Sign misspelling causes embarrassment in Florida

Officials in Florida, USA, have promised to remove a road sign outside Jacksonville, after passers-by complained about a spelling mistake.

Unfortunately, spelling errors can be made by signwriters on occasions. But some mistakes should never be made. And certainly never repeated.

Florida Department of Transportation had to explain itself after motorists and residents noticed that a sign installed at the exit to University of North Florida and Florida State College, included the words “Univ Of North Flordia” and “Flordia State College.”

Misspelling the word ‘Florida’ twice on the same sign is a mistake that most signwriters would never make. That the sign was situated near two colleges makes the mistake all the more humiliating. But Florida Department of Transportation may have made the situation worse by explaining that the sign had been installed by an out-of-state contractor. When local jobs are scarce, officials are expected to keep ordinary public services inside state boundaries.

Florida Department of Transportation has promised to replace the sign as a matter of urgency.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we make sure that signage copy is proof-read before going to print. The simple truth is that spelling errors can cost businesses money. Very few customers are impressed by misspelt signage.