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Australian English spellcheck files

Building quality Australian English dictionary resources for projects such as: Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, OpenOffice.org, Firefox, Thunderbird, Google Chrome and many other projects.

Click Buy Now to access all the dictionary files.
A single payment of $6 provides access to the current versions of all dictionary files.

DICTIONARY NEWS

1 December 2008

Please check the News/Blog for new regarding the dictionary files. The files I now make available have been reduced. Projects such as Opera, Aspell, Safari, Linux have been removed as it has not shown to be financially viable for me to support them. The Outlook Express files have been removed as they are no longer supported by the developer.

Version 3.0.0 now available.
40,000 more words.

Version 3 of the dictionary files are completely new and not based on the old files. The dictionary files are copyright, which now provides a better base for the dictionary files to grow. The dictionary files will continue to be made available at a very affordable price for the benefit of all Australians.

Even though the dictionary files are new, they contain around 40,000 more words, with even more entries relevant to Australians. There are still thousands of words which will be added over time. A second version called the Kelvin version, provides the preferred spelling of words in Australia by removing thousands of words which are secondary spellings. Words such as the many "ize" spelling variations have been removed. For example the Kelvin version includes "organise" but not "organize". The Kelvin version provides the preferred spelling resulting in simpler spelling options and more consistent spelling in documents.

If you find any errors or omissions, please feel free to let me know. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

The new version:

• contains over 160,000 words compared to 119,000 words.
• more Australian locations.
• Australian names and names of those helping by paying.
• Thousands of errors removed.
• Thousands of suspect words removed for further review.
• The new version is copyright so you know your contribution helps this work grow.

The new version of the Microsoft Exclude file contains 20% more words with over 2,200 words. The Exclude file makes Microsoft Word and Office better for Australians. A high level manager in one of Australia's leading companies commented: "it's just what corporates need".

Click here to report
errors and ommisions
in the dictionary files.

Contents

1. Introduction

The Kelvin version of the dictionary files
Australia's first prescriptive spellcheck dictionary

2. OpenOffice.org

Australian English dictionary

Full version
Kelvin version

How to install the Australian English dictionary files for OpenOffice.org

Installing the dictionary in OpenOffice.org 3

6. Internet Explorer - add spellchecking

7. Aussie Slang

8. Firefox, Thunderbird and SeaMonkey

9. Microsoft Word Exclude file - say goodbye to "ize" and American spelt words"

10. Outlook Express Australian English spellchecker

11. Keep updated, or send us feedback

12. Your feedback

13. The procedure we now follow when adding new words to the dictionary files

14. Known issues

15. How can I help?

16. Credits

17. Biography

Introduction

I've been developing and providing Australian English spellcheck dictionary to Australians and many people across the world since 2003. Most of the projects provide dictionary files based on quite old versions of my earlier work which I would not recommend others to use. If you want the latest dictionary files they are only available from this site.

The dictionary files available can be used with:

• Internet Explorer

• Microsoft Office/Word

• OpenOffice.org

• Firefox

• Thunderbird

• SeaMonkey

• TeXnicCenter

The Kelvin version of the dictionary files

Australia's first prescriptive spellcheck dictionary

Until the mid 1900s dictionaries guided people on how to spell.

They were known as prescriptive dictionaries.

Modern dictionaries document the words we use and are known as descriptive dictionaries. They no longer guide us on how to spell. If you check a word in a modern dictionary you will often see the word spelt in more than one way. The first listed spelling is the spelling which occurs more often in current usage.

For example the Macquarie Concise dictionary has the entry "colour=color". The first spelling variation is the more common way to spell a word. (The spelling variation "color" and other "or" words are not included in either dictionary we produce, but is used here to illustrate a point.)

In Australia there are thousands of words with this dual spelling. The dual spelling of words leads to confusion and inconsistent spelling in documents.

