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Spell checking

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Spell Checker

Firefox has a built-in spelling checker, but it is not immediately available even for checking the spelling within input text boxes. The steps outlined here explain how to get the dictionary active for within text-boxes, adding words to it's dictionary, removing incorrectly added words, and extending use of the spell checker to check any webpage not just input text-boxes.

Once set up properly so that the spelling check works in a text area, you can have the built-in spelling checker check any webpage, by making the document editable with a bookmarklet. You might want to assign a keyword shortcut such as "spellcheck:" in the bookmarks properties or if on the Bookmarks Toolbar simply name it "Sp" with or without an assigned keyword shortcut. 

javascript:document.body.contentEditable='true';%20document.designMode='on';%20void%200

The above bookmarklet will place the entire webpage into Edit Mode which will allow you to check the spelling on the entire page.

While you are in Edit Mode, you will not be able to use browser features such as links. F5 (Reset) will restore browser to normal usage.

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Setting up the spell checker

To enable the built-in Firefox spell checker, if it is not initially working in a text box:

  • "Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> General / Browsing -> Check my spelling as I type" should be checked (default setting).
  • Set the layout.spellcheckDefault preference to 2 (default = 1)
  • Set the spellchecker.dictionary preference to your locale (e.g., to en-US for US English)
  • Restart Firefox if you made any setting changes and then test spell checking.

If Firefox does not identify misspelled words in the text area, or allow you to add a word when right clicking, then exit Firefox and create persdict.dat with notepad (file can be empty) in your Firefox profile folder, restart Firefox, and retest.

Any page with a text-box will allow you to make the initial spell checking tests. The search box in the right-hand column of this page will serve the purpose. Words typed are tested upon use of spaces or other delimiters.

Try these as test words: xghi Google goggleplex splinter xdfe;

Even though the Add to Dictionary does not allow you to change the capitalization of a word when adding the word, you can correct the capitalization first, before rechecking to see if it really needs to be added to the dictionary.

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Modifying your custom dictionary

You will need to use a text editor to remove incorrectly added words to your persdict.dat file, or to manually merge other entries into it such as from Microsoft Word as an example of where you may have already added a lot of custom entries to a dictionary.

[Windows Users] The entries in persdict.dat are one word per line, if you see the words together with no space then edit with another text editor and if you then see the words each on their own lines, save the file. Should then look correct in notepad, and notepad can be used to make any manual changes such as deletions.

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Extensions

The "SpellCheck" extension will check an entire web page and is invoked from the Edit (menu), "Spell Check" and adds a toggle switch to the Tools menu to activate/inactive the extension. Simpler to setup but may interfere with usage by advanced users with it's extra menus and overhead.

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See also

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External links

Retrieved from "http://kb.mozillazine.org/Spell_checking"