Fed up with spell checkers

[need_my_wedge]

As the title suggests, getting really fed up with online spell checkers. Whilst the premise is all good and mostly useful, some of the results are just wrong. I was just posting in another thread on here when the word "colour" is red lined, as it is now! A right-click gives the correct spelling as "color". Why do these spell checkers only seem to like Americanized English? Is it because they can't spell or pronounce the words correctly? I looked "colour" up on dictionary.com and got the following:

Chiefly British
Variant of color


Umm no....... color is a variant of colour - English was spoken here long before American English if my history is anywhere near correct. I spent years in school being taught to spell words correctly, it's a pain in the proverbial being constantly flagged online for "spelling words incorrectly".......

rant over.

 

[Slab]

There must be an adjustable setting somewhere because colour isn't highlighted as incorrect for me (or maybe I used the 'add to dictionary' on right click sometime in the past)

 

[rosecott]

Colour - no red line there.

My system is set to "English (United Kingdom)" and "United Kingdom keyboard".

If it's a Windows system you can change the setting - bottom far right on the taskbar next to the time/date.

 

[MashieNiblick]

I too find this annoying but the history of spelling is not a straightforward subject by any means. Lots of spelling variations over the years which in time became codified but given the varied roots of English who is to say which is the original.

Interesting article on Wikipedia. Worth reading. Lots of differences seem to derive from the preferences of the two great dictionary writers Johnson and Webster.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences

Of course for the definitive account of Johnson's dictionary you need go no further than Blackadder 3, Ep.2 Ink and Incapability

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSYiT2iG08

Genius.

 

[delc]

I think you need to check the settings on your computer or spell checker. Language should be set to English (UK).

 

[Hacker Khan]

ive swiched myne of now.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Appears to be browser setting....... My system was installed as English UK etc. However, it seems Google Chrome had English US as the primary language with use this for spellchecker enabled - despite me never selecting those options at install.... all good now.... feeling calmer......

 

[Tashyboy]

Must agree there carp

 

[smange]

I see the guy who invented autocorrect has sadly passed away....

His funfair is next monkey 😗


I will get my coat 🙄

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Like the guy who invented the USB connection, he died

They put his coffin in the ground , then had to take it out again and try the other way round


#geekjokefest

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Has tranquility returned yet?

 

[Foxholer]

Has tranquility returned yet?

Peaces of it have!

Btw. I believe Color could well be older than Colour!

And not all of the 'simplifications' of spelling were the result of Webster's efforts. Many were actually taken across to America by the pilgrims and later immigrants from the particular regions of Europe, specially UK, they cam from.

 

[PIng]

I've read somewhere that the pilgrims took English words like color, disk and gray over to America and then at some point the academics back home decided to "Frenchify" our language and came up with colour, disc and grey, The Americans, being a bit isolated, stuck with the original spellings.

So, it's us that can't spell properly, not the Americans.