History Main / HollywoodSpelling

* Averted in the ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'' episode "Suzie Prentisss", where the eponymous Suzie misspells her last name by giving it an extra "s".

* Used as a plot point in the video game ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney: Justice for All''. In the first case of the game, a key piece of evidence is a message scrawled on the ground, apparently by a murder victim. The message is the word "Maggie", and the prosecution claims he was identifying his killer as his girlfriend. Phoenix realizes the message was not written by the victim, as the accused spells her name ''Maggey'', and if anyone knew how she spelled her name it would be her boyfriend.

[[AC:{{Television}}]]

No, not [[AaronSpelling Aaron]]. Or Tori.

* Averted in ''{{Sinfest}}'', where Fuchsia spells and says [[BadassBookworm Criminy's]] name "Crimnee".

* There's a scene at the end of the film ''Film/TheCowboys'', where a man is being commissioned to make a gravestone. Despite never asking, he somehow knows how the name on the stone should be spelt (it's a fairly common name, spelt in an unusual way).

* Averted in Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/TheGreenMile'', where John Coffey, whenever having to tell his name, always clarifies that it's not spelt "like the drink".

* A bizarre version on ''Series/GameOfThrones''; Daenerys is told her scouts have discovered a city called 'Qarth', and when she meets its envoys she mispronounces it 'Kwarth' (as if it were spelt Qu- instead of Q-) and gets corrected. This is [[FandomNod a common misspelling among fans]], but makes very little sense for a woman who's only ever heard the name spoken aloud -- how does she even know it ''has'' a Q?

* Averted in LMMontgomery's ''AnneOfGreenGables'' series. Anne often introduces herself as "Anne Shirley. Anne--spelled with an E", to ward off those who would misspell it.

* In ''Literature/PatternRecognition'', a minor character averts this when giving his name to the police.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' (the new series) averts this trope - multiple characters introduce themselves by pointing out a spelling eccentricity with their name (Lynda-with-a-Y, Tallulah, three Ls and an H...)

** O'Neill constantly insists that everyone, including aliens, spell his name with "two L's", which is a ShoutOut to the fact that the character's name in the original film was spelled with one L, and also the fact that RichardDeanAnderson is nothing like Creator/KurtRussell.

* Averted in LMMontgomery's ''AnneOfGreenGables'' series. Anne often introduces herself as "Anne Shirley. Anne--spelled with an E", to ward off those who would mispell it.

* Inverted in ''Film/BillAndTed'', when AbrahamLincoln clarifies to a cop how his surname is spelled. Whilst in full '[[YourCostumeNeedsWork Abraham Lincoln costume]]'.

* ''[[Film/TheBourneSeries The Bourne Identity]]'' averts this with a telephone call to a hotel asking if they have a "John Michael Kane" staying there, and then specifying "[[NameOfCain Kane with a 'K']]".
* KissKissBangBang averts this when Perry briefs Harry on their assignment giving the name of his client as "Allison Ames, A-M-E-S."
* There's a scene at the end of the film ''TheCowboys'', where a man is being commissioned to make a gravestone. Despite never asking, he somehow knows how the name on the stone should be spelt (it's a fairly common name, spelt in an unusual way).

** Used in another recent episode, where someone misspelled Natalie's last name on a package containing a [[spoiler:voodoo doll]] (this time, with an A instead of a second E). Again a ChekhovsGun, when Natalie notices that the same mistake is made [[spoiler:by her paramedic, who turns out to be the murderer.]]

** O'Neill constantly insists that everyone, including aliens, spell his name with "two L's", which is a ShoutOut to the fact that the character's name in the original film was spelled with one L, and also the fact that RichardDeanAnderson is nothing like KurtRussell.

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2''. At one point, [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] will receive a message from a prisoner he/she shot at during a prison riot. The prisoner spells his / her name "Shepherd".
** Of course, judging by the spelling of the message, the prisoner was slightly illiterate.

* Averted in the second issue of Cable & Deadpool: Cable phones Irene, a friend of his on the Daily Bugle, and asks her to look up three would-be anarchists with complicated names.

* In ''{{Greek}}'', Lizzi points out that her name is spelled "With two Zeta Beta Z's!"...but neglects to mention it's spelled without an ''e''.
** And with an ''i'' instead of a ''y''.

* Averted rather reasonably on TheWestWing when Josh asks Donna for information on an Indonesian official named Rahmadi Sumahidjo Bambang. She immediately asks if he can spell the name; he replies "not correctly, no."

* George Stobbart of ''BrokenSword'' is fond of introducing himself as "[[BondJamesBond Stobbart - George Stobbart]]. That's two b's, and two t's". This tends to just confuse people, as while [[JediTruth there technically ''are'' two t's]], they're separate.

* ''[[Film/TheBourneSeries The Bourne Identity]]'' features a telephone call to a hotel asking after the guest "Jason Bourne", without offering any alternate spellings (like Borne).
** Although it's averted a moment later, when the same character asks after "John Michael Kane" and then specifies "Kane with a 'K'".

* On one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans,'' Jinx immediately (and excitedly) spells her name when her idol, Madame Rouge, asks for it. May count as a FandomNod, since many fans had been erroneously spelling it "[[XTremelyKoolLetterz Jynx]]" (like the Pokémon) instead.