SPELL(1) SPELL(1)
NAME
spell, sprog - find spelling errors
SYNOPSIS
spell [ options ] ... [ file ] ...
sprog [ options ] [ -f file ]
DESCRIPTION
Spell looks up words from the named files (standard input
default) in a spelling list and places possible
misspellings-words not sanctioned there-on the standard out-
put.
Spell ignores constructs of troff(1) and its standard pre-
processors. It understands these options:
-a Label each line of output with its address in the
input, in the notation of acme(1) and sam(1).
-b Check British spelling.
-v Print all words not literally in the spelling list,
with derivations.
-x Print, marked with `=', every stem as it is looked up
in the spelling list, along with its affix classes.
As a matter of policy, spell does not admit multiple spel-
lings of the same word. Variants that follow general rules
are preferred over those that don't, even when the unruly
spelling is more common. Thus, in American usage, `mod-
elled', `sizeable', and `judgment' are rejected in favor of
`modeled', `sizable', and `judgement'. Agglutinated vari-
ants are shunned: `crewmember' and `backyard' cede to `crew
member' and `back yard' (noun) or `back-yard' (adjective).
FILES
/sys/lib/amspell American spelling list
/sys/lib/brspell British spelling list
/bin/aux/sprog The actual spelling checker. It expects
one word per line on standard input, and
takes the same arguments as spell.
SOURCE
/rc/bin/spell the script
/sys/src/cmd/spell source for sprog
SEE ALSO
deroff(1)
Page 1 Plan 9 (printed 12/21/24)
SPELL(1) SPELL(1)
BUGS
The heuristics of deroff(1) used to excise formatting infor-
mation are imperfect.
The spelling list's coverage is uneven; in particular biol-
ogy, medicine, and chemistry, and perforce proper names, not
to mention languages other than English, are covered very
lightly.
Page 2 Plan 9 (printed 12/21/24)