A really good spelling editor/checker

[Oldtalesoldman]

Just open a new thread in any forum. Then open your story in a window on your computer.

Copy the story. (I suggest chapter by chapter if it is very long.)

Paste the story into the open thread space.

Spelling will automatically be checked and any misspelled words will be highlighted by having a red underline. You may scroll through the story and right click on the misspelled words and the dictionary should offer replacement words with correct spelling. Even if the word is missing from the dictionary you will know that there is a problem with the spelling of THAT word.

Once corrections have been made then place your mouse cursor over the corrected text and right click - then select all - then right click over the now blue text again and select cut. All the text disappears from the thread window.

Now go back to your story where the text you selected is still highlighted. Put the cursor over the blue highlighted text and right click and select PASTE.

The corrected text will replace the old text and will leave the cursor blinking at the last position copied.

Just repeat this process over and over until the entire story has been checked.

Then close or back up from the empty thread and it will go away. Your story has been spell checked and you didn't need another soul to do it.

PS. I suppose I should state that this will ONLY work on WINDOWS systems as I am sure the MAC's and others have their own specific ways of working. I only use windows based machines so that is what I know.

OTOM

 

[sr71plt]

There is no "really good" computer spell check in English. The language has too many quirks and I don't think the Microsoft geeks made it past eighth-grade English anyway. The only "really good" spell check is a dictionary, preferably Webster's Collegiate in the American publishing system.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

There is no "really good" computer spell check in English. The language has too many quirks and I don't think the Microsoft geeks made it past eighth-grade English anyway. The only "really good" spell check is a dictionary, preferably Webster's Collegiate in the American publishing system.

I think sr's a bit harsh about MS. As a first pass, it will generally pick up obvious typos but can't differentiate between homonyms. 'There' and 'their' won't be highlighted.

The only option is to examine/accept the MS options, then read the text through very critically yourself and finally, check suspect spellings in Webster's.

Tedious? Sure, that's what editing is.

 

[Oldtalesoldman]

Spell checking is totally different than grammar checking. I just figure that for the people that use Notepad or Wordpad on a PC to write and do not have access to a spell check program that the method I described would help with the very rudimentary spelling.

You are correct about the grammatical errors though. I read here a lot and am nearing my first offering. Grammar is the hardest for me along with punctuation.

Syntax.

I also seem to read quite a few stories where there is an area in which the main characters get their names mixed or reversed. As an example where there is a "Bob" and a "Don" and suddenly "Don" is speaking lines that should be "Bob's". Then just as suddenly it all straightens itself out and the story continues. The dialog just got reversed for those few lines.

Overall grammar and spelling are terrible on the web as it just doesn't seem as important as it once was. Also people tend to use cell phones and tablets and a sort of gibberish form of abbreviations and shortened words instead of proper wording. It gets more and more widely accepted as time passes unfortunately.

OTOM

 

[Derroreaper]

As a first pass, it will generally pick up obvious typos but can't differentiate between homonyms. 'There' and 'their' won't be highlighted.

Have you actually used MS Word? It catches that stuff just fine, it fixes its and it's and there and their, and pear and pair, but people keep saying it doesn't, which is kinda getting old.

 

[sr71plt]

The grammar check does some of that (incompletely--but any help is help). I don't think the spellcheck does. And most of us have grammar check turned off, as it's built for business letters, not fiction, and can get very annoying. Also, if you have auto correct on, it will frequently quite unhelpfully "correct" to a word that you didn't type--and didn't mean.

 

[Derroreaper]

The grammar check does some of that (incompletely--but any help is help). I don't think the spellcheck does. And most of us have grammar check turned off, as it's built for business letters, not fiction, and can get very annoying. Also, if you have auto correct on, it will frequently quite unhelpfully "correct" to a word that you didn't type--and didn't mean.

I hear people talk about the auto correct as well, but I've never had it change a word to something I didn't want, and I only use Word for fiction.

