not only because of the length of the words but also because the case endings "break" the original form of a word. The last letter depends on the case, not on the word itself.
     
    Hakro said:
    Maybe the WR rule about decent language could be changed:
    19. Please keep your language clean and decent or at least keep the first and the last letter of a word in their original places.
    Click to expand...

    I like your idea, Hakro, and I have decided to support your motion. Do you think the mods get to accept it in the near future? That could save a lot of confussion, don't you think?
     
    Well, I think of it as this:
    Look at the
    the road.

    What do you read that sentence as?

    Look at the the road? Or look at the road?

    Your mind automatically erases one of the "the's"

    Apparently, your mind automatically fills in the letters of the word, no matter what the order. It looked like a mess, but I could read it...and quickly.
     
    TrentinaNE said:
    But context tells you whether cluod is could or cloud. :)

    Elisabetta
    Click to expand...
    I fully agree with this, Elisabetta!
    This is a perfect example that context does everything. :)
    We are doing that nearly everyday here, when someone mistyped words in a sentence, aren't we? ;)
    (I too, already knew this one)
     
    I have seen the Turkish version of this text, but I can easily read the English one as well. This is called Halo effect in psychology, that we perceive the whole things, inspite of the details one by one.
     
    Hakro said:
    It can be done easily. Which language would you prefer?
    Click to expand...
    Let's start with French:

    «Sleon une édtue de l'Uvinertisé de Cmabrigde, l'odrre des ltteers dnas un mto n'a pas d'ipmrotncae, la suele coshe ipmrotnate est que la pmeirère et la drenèire soeint à la bnnoe pclae. Le rsete peut êrte dnas un dsérorde ttoal et vuos puoevz tujoruos lrie snas porlbème. C'est prace que le creaveu hmauin ne lit pas chuaqe ltetre elle-mmêe, mias le mot cmome un tuot.»
     
    Venezuelan_sweetie said:
    OK, now I'm going to flush myself away... :(

    This is the plain proof of one fact I have been running away from since long ago: I can't understand French yet!! :confused: :eek: :'(
    Click to expand...
    I admit that it's not so easy to understand the French that Karine is using in her post; but if you make a similar text in Spanish, I can assure you that we'll have real problems to understand it. Why don't you try?
     
    KaRiNe_Fr said:
    Let's start with French:

    «Sleon une édtue de l'Uvinertisé de Cmabrigde, l'odrre des ltteers dnas un mto n'a pas d'ipmrotncae, la suele coshe ipmrotnate est que la pmeirère et la drenèire soeint à la bnnoe pclae. Le rsete peut êrte dnas un dsérorde ttoal et vuos puoevz tujoruos lrie snas porlbème. C'est prace que le creaveu hmauin ne lit pas chuaqe ltetre elle-mmêe, mias le mot cmome un tuot.»
    Click to expand...

    Haha très bien. Je peux lire ce text sans problème et le français n'est pas ma langue maternelle.
     
    I suppose it depends on the level of your second/third..language. I could understand the text in English and in Spanish, which I saw recently. I can't in French. Too poor.
     
    I've seen this in Portuguese, Spanish and English. No problem deciphering it in any of these languages.
     
    I toguhht trhhee w'snat eognuh chcloaote in the uesrinve taht colud do taht!!

    No, but seriously, folks, I think this has been discussed before in the WRF's and someone said something about how this thing has to follow certain forms or rules because otherwise "it don't work none". I'll see if I can find it and I'll post it.

    [Surely the mighty Chicken of Fiery-rebirth has all those links ready for us!]
     
    Dineal, it semes you dnid't rspecet the reuls: the wrod "trhhee" is meslipt it sulhod hvae been slept "terhe" for empalxe! Tkanhs cenxtot I utodesnord. :)

    More seriously, I remember PMing with one forera here even not keeping the first and last letter, and it worked too, we could understand each other even messing all the letters, and more surprisingly, even using letters for others! (cenxtot!)
     
    The sad thing is I've seen messages that looked pretty much like that on forums when people were actually trying to post in coherent English. One of them claimed to be a non-native speaker, but it was generally pointed out that while foriegners make mistakes, exessive leet-speak and a complete disregard for spelling or punctuation are not generally among them. He never did say what was his native language...
     
    Hakro said:
    Bravo, Karine!
    Click to expand...
    I cheat a bit for this hoax (*)... ;)

    «Vioci un neaviu de bgulirlaoe puls itopamnrt unilsatit anatut que pslibose un pahgaprrae cnnaeontt bueacuop de mtos de dgvanatae de tiros ltertes. Cuex qui anivrret à prorucair ce ttxee aevc auantt de fltiaicé que s'il éiatt éirct aevc des ltertes dans un orrde aqéuadt donviet neaomlernmt êrte monis numeobrx...»

    (*) here is a French article.
     
    Alex_Murphy said:
    I was amazed that I could speed read through this with tremendous ease and understand every word perfectly without stopping once.

