NEUROSCIENCE, WRITING

Use Synesthesia to Help You Spell

The colors! The colors!

I realize this article’s title limits its audience. I decided to write it because I haven’t covered spelling yet in my overview of how to edit your own writing, and since I have synesthesia and use it to help me spell, I thought it might be interesting to share my experience with you, even if you don’t have this trait. Also, if you have young children with synesthesia, I hope this article will help you guide them in how to use their unusual ability to advantage.

What is synesthesia?

Synesthesia is a sensory experience in which stimuli presented through one sense will spontaneously evoke sensations in an unrelated sense (Brang, Ramachandran 2011). About 2%–4% of the world’s population has it in varying degrees and types. It is thought to be genetic, but the genetics of it are not known with certainty, and no one can say what genetic advantage having synesthesia provides, if any. It is thought to be caused by increased communication between sensory regions in the brain.

Synesthesia in my life

I have grapheme-color synesthesia, in which numbers and letters of the alphabet are associated with distinct and stable colors in my mind. I also see colors when I hear musical tones, but since I don’t have…