I'm not saying its anywhere close to perfect, but a good portion of the bad writing I see here would have been caught if the author had used MS Word's help.

I also believe Word 07 is way better than Word 03, but I haven't used 03 in quite a while, so maybe I'm wrong.

 

[sr71plt]

I hear people talk about the auto correct as well, but I've never had it change a word to something I didn't want, and I only use Word for fiction.

It was happening to me frequently on my new laptop until I found where to turn it off.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Just open a new thread in any forum. Then open your story in a window on your computer.

Copy the story. (I suggest chapter by chapter if it is very long.)

Paste the story into the open thread space.

Spelling will automatically be checked and any misspelled words will be highlighted by having a red underline. ... I suppose I should state that this will ONLY work on WINDOWS systems as I am sure the MAC's and others have their own specific ways of working. I only use windows based machines so that is what I know.

This isn't a Windows vs Mac thing, it's a function of your web browsing software. Most modern browsers include spellcheck functionality, but if you're using e.g. Internet Explorer 8 on a PC then it won't deliver this spellcheck.

That "any misspelled words" should really be "some misspelled words"; if you write a story about a gang of buglers who go around breaking into houses, no spellchecker will help you.

BTW, for non-US users who want to use this functionality: these spellcheckers generally default to US English, but if you google you should be able to find UK/Australian/etc dictionaries available as add-ons.

 

[Oldtalesoldman]

Have you actually used MS Word? It catches that stuff just fine, it fixes its and it's and there and their, and pear and pair, but people keep saying it doesn't, which is kinda getting old.

Actually what I was attempting to do was to provide a method for getting a basic spell check done on work that was created in NOTEPAD or in WORDPAD. If I wee to spend over $100 on a writing software I certainly expect at the very least some form of BASIC spell checking.

Not getting snippy here just saying that not everyone has MS Word or MS Office with all the bells and whistles.

OTOM

 

[Oldtalesoldman]

This isn't a Windows vs Mac thing, it's a function of your web browsing software. Most modern browsers include spellcheck functionality, but if you're using e.g. Internet Explorer 8 on a PC then it won't deliver this spellcheck.

That "any misspelled words" should really be "some misspelled words"; if you write a story about a gang of buglers who go around breaking into houses, no spellchecker will help you.

BTW, for non-US users who want to use this functionality: these spellcheckers generally default to US English, but if you google you should be able to find UK/Australian/etc dictionaries available as add-ons.

+1 on that "some" misspelled" words and I already agreed about syntax and grammatical errors. It is just a simple method for obtaining a basic spell check of one's work without bothering someone else or spending hard earned cash.

OTOM

 

[Derroreaper]

Actually what I was attempting to do was to provide a method for getting a basic spell check done on work that was created in NOTEPAD or in WORDPAD. If I wee to spend over $100 on a writing software I certainly expect at the very least some form of BASIC spell checking.

Not getting snippy here just saying that not everyone has MS Word or MS Office with all the bells and whistles.

OTOM

I was taking to Elfin, which is why I quoted her

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Have you actually used MS Word? It catches that stuff just fine, it fixes its and it's and there and their, and pear and pair, but people keep saying it doesn't, which is kinda getting old.

As I said, before your outburst, MS doesn't pick up the 'snuff' you say, (as corrected by MS!). Just tried, 'he just gazed at the pear of mazoomas facing him' . The only change MS suggested was 'bazookas' for 'mazoomas'.

MS is a good first call but don't trust it.

 

[Derroreaper]

As I said, before your outburst, MS doesn't pick up the 'snuff' you say, (as corrected by MS!). Just tried, 'he just gazed at the pear of mazoomas facing him' . The only change MS suggested was 'bazookas' for 'mazoomas'.

MS is a good first call but don't trust it.

Damn you're melodramatic, you call that an outburst? You, the nut ball that called pilot north Korean? Give it a fucking rest already.