    My question is, I am not sure if it's just because I am a native English person or not, there are some fantastic English speaking people native of other countries and I was just wondering what happens when you read this, can you easily at speed, would it be more difficult, I have no idea how to compare, it just made me wonder.
    Click to expand...


    I`ve seen this on other sides too . Yeah , it`s pretty impresive on how the human mind percepts things
     
    Has anybody noticed a similar phenomenon when proofreading: If it's your own text you don't see the typos, you see a right word although it's written wrong. Proofreading someone else's text is a bit easier.
     
    Hey guys, look what I found among my dusty files:

    SI CONSIGUES LEER LAS PRIMERAS PALABRAS, EL CEREBRO DESCIFRARA LAS OTRAS.


    C13R70 D14 D3 V3R4N0 3574B4 3N L4 PL4Y4 0853RV4ND0 D05 CH1C45 8R1NC4ND0 3N 14 4R3N4, 357484N 7R484J4ND0 MUCH0 C0N57RUY3ND0 UN C4571LL0 D3 4R3N4 C0N 70RR35, P454D1Z05, 0CUL705 Y PU3N735. CU4ND0 357484N 4C484ND0 V1N0 UN4 0L4 D357RUY3ND0 70D0, R3DUC13ND0 3L C4571LL0 4 UN M0N70N D3 4R3N4 Y 35PUM4, P3N53 9U3 D35PU35 DE 74N70 35FU3RZ0 L45 CH1C45 C0M3NZ4R14N 4 L10R4R, P3R0 3N V3Z D3 350, C0RR13R0N P0R L4 P14Y4 R13ND0 Y JU64ND0 Y C0M3NZ4R0N 4 C0N57RU1R 07R0 C4571LL0.

    C0MPR3ND1 9U3 H4814 4PR3ND1D0 UN4 6R4N L3CC10N; 6454M05 MUCH0 713MP0 D3 NU357R4 V1D4 C0N57RUY3ND0 4L6UN4 C054 P3R0 CU4ND0 M45 74RD3 UN4 0L4 L1364 4 D357RU1R 70D0, S010 P3RM4N3C3 L4 4M1574D, 3L 4M0R Y 3L C4R1Ñ0, Y L45 M4N05 D3 49U3LL05 9U3 50N C4P4C35 D3 H4C3RN05 50NRR31R.

    -----------------------------

    No comments...
     
    Hakro said:
    Has anybody noticed a similar phenomenon when proofreading: If it's your own text you don't see the typos, you see a right word although it's written wrong. Proofreading someone else's text is a bit easier.
    Click to expand...

    Count every " F" in the following text:
    FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE
    SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI
    FIC STUDY COMBINED WITH
    THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS...
    (SEE BELOW)
    HOW MANY ?
    There are 6, count again if you missed it.

     Highlight the lines above to see the answer.
    ​


    These tests don't actually prove anything, though non-natives can usually count the Fs better than native speakers.
     
    There are 6. I knew the trick to this one and I still counted 5 initially!

    By the way, something like the text in post 1 would never work in Indic languages.
     
    KaRiNe_Fr said:
    Let's start with French:

    «Sleon une édtue de l'Uvinertisé de Cmabrigde, l'odrre des ltteers dnas un mto n'a pas d'ipmrotncae, la suele coshe ipmrotnate est que la pmeirère et la drenèire soeint à la bnnoe pclae. Le rsete peut êrte dnas un dsérorde ttoal et vuos puoevz tujoruos lrie snas porlbème. C'est prace que le creaveu hmauin ne lit pas chuaqe ltetre elle-mmêe, mias le mot cmome un tuot.»
    Click to expand...

    Strange, I found I could read this quite easily - Not quite so well as I read the English example - but much better than I would have expected. :)
     
    Venezuelan_sweetie said:
    Hey guys, look what I found among my dusty files:

    SI CONSIGUES LEER LAS PRIMERAS PALABRAS, EL CEREBRO DESCIFRARA LAS OTRAS.


    C13R70 D14 D3 V3R4N0 3574B4 3N L4 PL4Y4 0853RV4ND0 D05 CH1C45 8R1NC4ND0 3N 14 4R3N4, 357484N 7R484J4ND0 MUCH0 C0N57RUY3ND0 UN C4571LL0 D3 4R3N4 C0N 70RR35, P454D1Z05, 0CUL705 Y PU3N735. CU4ND0 357484N 4C484ND0 V1N0 UN4 0L4 D357RUY3ND0 70D0, R3DUC13ND0 3L C4571LL0 4 UN M0N70N D3 4R3N4 Y 35PUM4, P3N53 9U3 D35PU35 DE 74N70 35FU3RZ0 L45 CH1C45 C0M3NZ4R14N 4 L10R4R, P3R0 3N V3Z D3 350, C0RR13R0N P0R L4 P14Y4 R13ND0 Y JU64ND0 Y C0M3NZ4R0N 4 C0N57RU1R 07R0 C4571LL0.

