The Mac's Spell Check — Why So Awful?

I have been using Mac's now since the early 1990s, and would never consider any other computer. I am a diehard fan.


However, I have to point out that the spellcheck on the Mac could do with some major improvements in terms of its ability to guess and suggest the correct spelling, when a spelling error occurs. The Mac really is really appalling sometimes in terms of its complete inability to guess the correct spelling.


For example, if you type the following spelling error into the Mac:


approximaltey


it is pretty clear that the Mac should be suggesting the correct word: "approximately" when you right click on the misspelled word, and get the Mac's pop-up menu spelling suggestions.


Yet in this example the Mac seems incapable of recognizing the correct word, and so does not present any spelling suggestions when you right click on this misspelled word. The pop-up menu just says: "No Guesses Found". And this is not an isolated example: I frequently find that the Mac is clueless at guessing the correct spelling for lots of words that are only slightly misspelled.


However, if you type the same misspellings into a Google search, Google guesses and suggests the right spelling correction every time.


So if Google is able to correctly guess the right spelling correction for slightly misspelled words, why can't the Mac?



Apple, what is you answer to this?

Mac mini, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), null

Posted on Mar 22, 2016 8:26 PM

Reply
23 replies

Feb 2, 2018 7:02 AM in response to Hip89

I agree. The spellcheck and grammar check function in Apple Mail is terrible and it's unconscionable that Apple lets it continue torturing users in this way. For instance, why does it continue to highlight and question the use of the word "are" in the simplest, correct sentences such as "I was wondering if you are coming to the meeting?", or highlight and question the correct use of the contraction "you're" in a sentence such as "If you're ready to have some fun" (always asking if I mean the incorrect word "your"!). Or highlighting and questioning the word "is" in a typed sentence with the words "this is not accurate". And why does it give options I have to click such as "next" or "ignore" with no "learn" option so it will stop questioning in every single one of hundreds and thousands of emails? Apple, what is your answer to this? Show you actually care about customers and fix it.

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The Mac's Spell Check — Why So Awful?

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