Spellability
See also: spelling test
Spellability is whether someone can write a name correctly after hearing it once. It determines whether a brand can be found by search or typed into a browser without being seen first.
In practice
Deliberate misspellings and dropped vowels buy domain availability and cost findability. If a customer hears the name in conversation and cannot type it, the name has created a gap between interest and arrival. Flickr and Tumblr both drop a vowel, and users have to be taught the spelling. For a naming decision, weigh the available domain against every customer who types the obvious spelling and lands elsewhere.
Where this sits in the process
The studio treats this as part of a single run rather than a separate service: the category is read, the creative direction is chosen from what the research found, candidates are generated in volume and then cut against criteria that were written down first. See how the studio works for what that produces, or the naming module for the stages themselves.
Related concepts
- Pronounceability: A name people are unsure how to say is a name they do not say.
- Exact match domain: The address people guess without being told.
- Domain strategy: Domains are a naming constraint, not an afterthought.
Frequently asked questions
What is spellability?
Spellability is whether a person can write a name correctly after hearing it once. A name with one obvious spelling passes. A name with silent letters, dropped vowels or invented spellings fails.
What is the radio test for a brand name?
The radio test asks whether someone who hears a name on the radio or in conversation can type it correctly into a search bar. If not, interest does not turn into arrival, because the customer cannot find the brand.
Why do misspelled brand names cause problems?
Deliberate misspellings and dropped vowels can buy domain availability, but they cost findability. Customers who hear the name and cannot spell it end up on a competitor's page or give up.
Sources
- [1]Spelling (Merriam-Webster)— Merriam-Webster
- [2]Spelling (Wikipedia)— Wikipedia