Spell checkers in Indian languages are need of the hour, before talking on spell checkers; we must know some details on spell checkers. Now let us see what are spell checkers, a spell checker is a software tool that identifies and corrects any spelling and grammar mistakes in a text. Spell checkers can be combined with other applications or they can be distributed individually. Whatever be the case a spell checker should handle a group of words (or Sentences) and identify the spelling and grammatical errors in it and should help in correcting the errors. Spell checkers mostly supplied as an inherent feature of word processors. Currently spell checkers are available for English, French and some foreign languages. Mostly languages that are having roman characters (A, B, C...) as their alphabets had good spell checking tools. However, this kind of language tool is very essential to every language.
As far as today, Spell checking initiatives in Indian languages are having very low success rates. It is also believed that complete spell checking is not possible in any language. However, it is a notable fact in Indian languages there is not even a basic spell checking tools. Also even in English, there is no complete spell checking tools, but what is available with the language is satisfactory.
Differences between English and Indian languages
Indian languages are unique in many ways from English. First, we have complex characters and we have more than one character having like accents. Another notable fact is Indian languages are having more complex grammar rules. So we must have spell checkers with the following characteristics,
1. Grammar checker,
2. Spell checker.
Grammar checker
This facility used to check and correct grammar mistakes in a text. Mistakes arising regarding singular, plural and mistakes regarding tense, word usage are comes under this grammar-checking category.
Spell checker
Most of the Indian languages have letters that sounds mostly alike. This leads to improper use of characters. Due to this reason many people having hesitations in using regional languages. Mistakes like this should be corrected by Spell checker. That is a spell checker must correct errors like this and all major arising in spelling mistakes should be corrected with the spell checker.
In addition, some Indian languages are having some other grammatical issues over spell checking (like Tamil language having combining letters between words). All these problems also to be addressed while developing spell checkers.
Constraints in developing spell checkers in Regional languages:
There are many basic difficulties in developing spell checkers in Indian languages. First, we have to convert our grammar rules to suite computers. That is we have to change the grammar rules into computer algorithms. Then we must develop corpus for every language. (Corpus is a large collection of all the available words of a language.) These corpuses are available in many for English language. Spell checkers, Dictionaries and other linguistic tools are only developed based on the corpuses only. Therefore, when we develop successfully the corpus in our languages, we will be able to develop other linguistic tools. So, we must try to develop corpuses in our languages first. The time spent and work done towards creating corpuses will lead to other possible developments. When we are aimed to develop corpus, outcomes and experience will certainly lead us from spell checker to machine translation. So, every need of the language will be achieved when corpuses are made and when work towards a collective aim. Hope spelling and grammar checkers will arrive soon in our Indian languages. |