    C0MPR3ND1 9U3 H4814 4PR3ND1D0 UN4 6R4N L3CC10N; 6454M05 MUCH0 713MP0 D3 NU357R4 V1D4 C0N57RUY3ND0 4L6UN4 C054 P3R0 CU4ND0 M45 74RD3 UN4 0L4 L1364 4 D357RU1R 70D0, S010 P3RM4N3C3 L4 4M1574D, 3L 4M0R Y 3L C4R1Ñ0, Y L45 M4N05 D3 49U3LL05 9U3 50N C4P4C35 D3 H4C3RN05 50NRR31R.

    -----------------------------

    No comments...
    Click to expand...


    I understood eerything, I am amazed.

    About the initial post, I've seen this paragraph in spanish like 5 years ago, and didn't have trouble to understand it, now that i see it in english there's no difference either, However someone posted something later using this "system" and I did have trouble to read it, it might also be that the 1st paragraph is set up in a way that seems familiar to all of us, but ideas expressed by individuals may have structures that we are not used to.
     
    The first I read was in spanish and I understood easily. The same in english and in french (of course), but the second one posted in french took me more time.
    But I think it depends on your level in these languages. And it's the same with sentences :
    If you read a normal text in a language you are not familiar with, you need more time because you need to read each word. In your mother language, you can read through a whole sentence without reading each word separetely.
     
    Der Txet fnukiotnerit gnsuaeo gut auf Dutecsh, weboi zu beekendn ist, dsas die Gorschsersbinug und die vleie krzue Wretör schericilh hfliercih snid im Vlgrecih zu Fnincsh...
     
    Vin Raven said:
    Count every " F" in the following text:
    FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE
    SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI
    FIC STUDY COMBINED WITH
    THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS...
    (SEE BELOW)
    HOW MANY ?
    There are 6, count again if you missed it.

     Highlight the lines above to see the answer.
    ​


    These tests don't actually prove anything, though non-natives can usually count the Fs better than native speakers.
    Click to expand...

    I counted only 3! :eek:
     
    jorge_val_ribera said:
    I counted only 3! :eek:
    Click to expand...


    So did I the first time, the ones of "of" also count, I am sorry to disagree but foreigners did not find the "f" easily, for me, well, I am a little reterded so it actually doesn´t matter the foreigner thing, but I am sure your case is different my dear friend george.
     
    In Brazil you are submitted to a few examinations to test you reflexes before you get your driving licence. One of those tests consists of reading the names of colours written in a different colour than the one it describes. So, green, for example, is written in red letters, and red, in blue letters, and so on...I have never heard of anyone who made it through that test. Sooner or later you switch from reading the words to describing their colours.
     
    Hello all,

    Sounds like an interesting topic, but I would like to point out one thing about the english "riddle" I guess you could call it in the first post. Notice how the "curvature" of the words stays the same. For example in every, the word used is more like eoury or something like that where you have just the y coming down. Or another example is "whole" being "wlehe" You see the rise of the "l" and you think it's an "h", and you see the rise of the "h" and you think its the "l"

    I at least feel that this has some sort of role in how we comprehend things. Some of the English "transformations" that seemed made up above, were sort of "faulty" in the fact that we aren't seeing the same rises and falls as the original word.

    Am I making any sense?

    --iheartflutes
     
    Mix those letters up a little bit more, and it is not so easy!
    I conudlt bvieele taht I cloud alulcaty uaennrstdd waht I was rdiegng. The pemaaonhnl peowr of the huamn mnid ancircdog to rrccseeahh at cigbmadre uiiesvntry,

    Try this one:
    plpeoe of the uientd seatts, in oedrr to from a mroe pceerft uoinn, elssabith jtcusie, irnuse dtoimesc tqtlanuiiry, pidrove for the cmmoon dsnfeee, ptmrooe the gareenl wfreale, and sreuce the biglnesss of literby to ovesurels and our piroestty, do odrain and elsasibth tihs ctttuooiisnn for the utenid settas of airmcea.

    Give up?
    It's the preamble to the US constitution, all except We the
     
    I've found that the same is true of reading sentences, if you look at each word and slowly assemble the sentence, or sometimes just read a little slower than usual you can sometimes be thrown into confusion until you give up for a second, look up and look back down at the sentence. I find that it's helpful to read sentences in other languages quite fast a pick the meaning up a second later as I begin to read the next sentence.

    Also if you arrange the letters in a long word, or sometimes a short word, so that each letter repeating is placed beside it's other same letter, Example cooiiuttsnn-----------------------------------------constitution
    vowels beside vowels and such, it become a lot harder.
     
    In Brazil you are submitted to a few examinations to test you reflexes before you get your driving licence. One of those tests consists of reading the names of colours written in a different colour than the one it describes. So, green, for example, is written in red letters, and red, in blue letters, and so on...I have never heard of anyone who made it through that test. Sooner or later you switch from reading the words to describing their colours.
    Click to expand...

    I've seen this test too. It is said that the reason is that you perceive the colours with your left hand side brain, but you read the letters with your right hand side brain.
     
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