Spell-checker language detection
Today I discovered that Firefox had spell-checking capabilities built-in, so I went ahead and installed dictionaries for my main languages to try it out.
I tested it by typing into a text field but it checked using the wrong language.
After some short research, all I could find was how to manually change the language, which is pretty painful to do each time you start to use a text field.
Isn't there any way to have the spell-checker auto-detect the language I'm using? I find that proof-reading to find a typo is *a lot* faster than grabbing my mouse and picking the right language every single time.
All Replies (12)
hi hobarrera, the firefox spell-checker doesn't have the capability to guess what language you're writing in in order to use the right dictionary unfortunately. however it will remember the the dictionary language you've chosen on a per-domain basis and reapply them at your next visit, but i'm not sure if this would help with your usage pattern...
On sites such as facebook, it's normal (for me) to have convesations in multiple languages at the same, so it won't be of any use there.
Is the status of "Check spelling" remembers on a per-domain basis? I could make use of the feature (new for me, heh!) on domains where only one language is used (eg: mozilla.org, stackoverflow.com) if it is.
Do you have any idea if there are plans for this feature? If not, what's the best place to suggest it?
Thanks for you help!
There is this extension, never used it though.
Dictionary Switcher https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/dictionary-switcher/
The inline spell checker has existed since Firefox 2.0
Firefox usually selects the dictionary based on the lang attribute in the page source.
<html class="no-js" lang="en-US" dir="ltr">
Did you install dictionaries in Firefox or via the repositories of your Linux distribution?
> Did you install dictionaries in Firefox or via the repositories of your Linux distribution?
I installed them via Firefox, since my distribution's packages include too many dialects (about a dozen variations of English and another dozen Spanishes) which cluttered up the language selection menu.
Is there any difference between installing via the OS or via firefox?
> Firefox usually selects the dictionary based on the lang attribute in the page source.
That only helps in a handful of websites (where site language matches user-input language). On webmail sites, web-based IM sites, and social networks, one might speak to different contacts in different languages, but the website is in a single language during that time.
Are plans to implement language-detection based on user input? What's the best place to suggest that, if it's not?
Why does Firefox have the option to select and prioritse languages when it doesn't change anything?
I have in order:
English/Australia English/UK English
And all the words I type recognise them as English/American when applying spell checker. Why, this is just stupid. Don't you "recognise" this major flaw?
Tastyboi said
Why does Firefox have the option to select and prioritse languages when it doesn't change anything? I have in order: English/Australia English/UK English And all the words I type recognise them as English/American when applying spell checker. Why, this is just stupid. Don't you "recognise" this major flaw?
This is slightly off-topic here, but firefox doesn't have a screen dictionary priorities to select what you're mentioning above. Are you sure you're not using some external plugin?
Yes it does. Go to Firefox menu. Go to the options selection. Tab = content. Under than at the bottom is the "Languages" area and next to that is a button "choose". Then box comes up that allows you to add and remove languages, and move them up and down to prioritise the order.
I just re-read the OP and this comment is almost the same as that.
"Isn't there any way to have the spell-checker auto-detect the language I'm using?"
@Tastyboi:
That screen says "choose your preferred language for displaying pages". (emphasis mine) and has nothing to do with the spell-checker (or its language).
That's merely a preference to send to servers which serve content in multiple languages.
I tried all the above recommendations and I still get French as the language on spell checker. I have now disabled French and now it automatically uses German. English UK is at the top of my preferences. So I will have to disable German also.
Tastyboi said
Yes it does. Go to Firefox menu. Go to the options selection. Tab = content. Under than at the bottom is the "Languages" area and next to that is a button "choose". Then box comes up that allows you to add and remove languages, and move them up and down to prioritise the order. I just re-read the OP and this comment is almost the same as that. "Isn't there any way to have the spell-checker auto-detect the language I'm using?"
I have done all that as well as other stuff advised on this page. I have to enable?/ disable languages when I want to switch to French or German. Getting a bit sick of it