This paper analyzes misspellings presenting irregular combinations that are not in conformity with the (ortho)graphic system of the Portuguese language, based on a reflection about the relationships that are established in the process of learning orthography. Through a linguistic bias, it attempts to explain the singular positions of the letter l in rewritings of fables by third grade students from a primary school in Maceió, state of Alagoas, Brazil. For this reflection, it seeks theoretical support from discussions about the constitution of the subject and the workings of language (DUFOUR, 2000; AUTHIER-REVUZ, 1995); about the relevance of singular data (PLANE, 2006; VEKEN, 2002); and about the metaphorical and metonymical processes (MILNER, 1989; LEMOS, 1988) that drive data analysis in Language Acquisition. The data indicate that, among the components that are at stake in the acquisition of orthography, writing and orality play a fundamental role. Thus, the indication of support for orality alone does not suffice to account for the complexity in question. During the process of acquiring written language, the student gets in contact with the specificities of graphic signs and the combinations of these signs, which implies the elimination of other spellings or combinations.
Orthography; Error; Singularity; Workings of language
