Almost all word processors include a spell checker for users to review their documents. Linux has a utility called Aspell that uses dictionaries in different languages . Therefore, if you’re interested in learning how to spell check a document in Linux, this tutorial explains the steps to do so.
How to spell check a document in Linux? – Use dictionaries
Index( )
- What do you need to be able to check spelling in Linux?
- How to use Aspell to correct spelling from the terminal?
- How do I change the dictionary that Aspell uses?
- Dictionary with another language
- Dictionary that accepts accents
- What additional options does Aspell offer to help you with your documents?
What do you need to be able to check spelling in Linux?
What’s needed to check spelling in Linux is either a standalone spell checker or a tool that can be added as a library to make it available to document creation and processing applications . Such is the case with GNU Aspell, a fast and very easy-to-use open-source spell checker.
How to use Aspell to correct spelling from the terminal?
Aspell is a tool that allows you to quickly and easily correct spelling from the command line by checking text files. To download Aspell on your PC, open a Linux terminal, type the commands sudo apt-get install aspell-es , and press Enter. This will allow you to install the program on your computer.
Next, you’ll need to create a text file from the terminal. To do this, type $ cat filename.txt and press Enter. Enter the text you want to correct and press Enter. Then, type the commands aspell –master=es_ES –lang=es_ES -c filename.txt. You can also use the line aspell check filename.txt.
A list of options for correcting each misspelled word will immediately appear . Simply press the number next to each suggested correction to apply the change, which will appear in the original text.
How do I change the dictionary that Aspell uses?
It’s possible to change the dictionary Aspell uses. To do this, you’ll need to install the package corresponding to another language you want to manage in the dictionary. It’s also a good idea to consider a dictionary that accepts accents and offers additional options to help you correct your documents.
Dictionary with another language
It’s worth noting that Aspell supports over 70 languages. Upon accessing the official Aspell website , you’ll notice a list of dictionaries for other languages, and you can even download a manual if you’d like to review the list of useful commands for the Linux terminal.
To use a dictionary with another language, you must locate the ID and name that correspond to the language you’re interested in and click the link containing the package you’re about to download to your computer. Then, open a Linux terminal by pressing the key combination Ctrl + Alt + T.
Extract the package you just downloaded using the commands tar xvjf aspell5-en-6.0-0.tar.bz2. Press Enter to execute the command. Navigate to the folder you just extracted and type cd aspell5-en-6.0-0. Finally, type . /Configure and sudo make install to install the package from the command prompt.
Dictionary that accepts accents
Some languages, such as Spanish or French, include accented letters. If you have a text file with words that have accented letters, you must download the corresponding language package. From a Linux terminal, type aspell –c filename.txt. Replace filename with the actual name of your document.
What additional options does Aspell offer to help you with your documents?
The Aspell tool offers additional options to help you with your documents. This spelling checker allows you to use HTML and XML files, as well as files created from the LaTex word processor . Aspell provides predefined switches and allows you to configure specific words according to your needs.
Once the document is spell-checked, Aspell creates a copy of the file with the .bak extension. Over time, your directories will fill up with files you don’t need, so you can use the -dont-backup option if you don’t need to save a copy of the document.
If instead of spell checking a text file, you need to spell check an HTML, XML, or LaTeX file, then you should use an additional Aspell option called ‘–mode = file_type’; for an HTML file, this would be: -mode = html. This will prevent the file from being displayed as full of spelling errors.
If you prefer to see the full list of command options, visit the official Aspell or Textinfo websites where you’ll find more details on using switches and other additional options to check your typing from any Linux distribution using a terminal console
