# Why don't internet browsers use an online database for spellchecking?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-internet-browsers-use-an-online-database-for-spellchecking/451604>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 3, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-internet-browsers-use-an-online-database-for-spellchecking/451604 "2008-06-03T10:07:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-internet-browsers-use-an-online-database-for-spellchecking/451604/1 "2008-06-03T10:07:07Z")

</div>

I suppose this could be a GQ thread, so feel free to moderate, modulate, or modify this post’s location.

Inspired by [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=470355) why don’t internet browser spell checkers use an online database/dictionary for their word lists? That way, common names and recent additions to the lexicon could be correctly identified and spelled correctly across the internet. I think word processors could benefit from this functionality as well, but an internet browser should, by definition, have access to the internet. Firefox should be smart enough to know that the word “Obama” is spelled correctly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-internet-browsers-use-an-online-database-for-spellchecking/451604/2 "2008-06-03T10:51:06Z")

</div>

But wouldn’t there be differences by locality? Such as “humour” versus " humor". I suppose a ping could find out where you are but if I was in America I would still prefer to use the spelling I am comfortable with.

The other thing of course would be where words are correct but the wrong word- such as “spelled” or spelt".

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-internet-browsers-use-an-online-database-for-spellchecking/451604/3 "2008-06-03T10:53:02Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Cicero]  
But wouldn’t there be differences by locality? Such as “humour” versus " humor".  
[/QUOTE]  
I use the Australian dictionary plugin for Firefox, so the spellchecking should work properly for my vocabulary. The same thing could still apply for an online spellcheck dictionary.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-internet-browsers-use-an-online-database-for-spellchecking/451604/4 "2008-06-03T17:57:35Z")

</div>

Lots of banner ads seem to know what zipcode I’m in, so I don’t think location is a problem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-internet-browsers-use-an-online-database-for-spellchecking/451604/5 "2008-06-03T19:24:46Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Cicero]  
The other thing of course would be where words are correct but the wrong word- such as “spelled” or spelt".  
[/QUOTE]

That’s also a location thing (or could be).

The main problem with word processors checking spellings against the internet would be that they would regard as perfectly acceptable words such as “teh”, “definate”, “rediculous” and “OMFGLOLROFLMAOWTF???!!!”