# Is there a word meaning checker? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787 "2015-01-24T20:57:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/1 "2015-01-24T20:57:59Z")
Like spell checker, only it asks if that’s really the word you want to use. I’ve been reading free ebooks, and them using the wrong wording is just getting in the way of my appreciation of the glaring plot holes. 😃 Since this sounds like something I could write, I want to make sure it isn’t already out there. Latest example - the author used mignons instead if minions. Unless evil vampires have a cadre of french cuties? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/2 "2015-01-24T21:08:49Z")
There’s obviously a lot at steak in that book. ---
**Author:** ![dflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dflower/32/3270_2.png) [@dflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dflower)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/3 "2015-01-24T21:27:19Z")
an editor ? ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/4 "2015-01-24T21:29:36Z")
> [@dflower](#): > > an editor ? Thank you so much. Everyone needs an editor, but practically no one ever hires one anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/5 "2015-01-24T21:31:35Z")
Their sew expansive! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/6 "2015-01-24T21:53:08Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Like spell checker, only it asks if that’s really the word you want to use. > > I’ve been reading free ebooks, and them using the wrong wording is just getting in the way of my appreciation of the glaring plot holes. 😃 Since this sounds like something I could write, I want to make sure it isn’t already out there. > > Latest example - the author used mignons instead \*\*if \*\*minions. Unless evil vampires have a cadre of french cuties? Sizing & bolding mine. It seems you need this new app. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/7 "2015-01-24T21:55:44Z")
A grammar checker would cover a lot of it, although I am sure there are numerous cases where you could substitute words that sound the same in a sentence and still have it make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Port\_Royal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Port\_Royal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Port_Royal)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/8 "2015-01-24T22:49:28Z")
I notice those sort of errors in ebooks from time to time, but particularly in older books (30-40 year old ones). Would those older books be scanned in? Retyping them would be a huge job, I would think. Might it be a problem with the text recognition of the scanning process? I see things like “ni” when it should be “m” (or vice versa). ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/9 "2015-01-25T00:29:30Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Sizing & bolding mine. > > It seems you need this new app. Gaudere’s rule strikes again! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/10 "2015-01-25T00:50:41Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Gaudere’s rule strikes again! I re-read mine over a dozen times trying to avoid that. And also made it as succinct as possible. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/11 "2015-01-25T01:10:17Z")
Yes: “checker.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/12 "2015-01-25T02:15:28Z")
Proofreaders and copyeditors do this professionally for real books. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/13 "2015-01-25T02:28:58Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Yes: “checker.” 😃 I was going to say “gingham”! ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/14 "2015-01-25T03:04:21Z")
Microsoft Word has a grammer checker but I often ignored it. It kept complaining about passive voice and even after I read about passive voice I didn’t understand it. Bob ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/15 "2015-01-25T03:05:53Z")
Other than a dictionary? ---
**Author:** ![vomit\_comet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/73ab20/32.png) [@vomit\_comet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vomit_comet)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/16 "2015-01-25T09:42:23Z")
Plaid. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/17 "2015-01-25T13:14:08Z")
I often dictate using Dragon Naturally Speaking instead of typing. To work at all it has to be pretty good at determining which word you want to write, taking your accent and normal style into account. I wonder if that engine could be adapted for typewritten text? It does have an auto feature for punctuation, but that is totally pants. ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-meaning-checker/710787/18 "2015-01-25T13:38:48Z")
For the last couple of years, Word has put a blue squiggly line under words its thinks might not be correct. But it only picks up mistakes some of the time. It corrects me if I type “here” instead of “her”, but not if I type “though” instead of “thought”.