I have found it is rarely considered wrong in Australia to spell using the first listed spelling variation of a word, but it is often considered wrong to spell with the second. For example it is never considered wrong to use "colour", but "color" is often considered wrong.

For decades I was confused with the dual spelling of words. My work with the dictionary files gave me an understanding of how the Australian English language has evolved and the skills needed to create the first Australian English prescriptive spellcheck dictionary.

The prescriptive spellcheck dictionary (known as the Kelvin version of the files) is what I have always wanted. No more confusion as to when to spell using "ise" or "ize".

As I identify and research each additional word, the Kelvin version of the spell check dictionaries will become an increasingly valuable resource for all Australians.

The Kelvin version is great for:

• Every Australian (and we have noticed some other countries such as New Zealand) wishing to spell using the most commonly used spelling variation.

• Those whose native language is not Australian English, where two ways to spell a word adds complexity.

• The next generation of spellers who are confused with the dual spelling of a word. (I have on occasion asked my daughters to ask their teachers to spell some words. Different teachers in the same school spell differently, which can only cause confusion for the next generation.)

• Those who want consistent spelling in a document. (When you cut and paste text to create a document, your readers will pick up words being spelt in two ways, which in general reduces the perceived quality of your document.) Using two different ways to spell a word in the one document, is considered incorrect.

• Those who are in tertiary education. Some academics incorrectly believe there is only one way to spell a word and enforce their incorrect beliefs on their students.

• Those who are applying for jobs. The real word is very different from the world of school. Some people have said to me, schools don't care about spelling. In the real world spelling can affect your chances of getting a job, or your perceived ability. Don't take the chance your resume ends up on the desk of a word snob, affecting your future opportunities.

The "Kelvin" version of the dictionary files provides my preferred way to spell. It should however be kept in mind how you spell is your choice. The Kelvin version is a subset of the full version of the dictionary.

Use either version of the best dictionary files for Australians and enjoy.

OpenOffice.org

Australian English dictionary

Full version

Right click on the following link and save the full version of the dictionary files.

dict-au-full-V3.0.0.oxt (for OpenOffice.org 3.x)

Kelvin version (Our preferred dictionary.)

Right click on the following link and save our preferred spelling dictionary files.

dict-au-kelvin-V3.0.0.oxt (for OpenOffice.org 3.x)

How to install the Australian English dictionary files for OpenOffice.org

Installing the dictionary in OpenOffice.org 3.0.x

OpenOffice.org 3 is now live and uses a package approach to install the dictionary. This does mean it is no longer easy to manually install the dictionary file, but most users should find it easier, once they know how. The following is how to install the Australian English dictionary file of your choice with OpenOffice.org 3.

Save your preferred dictionary file to your computer.
Start OpenOffice.org
Select Tools -> Extension Manager.
Click Add.
Locate and select the dictionary file you downloaded. (The dictionary file has the otx file extension.)
Click Open.
Click Close.
Select Tools -> Options.
Click + in front of the section Language Settings.
Click Languages. (Make sure for the Default language for documents, English (Australia) is selected. If not select English (Australia).)

NOTE: I recently helped a Windows XP user install the dictionary and the Australian English dictionary was not selected as the default. That is why it is a good idea to double check the language section. For us with Vista, English (Australia) was selected as the default and the dictionary worked immediately without anything else to be done.

Aussie Slang

A number of people have expressed interest in including more Aussie slang words in the dictionary.

If there is sufficient feedback from users of the dictionary files we will create an Aussie slang dictionary to be used as a secondary dictionary with OpenOffice.org.

The following is a link to an article on a blog. Please submit any Aussie slang by posting a comment and any words.

http://justlocal.blogspot.com/2008/02/aussie-slang-dictionary-bonzer-idea.html

Keep updated, or send us feedback

We notify people via the JustLocal newsletter about updates to the Australian dictionary files. You are welcome join the mailing list to receive an email with a link to the latest newsletter.

