Autocorrection Software

Autocorrection software corrects misspellings and grammar as you type. Autocorrect, also referred to as text replacement, is a standard feature on most smartphones and tablets because it is included in operating systems like iOS and Android. It is also commonly integrated into text editors and word processors. The algorithm for each autocorrection software varies. In some cases, the algorithm may try to match the closest word to a misspelled word. Alternatively, the algorithm may suggest correctly spelled words based keys nearby on the keyboard to the word you have spelled incorrectly .

One benefit of autocorrect is its automatic nature. The software is able to classify misspelled words quickly so that writers can correct mistakes as they type. This feature can be helpful for people with dyslexia. Rather than having to manually spell-check, autocorrection software can save people time by checking text as you type. Furthermore, autocorrect can help people by catching misspelled words that they might not have caught on their own .

History

The idea of autocorrect software stems from an ideology of "Do What I Mean" (DWIM) technology. DWIM technologies attempt to guess users' intentions rather than following users' input that may be incorrectly formatted . DWIM technologies and the idea of software correcting text as it is typed date back to the 1960s. It was during this time that a computer scientist coined the idea of DWIM computer systems and invented the "undo" command .

In more recent history, the invention of autocorrect as we know it today is attributed to Dean Hachamovitch. Hachamovitch is a former vice president at Microsoft and first began working at the company in the 1990s. He was placed on the Word team. At the time, Word already had a feature in which users could add shortcuts to their glossary. For example, someone could choose words like "insert logo" to be associated with their company's logo. Then, a user could conveniently type "inset logo" and press the F3 button to replace the text "insert logo" with an image of said logo. Drawing inspiration from this existing feature, Hachamovitch realized a similar mechanism could be used to correct commonly misspelled words .

Using a list of common errors people make while typing, Hachamovitch, and his coworkers developed software that would automatically correct these common errors while people were typing. These errors included mistakes like accidental capitalizations and common misspellings of words like "the." The replacement of these errors was triggered by the space bar, which is possible because words in English are always separated by a space character .

Types of Autocorrection Software

Despite its foundations in Microsoft Word, autocorrection software is integrated into many different kinds of applications. Word processors, smartphones, desktops, and browser extensions like Grammarly provide users with the tool to make their writing more efficient by suggesting words and by fixing spelling and grammar errors automatically.

Microsoft Office

Specifically, the AutoCorrect feature in Microsoft Office is advertised as a "feature to correct typos and misspelled words, as well as to insert symbols and other pieces of text. AutoCorrect is set up by default with a list of typical misspellings and symbols, but you can modify the list that AutoCorrect uses" .