Internet Explorer 10/11 does not check the spelling of capitalised words.

Microsoft have had years to perfect spellchecking on their products, yet it seems each new product somehow doesn't take advantage of the previous. Microsoft took a long time to catch up with other leading browsers in terms of spellchecking and could have easily passed the other contenders.

However, Microsoft hasn't implemented the usual features you'd expect to find in a good spellchecker. You have the ability to enable or disable the highlighting of misspelt words and autocorrect. You also have the ability to provide your own list of words to exclude, include and autocorrect. If you check the spellchecking options for Microsoft Word you'll find a whole range of other options.

I provide files for Internet Explorer which provides the preferred Australian English spelling. The word 'mom', which is normally included in the dictionary, is then marked as a spelling error. The problem however is the spellcheck does not appear to check capitalised words. The word 'MOM' for example does not appear as a spelling error and that isn't correct for Australia.

Hopefully Microsoft will correct this oversight in the future.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au    

An interesting article on words which are used today differently from what they originally meant

I thought this article was interesting. I’ve heard people argue over the meaning of decimate and how newsreaders use the word incorrectly, but in reality, whilst the word had a particular meaning in the past, usage means it now is used in a different way. I thought others may enjoy the article.

Explained: The words you are not using correctly... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Is it coathanger or coat hanger?

The spelling of the word "coathanger" was quite a surprise and is an example of how word processing programs such as Microsoft Office, are damaging the language and misleading people on how they should spell a word.

The problem is how word processors are generally designed. If a word doesn't exist in the dictionary the word processor will offer suggestions. One suggestion is, if the word can be broken into two words separated by a space, then the two single words are suggested.

In Microsoft Office the word "coathanger" is not present and thus "coat hanger" is suggested, which is not correct according to the leading authoritative dictionary resources used in Australia. A similar situation exists for the word "spellcheck" where "spell check" which is not correct is suggested. People often become so used to the misspelling they end up believing it is the correct spelling.

When I found this issue I had to double check both the Oxford and Macquarie dictionaries, and both include the spelling "coathanger".

If you check Australian usage using Search Australia, you'll find approximately 4,000 occurrences of "coathanger" and approximately 13,000 occurrences of "coat hanger". This is a staggeringly high percentage of people incorrectly spelling the word and shows just how dependent we are on our word processors.

The preferred Australian English spelling files for Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer will soon fix this issue as well as thousands of other existing issues with the Microsoft spellchecker.

It is possible that both the Oxford and Macquarie dictionaries are wrong and the Microsoft Office spellchecker is correct. This however is unlikely.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au  

Is it analogue or analog?

Until today I had no doubt the preferred spelling in Australia between analogue and analog would be analogue. But today I noticed the government promoting the Digital TV switch over where they are promoting the conversion from 'analog' to 'digital' TV. If you click on this Digital TV link you'll see the government ad.

When I check both com.au and gov.au sites for the usage of analogue and analog, there is a much greater use of the spelling 'analog'. But when I check all .au sites the spelling 'analogue' is slightly ahead. This is quite significant and requires further research.

Normally the words such as dialogue, catalogue would be considered to be the Australian English spelling, and dialog, catalog, would be the American spelling. The Australian spelling is the same as the British spelling. The British spelling is 'analogue' and the American spelling is 'analog'. So it comes as some surprise to me that in Australia 'analog' is a common spelling.

After reviewing the spelling I found the result to be rather interesting. In Australia the spelling analog is often used as an adjective (analog TV, analog computer). The word analog appears frequently in the electronics field.

I decided to use Search Australia (which limits searches to domains ending in .au) and performed various searches using both spelling variations. Usage varies considerably, but analog appears to be mainly used as an adjective with electronics. On the other hand, with 'analogue/analog clock' the main spelling is 'analogue'.

This does make me wonder that since America has heavily influence our electronic purchases, whether or not this has resulted in the American spelling gaining greater acceptance in one area.

At this stage I can't provide a definitive answer as to which is the preferred spelling. For me personally, the preferred spelling would be 'analogue'. My reason is that for most purposes this appears as the preferred spelling except when used as an adjective with electronics. There may be some cases where it would be appropriate to adjust the spelling (such as in electronics) where consistency may be preferable.   I'll leave it up to others to decide their preference.


Kelvin Eldridge
www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au 

The Counselor - Now showing with American spelling.

Perhaps because of my interest with the preferred Australian English spelling, when I see movies using American spelling it puts me off the movie. I do think however there is a lesson to be learnt here. Your spelling can and does have an impact on your audience.

I could not possibly imagine an Australian movie being released in America where the spelling wasn't appropriate for America.

My main concern with movies such as 'The Counselor' using American spelling is the confusion it can create. Spelling is hard enough as it is, but when well publicised movies use an incorrect spelling in Australia, that spelling becomes recognised by many Australians who then incorrectly think it is the correct spelling.

I now wonder how many movies shown in Australia both past and present, use or used American spelling. I wonder if it was 'The Colour Purple', or 'The Color Purple'?

One thing I did find interesting is the trailer used by Vue Movie Cinemas in England uses the spelling 'The Counsellor' in the title and credits. For England it appears there has been some effort to use the correct local spelling, but no such effort has been made for Australia. I personally don't think that is good enough.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au

UPDATE: I've noticed the correct spelling now appearing in Australia for the trailler for Village Cinemas, yet their site is using the spelling 'counselor'. The general rule when there are two different spelling variations available is it isn't good to use inconsistent spelling.

European Commission Directorate-General for Translation - English Style Guide

I find it interesting that people from all over the world use the preferred Australian English spelling in their local region. The reason is often the same as that which applies to us in Australia. The Microsoft spellchecker does not provide the preferred spelling, but simply allows multiple spelling variations (e.g. organise and organize), where both are considered correct. However, even though both are considered correct, there is usually a preferred spelling.

Sometimes I get feedback from users which I find others may be interested in. Joseph from France passed on a link to European Commission Directorate-General for Translation - English Style Guide, which I found contained a considerable amount of useful information. It seems I still have a great deal to learn about the English language and I find examples in style guides can be very useful.

Keep in mind the style guide is for the European community, and there as some differences from the preferred Australian English spelling, such as 'spelled' and not 'spelt'. So if you find a spelling which doesn't quite look right to you, check the spelling using Word Check.

Thank you Joseph for your support and sharing the information on the Style Guide.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au

Is the preferred Australian spelling e-zine or ezine?

This one is actually too close to call with total confidence. The usage of both in Australia is very similar.

Using Search Australia which only returns results for domain ending in .au, the number of results returned are:

e-zine: 11,300
ezine: 12,900

According to the Macquarie dictionary ezine is the preferred spelling with e-zine a secondary spelling. According to the Oxford dictionary the spelling is e-zine. The Oxford does not suggest a secondary spelling.

It does appear where there is no confusion when including or not including the hyphenation, there would be a preference towards ezine. For example in Australia the preference is email and not e-mail.

In this case, given ezine is used nearly 10 per cent more in Australia, and the Macquarie and the Oxford differ, I'd have to go with the Macquarie. As a result ezine will be added to the preferred Australian English spelling dictionary.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.