Join the JustLocal mailing list and receive some great benefits.

1. Be the first to know when we release new versions of the files. We will notify you of when the JustLocal newsletter is available. The JustLocal newsletter will contain a section on updates to the Australian English dictionary spellcheck files and related news.

2. Keep informed with what is going on with the dictionary files. We have now released the dictionary files for the major browsers. The work we do applies across a range of projects.

3. Influence the content of the dictionary files with your feedback and input. You help create a better dictionary for yourself and others.

Use of your contact details:

• We will not pass your email address on to anyone else without your permission.

Your feedback

Thank you everyone for you support and feedback. The following is some of the feedback we have received.

"Great instructions. Spellcheck failed for OpenOffice 2.2 and 2.1 under Vista. After following your instructions it worked first time. Thank you for your good work ! - Mads"

"Thanks Kelvin. That really did the trick. Cheers...Mick"

"Thanks for the comments about an Aussie dictionary. Another pet peeve of mine is it's difficult to get away from US spellings. So using your dictionary will be great. - Peter"

"OMG you're my hero lol, it worked. Now all I need is to remove the "ize/ise" spelling difference. - ex_raven"

The procedure we now follow when adding new words to the dictionary files

The following is a guide on our procedure we now use for adding new words to the dictionary files.

1. All words submitted are checked. The two authoritative sources we use for checking are the Macquarie Concise Dictionary Third Edition (MCD) and The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary Fourth Edition (AOD).

2. If a word appears in either of the MCD or AOD it will be automatically accepted for the full version of the dictionary.

3. If a word does not appear in either dictionary it will still be reviewed. There should be substantial usage of the word in Australia as would be indicated by a search of pages from Australia using Google.

4. The case of a word is considered important and must also match. Plurals and possessives also need to be confirmed using an authoritative source.

5. The "Kelvin" version uses the full version as the starting point. Where there are two ways to spell a word which has the same meaning (eg organise/organize), the word with the lesser usage in Australia will be excluded.

6. Lesser usage is determined as the second listed word in an authoritative source. Where the MCD and AOD differ, a search of the Internet using Google/Yahoo and pages from Australia will be used to determine the word with the greater usage.

Our aim is to provide quality descriptive and prescriptive spellcheck dictionaries for the benefit of all Australians.

Thanks Brendan Scott for his suggestion to document and fine tune the approach being used.

Known issues

In this section we list known issues which may affect people's ability to use the files.

It should be kept in mind that I only develop on Windows and unfortunately don't have the time to test on Linux or other platforms. If you tell me of mistakes or problems affecting Linux or other platform and how to fix them, I'm happy to include the fixes.

Many of the files provided do work under operating systems beside Windows.

Exceptional exceptions

Legal writers (judgement/judgment)

The full version of the dictionary files contains "judgement" and "judgment".

The "Kelvin" version only contains "judgement".

In legal writing the feedback we have received indicates the "judgment" variation is used significantly more frequently for legal work than in common usage.

A recent search of Google for pages from Australia indicates equal usage. Previously it showed a "judgment" with the greater usage. We suspect Google has now made searching for either version equivalent, which is not helpful in this case. However searching for "judgement/judgment" in the one document returns 209,000 which shows a very large conflict in usage.

A search of Yahoo for pages in Australia shows judgement:727,000 and judgment:800,000., Searching for "judgement/judgment" in the one document returns 57,000.

Based on these results it appears "judgment" is becoming (or is already perhaps) the predominant spelling. This however could be biased by the large amount of legal material on the Internet where "judgment" is the preferred spelling.

Further investigations show the dictionaries our children use at school show "judgement" as the spelling for the word. In addition checking other words which have the soft "g" sound such as "acknowledgement", shows the "e" is still the main spelling.

For the reasons of consistency with other soft "g" words and the reference our children are currently using, at this point in time, we have decided to keep "judgement" as the primary spelling in the "Kelvin" version. The full version of the dictionary contains both spellings.

