Spell-check engine?

[Pearu Peterson]

On 21 Oct 2002, Michele Simionato wrote:

> I take the occasion for a simple question about ispell/aspell.
> 
> If I write
> 
> $ echo "hello worldd" | ispell -a
> 
> I obtain
> 
> @(#) International Ispell Version 3.1.20 (but really Aspell .33.7
> alpha)
> *
> & worldd 17 6: world, worlds, wold, whorled, would, wooled, wield,
> world's, weld, wild, whirled, wolds, worded, Wilda, Wilde, wiled, word
> 
> Now clearly the & means "this is the mispelled word" and the second
> number
> (6 in this case) is the position of the mispelled word (the column
> number).
> But what is the meaning of the first number, 17 in this case ?

Hint: count the words following colon.

Pearu