DOKK / manpages / debian 12 / spell / spell.1.en
spell(1) GNU Spell, a clone of Unix spell spell(1)

spell - GNU Spell, a clone of Unix `spell' 

spell [OPTION]... [FILE]...

GNU Spell is a spelling checking program which prints each misspelled word on a line of its own. It is designed as a clone of the standard Unix `spell' program, and implemented as a wrapper for Ispell.

Spell accepts as its arguments a list of files to read from. Within that list, the magical file name `-' causes Spell to read from standard input. In addition, when called with no file name arguments, Spell assumes that it should process standard input.

Spell is most useful when used in conjunction with other programs, because its output is minimalistic. Human users are usually more comfortable with verbose output.

Print Ispell's version.
Print the version number.
Use the British dictionary.
Use FILE to look up words.
Print a summary of the options.
Calls PROGRAM as Ispell.
Use the named DICTIONARY to look up words.
Ignored; for compatibility.
Print line numbers before lines.
Print file names before lines.
Ignored; for compatibility.
Print words not literally found.
Ignored; for compatibility.

In the first example below, the words printed on standard output are all the (purposely) misspelled words in 'sample' file. Notice the options '--print-file-name' and '--number' They are responsible for the prefix you see on each line.



    $ spell --print-file-name --number sample


    sample:1: Tihs


    sample:1: si


    sample:1: fo


    sample:1: Splel


    sample:1: worsd


    sample:1: spellled


    sample:1: worng


    sample:2: fi


    sample:2: cna


    sample:2: dael


    sample:2: fiel


    sample:2: Foo


    sample:2: bza


    sample:2: baz
In the following example, spell will analyze a text from single a command line. 



    $echo "Thiz is an examply" | spell


    Thiz


    examply
After install `ibrazilian' (# apt install ibrazilian, on Debian systems) is possible to use `brazilian' as dictionary: 



    $ echo "Eu sou brasileiro e carioka" | spell -D brazilian


    carioka
To use personal dictionary called mydict.txt: 



    $ echo "A little test" | spell -d mydict.txt

~/.ispell_default
Considering Spell as a wrapper for Ispell, is possible to make a personal and complementary dictionary using this file. Insert a word per line.

ispell(1), aspell(1)

Spell was written by Thomas Morgan <tmorgan@pobox.com> for the Free Software Foundation, Inc.

The first version of this manual page was written by Dominik Kubla <dominik@debian.org>.

The current version was fully rewritten by Joao Eriberto Mota Filho <eriberto@debian.org>.

Since the first version, this manual page was written for the Debian project (but may be used by others).

09 Jan 2023 spell-1.1