ST. CHARLES – Nine-year-old Leanna Swenson learned in school that if a word looks weird, it's probably not spelled right.

The Munhall Elementary School fourth-grader spotted a real-life example during a recent walk around her St. Charles neighborhood with her mom, Jennifer.

Something about the street sign at an intersection of Independence and Banbury avenues caught their eye during their usual walk Aug. 22, the duo said.

“We both saw it together,” the girl’s mother said.

They soon realized what was missing – an “N” – so instead of Independence, the sign read “Indepedence.”

The misspelling prompted them to check other Independence Avenue signs, which all were spelled correctly, they said.

Then Jennifer Swenson posted a picture of the incorrect sign on the neighborhood Facebook page, she said, and someone must have notified the city because it was promptly fixed.

“Within 24 hours, we had a brand new sign,” she said.

Leanna said the city’s response surprised her.

“I knew it would get fixed but not that fast,” the girl said.

Lisa Garhan, the city’s community and public affairs coordinator, wrote in an email the city takes a proactive approach to maintaining city streets, but help from residents always is appreciated.

“Usually, that means we are alerted to a burned-out streetlight or newly minted pothole,” she wrote. “But in this case, we are glad we were able to replace the sign so quickly and need to look into where our spell check went wrong!”

The Swensons said the sign was one of three recent instances they called on the city for help. Workers removed a hornet nest near their home, and police responded to a case of vandalism, they said.

“I’m just impressed with the quick response of our city,” Jennifer Swenson said. “We’re well taken care of.”

Residents can report an issue – such as a downed tree or pothole – to the city through its mobile app, St. Charles Connect. The app is not intended for emergencies or time-sensitive issues, as it is only staffed during regular business hours. Visit www.stcharlesil.gov/connect for information.