Kate/KWrite spell checking leaves a bit to be desired. I'm noticing misspelled words not being flagged.
Spell checking in TDE is configured in KControl, but I am guessing the real issue is the underlying spelling engine.
I found a previous thread discussing the issue.
Anybody like to share their spell checking strategy?
Thanks.
On Thu, 17 Apr 2025, Darrell Anderson via tde-users wrote:
Kate/KWrite spell checking leaves a bit to be desired. I'm noticing misspelled words not being flagged.
Spell checking in TDE is configured in KControl, but I am guessing the real issue is the underlying spelling engine.
I use kwrite to create/build fortune file. I see what you see. I use the spell checking in kwrite, and then I use $ aspell -c <filename> from the command line.
Yes, I once asked where kwrite's spell checker saves the user (a)dded words. Crickets. I need to clean it up due to fat-fingering the keyboard from time-to-time.
So, that's my "spell checking strategy".
HTH Jonesy
On Friday 18 April 2025 15:01:07 Marvin Jones via tde-users wrote:
On Thu, 17 Apr 2025, Darrell Anderson via tde-users wrote:
Kate/KWrite spell checking leaves a bit to be desired. I'm noticing misspelled words not being flagged.
Spell checking in TDE is configured in KControl, but I am guessing the real issue is the underlying spelling engine.
I use kwrite to create/build fortune file. I see what you see. I use the spell checking in kwrite, and then I use $ aspell -c <filename> from the command line.
Yes, I once asked where kwrite's spell checker saves the user (a)dded words. Crickets. I need to clean it up due to fat-fingering the keyboard from time-to-time.
So, that's my "spell checking strategy".
HTH Jonesy
Honestly, i think that the spell checking on every application is a little old. Today is normal write in two or three languages at same time, but the apps only can work with one at same time. Best Regards Christian
On 4/18/25 8:01 AM, Marvin Jones via tde-users wrote:
I use kwrite to create/build fortune file. I see what you see. I use the spell checking in kwrite, and then I use $ aspell -c <filename> from the command line.
That is part of what confuses me. TDE should be tapping into the underlying spell engine. Should be transparent. I believe most Linux software functions that way. Why does TDE routinely not flag misspelled words and other Linux tools do this correctly? My first guess is this might be circular reasoning --- we use TDE and presume the problem is TDE.
Yes, I once asked where kwrite's spell checker saves the user (a)dded words. Crickets. I need to clean it up due to fat-fingering the keyboard from time-to-time.
I edited a document in Kate/KWrite and intentionally added a spell check exception. The result was two new files:
$HOME/.aspell.en.prepl $HOME/.aspell.en.pws
Looks like the prepl file (REPLacement dictionary) contains the user's preferred dictionary language preference and a list of common misspellings and corrections. Looks like the pws (personal word list) file duplicates the language information and contains a list of additions.
Digging further indicates the user can create /etc/aspell.conf with a directive like the following:
home-dir $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/aspell/
That would configure ASpell to create custom dictionary files in $HOME/.config/aspell.
The same can be done with the ASPELL_CONF environment variable.
Nominal reading implies my charge of poor spell checking might be my lack of understanding how ASpell works. I'll look into that more before continuing to blame TDE.
Comforting to see the personal dictionary is global in $HOME rather than $TDEHOME. This affirms TDE is using the underlying engine.
Yet adding spell check exceptions has little to do with not flagging obviously misspelled words. A possible presumption is the underlying engine does not contain the correct spellings and is not a TDE specific issue.
A more fitting presumption is the "default" spell engine might not be what we think. I presume "default" is dependent on the user's Regional configuration and locale environment variables, but perhaps something gets lost or mangled. In that respect I configured KControl to use a specific language dictionary rather than "ASpell Default."
I am hoping this minor change resolves the problem. My hopeful guess is the unflagged misspellings are caused by using an incorrect "default" dictionary.
I am going to watch when TDE fails to flag an obviously misspelled word. Then copy the text into a different text editor and note the results.
I spend much time writing. Difficult to ignore this kind of quirk. The lack of inline spell checking doesn't help my use case, but I can live with manually checking. I just want to know the spell check engine is working correctly.
Honestly, i think that the spell checking on every application is a little old. Today is normal write in two or three languages at same time, but the apps only can work with one at same time.
In the short time I have been investigating, looks like multi-language support is part of the ASpell design. I found several discussions online with people trying to configure ASpell with multiple languages. There are man pages installed, but looks like the docs are found online here:
On Fri, 18 Apr 2025, Darrell Anderson via tde-users wrote:
On 4/18/25 8:01 AM, Marvin Jones via tde-users wrote:
I use kwrite to create/build fortune files. I see what you see. I use the spell checking in kwrite, and then I use $ aspell -c <filename> from the command line.
That is part of what confuses me. TDE should be tapping into the underlying spell engine. Should be transparent. I believe most Linux software functions that way. Why does TDE routinely not flag misspelled words and other Linux tools do this correctly? My first guess is this might be circular reasoning --- we use TDE and presume the problem is TDE.
OH! And I forgot to mention. To fully complete the process of cleaning up the spelling anomalies in the files, I load them as text files in Libre Office ... and I see yet a *third* unique spelling process.
Yes, I once asked where kwrite's spell checker saves the user (a)dded words. Crickets. I need to clean it up due to fat-fingering the keyboard from time-to-time.
I edited a document in Kate/KWrite and intentionally added a spell check exception. The result was two new files:
$HOME/.aspell.en.prepl $HOME/.aspell.en.pws
I did that with Libre Office and did *not* see any updates in either of those files. So, Libre Office (in linux) seems to come with it's own dictionary and/or maintain it's own user's 'quirks' file.
Looks like the prepl file (REPLacement dictionary) contains the user's preferred dictionary language preference and a list of common misspellings and corrections.
That's my understanding (now), too. I can see several of my "correction-in-error" in there -- which I'll delete.
Looks like the pws (personal word list) file duplicates the language information and contains a list of additions.
Additions -- yes, the "Add To Dictionary" choices -- where again I see several of my prior "additions-in-error".
(I guess I could use Libre Office to spell check and clean up those 2 files. :-}
... adding spell check exceptions has little to do with not flagging obviously misspelled words. A possible presumption is the underlying engine does not contain the correct spellings and is not a TDE specific issue.
It's got to be more than that. I see different aspell flaggings in kwrite versus straight from the command line. Dunno what Libre Office is doing/using...
Oh, well. I trudge on. Jonesy
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Christian Schmitz -
Darrell Anderson -
Marvin Jones