For legal use if this is an issue, we suggest the following approach to handling this situation if you wish to use the "Kelvin" version of the files.

Add "judgment" to your personal word list.
Use the autocorrect replace option to replace "judgement" with "judgment".

The same will also apply to variants of the word "judgment".

Thank you to Christopher for providing further information on the usage of "judgment" from a legal perspective.

Focused/focussed

Both versions of the word and variants exist in the dictionary files. Our research indicates the single "s" has much greater usage than the "ss" version.

We have not yet decided how we will handle this word (and variants) but we believe we will move to the single "s" version sometime in the future.

We hope you find the language files useful.

i versus I

The letter "i" does not appear as a spelling error in OpenOffice.org.

The letter "i" is not included in the dictionary. The letter "I" is included in the dictionary. The issue is with the program and how it handles single letters. This can't be fixed by a change to the dictionary files.

One approach to work around this issue is to add an AutoCorrect entry to change "i" to "I". If you wish to use "I" (the Roman numeral) after typing the letter it will convert to "I". Immediately press Control+z and the auto-correction will be reversed.

How can I help?

A number of people have asked how they can help.

The following are a few suggestions if you wish to help.

1. If you find a word not in the dictionary, or an error, use the above form to let us know. Your input will help create the best resource for all Australians.

2. If you have an idea let us know. Because of feedback in recent months we have now extended greatly the use of the dictionary files. The feedback we received gave us new ideas.

3. Some people have wanted to donate. We don't really take donations although we really very much appreciate the thought.

If you want to donate then think about buying from a JustLocal advertiser instead of buying elsewhere. You get something for your money and you indirectly help me. You should be able to buy at as good if not better price, and you are supporting the businesses that support me, which makes this work possible.

4. Let others know about the dictionary files.

Don't just say I'm right, I have the dictionary files and I'm now okay.

I've helped you and I hope you will help others.

If you see someone in a mailing list or a forum that is having problems with Australian English spellchecking point them to this page. Add a link to your web page or blog. Spread the word.

You never know where a great idea will come from.

5. Let others know about the "Kelvin" version of the dictionary. This is the only prescriptive spellcheck dictionary we know of. It helps people from overseas as it simplifies the language. It has helped me. I hope it helps others.

6. Send me a message if you appreciate my work. It is amazing how much value there is in a simple thank you.

7. Write an article if you feel I don't cover something.

For example I'm not a Linux expert and there are many Linux distributions.

Write a short article and make it available on the Internet. Let me know and if there is no clash with JustLocal advertiser and it can help others, I will be happy to link to it.

8. Most of all enjoy the results of my work and the many people who have provided input.

Knowing the files are used by possibly hundreds of thousands of Australians is very satisfying. Thank you for your support.

Credits

The Australian English dictionary files was only possible because others were prepared to help at the start and others are now chipping in. The following page lists those who have assisted in some in the creation and maintenance of the Australian English dictionary files.

Click here to view the Credits page.

Biography

Kelvin Eldridge is an IT consultant with over 25 years of experience in the IT industry. He considers himself to be an accidental lexicographer. Around 5-6 years ago he identified a need for an Australian English spellcheck dictionary for OpenOffice.org and had the skills to build one. In his own time, he built the dictionary with around 100,000 keystrokes of work. The dictionary was made available to his clients and contributed to the project.

For three years the dictionary remained buried deep in the project. With almost no feedback, Kelvin was about to discard the work.  But there was one more thing to try. To pull the work outside of the project and give it a life of its own. As a result, a handful of people contacted Kelvin over the coming months and the interaction lead to ideas, which lead to Kelvin building one product, and then another, and another, until he had built Australian English dictionaries covering a range of applications greater than any other spellcheck dictionary.

Kelvin’s work is an invaluable resource available for a small contribution to the people of Australia.

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