Microsoft's Spell-checker: Not To Be Trusted

Admittedly, a spell-checker can be handy to check the spelling of words it flags up with a red underline, but you shouldn't rely on it to check the following:

• Missing words. Don't count on your spell-check to notice that, in a moment of frantic typing, you have omitted a word here and there. The omission of a “not” or “won’t” can change the meaning of your sentence entirely.

• Grammar errors. Okay, sometimes the spell-checker can help with this but generally, the suggestions it comes up with can be downright bizarre as well as wrong.

• Punctuation. The spell-checker should not really be trusted with anything other than missing full stops. It is hopeless at punctuation in general, wanting to insert question marks where they really aren't needed. You need to be eagle-eyed and double check your work to make sure commas, semi-colons and colons are where they should be.

• Incorrect words. Spell-checkers can usually decipher incorrectly-spelt words but they won't be able to flag up words that are out of context and, therefore, wrong: Have you "red" or "read" your report, for example? Is your boy/girlfriend a "sweatheart" or a "sweetheart". Do you work in "pubic relations" or "public relations"?

Don't depend on your spell-checker to spare your blushes. Always read your work - just like Santa does.



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