SPELL(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual SPELL(1)
spell, spellin, spellout - find spelling errors
S
\bSY
\bYN
\bNO
\bOP
\bPS
\bSI
\bIS
\bS
s
\bsp
\bpe
\bel
\bll
\bl [ -
\b-v
\bv ] [ -
\b-b
\bb ] [ -
\b-x
\bx ] [ -
\b-d
\bd hlist ] [ -
\b-s
\bs hstop ] [ -
\b-h
\bh
s
\bsp
\bpe
\bel
\bll
\bli
\bin
\bn [ list ]
s
\bsp
\bpe
\bel
\bll
\blo
\bou
\but
\bt [ -
\b-d
\bd ] list
D
\bDE
\bES
\bSC
\bCR
\bRI
\bIP
\bPT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bN
_
\bS_
\bp_
\be_
\bl_
\bl collects words from the named documents, and looks
them up in a spelling list. Words that neither occur among
nor are derivable (by applying certain inflections, prefixes
or suffixes) from words in the spelling list are printed on
the standard output. If no files are named, words are col-
lected from the standard input.
_
\bS_
\bp_
\be_
\bl_
\bl ignores most _
\bt_
\br_
\bo_
\bf_
\bf, _
\bt_
\bb_
\bl and _
\be_
\bq_
\bn(1) constructions.
Under the -
\b-v
\bv option, all words not literally in the spelling
list are printed, and plausible derivations from spelling
list words are indicated.
Under the -
\b-b
\bb option, British spelling is checked. Besides
preferring _
\bc_
\be_
\bn_
\bt_
\br_
\be, _
\bc_
\bo_
\bl_
\bo_
\bu_
\br, _
\bs_
\bp_
\be_
\bc_
\bi_
\ba_
\bl_
\bi_
\bt_
\by, _
\bt_
\br_
\ba_
\bv_
\be_
\bl_
\bl_
\be_
\bd, etc., this
option insists upon -_
\bi_
\bs_
\be in words like _
\bs_
\bt_
\ba_
\bn_
\bd_
\ba_
\br_
\bd_
\bi_
\bs_
\be, Fowler
and the OED to the contrary notwithstanding.
Under the -
\b-x
\bx option, every plausible stem is printed with
The spelling list is based on many sources. While it is
more haphazard than an ordinary dictionary, it is also more
effective with proper names and popular technical words.
Coverage of the specialized vocabularies of biology, medi-
cine and chemistry is light.
The auxiliary files used for the spelling list, stop list,
and history file may be specified by arguments following the
-
\b-d
\bd, -
\b-s
\bs, and -
\b-h
\bh options. The default files are indicated
below. Copies of all output may be accumulated in the his-
tory file. The stop list filters out misspellings (e.g.
thier=thy-y+ier) that would otherwise pass.
Two routines help maintain the hash lists used by _
\bs_
\bp_
\be_
\bl_
\bl.
Both expect a set of words, one per line, from the standard
input. _
\bS_
\bp_
\be_
\bl_
\bl_
\bi_
\bn combines the words from the standard input
and the preexisting _
\bl_
\bi_
\bs_
\bt file and places a new list on the
standard output. If no _
\bl_
\bi_
\bs_
\bt file is specified, the new list
is created from scratch. _
\bS_
\bp_
\be_
\bl_
\bl_
\bo_
\bu_
\bt looks up each word from
Printed 7/9/88 April 29, 1985 1
SPELL(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual SPELL(1)
the standard input and prints on the standard output those
that are missing from (or present on, with option -
\b-d
\bd) the
hashed _
\bl_
\bi_
\bs_
\bt file. For example, to verify that _
\bh_
\bo_
\bo_
\bk_
\be_
\by is not
on the default spelling list, add it to your own private
list, and then use it with _
\bs_
\bp_
\be_
\bl_
\bl,
echo hookey | spellout /usr/dict/hlista
echo hookey | spellin /usr/dict/hlista > myhlist
spell -d myhlist huckfinn
/usr/dict/hlist[ab] hashed spelling lists, American & Brit-
ish, default for -
\b-d
\bd
/usr/dict/hstop hashed stop list, default for -
\b-s
\bs
/dev/null history file, default for -
\b-h
\bh
/tmp/spell.$$* temporary files
S
\bSE
\bEE
\bE A
\bAL
\bLS
\bSO
\bO
deroff(1), sort(1), tee(1), sed(1)
The spelling list's coverage is uneven; new installations
will probably wish to monitor the output for several months
to gather local additions.
British spelling was done by an American.
Printed 7/9/88 April 29, 1985 2
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