Spell checkers

Spell checkers are pieces of software that will check the spelling of words against a set dictionary (or "vocabulary") of stored words. Spell checkers can work on the fly within a document or on demand or as a separate application. Spell checkers are handy tools combating against the evils of misspelling.

One very interesting and useful thing about spell checkers is that when they find a misspelled word, they will make guesses about the true intent of the author and offer up a list of words, correctly spelled that can be used to replace the misspelled word. Also useful is the ability to add one's own words to the vocabulary so that words that one uses that may not be widely known (such as one's name, regional slang or abbreviations) do not trigger the spell checker's error routines.

One problem with spell checkers is that they currently do not check the context of the word, meaning that while a word may be spelled correctly, it is not properly used. For example, if one wrote, "Hear again wee keep sending beating victim's and gunshot victim's to Evanston for care," a spell check would not display any errors because even though there are incorrect spellings and improper uses of apostrophes, none of the words are technically misspelled. These types of errors can only be caught and corrected through human proofreading.

Fortunately for us all, spell checkers have popped up in many software applications. Most email clients, instant messengers, and databases now have the ability to check your spelling on the fly, letting you know if you've made an error. The screen on which I make this entry even has a spell checker, ensuring that virtually every blog entry ever written by anybody will be free of spelling errors for all of eternity.

Quotes about spelling:

• Lisa: Come to Homer's BBBQ. The extra B is for BYOBB.
  Bart: Hey, Homer, what's that B for?
  Homer: That's a typo.


• “I respect a man who knows how to spell a word more than one way” -- Mark Twain


• “Beware of the man who denounces women writers; his penis is tiny and he cannot spell.” -- Erica Jong


• “My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.” -- A.A. Milne