Keyspell Ellipsis

A useful literary aid for dyslexia sufferers.

More than just another spell checker, Keyspell Ellipsis has been developed as a literacy aid for dyslexia sufferers. While spelling tools such as those in Microsoft Word proactively scan text for errors as you type, Keyspell is a passive system allowing you to search for a correct spelling using a database of over 350,000 words.

To make it easier to find what you want, the program features three search modes. The first two are the most useful, as they allow you to make a guess at the correct spelling, and then offers a list of matches. You can make a stab at the entire word or enter the first or last part and do a search. If you're fairly sure of the spelling of either the beginning or ending of the word, you can split it in two and click one of the 'lock' icons to hold that part of the word and then guess the rest.

The search engine also checks for words on the basis of phonetic similarity, although this was a bit hit and miss when we tested the software.

Another search is a simple trawl through the dictionary, which can be tailored to include only words associated with a certain thematic group or filtered to include just the words a child might look up. That said, the unengaging interface is likely to put off younger users.

This program will provide some degree of assistance to those with literacy problems, but it lacks certain features. On the plus side, Keyspell Ellipsis is available VAT-free to anyone who has an exemption certificate as a result of disability such as dyslexia.

Contact: Words Worldwide 0800 587 4408
www.keyspell.com

Specifications:

• Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP
• 75MHz Pentium processor or faster (166MHz recommended)
• 32MB of Ram memory (64MB recommended)
• 100MB hard disk drive space
• CD-Rom drive
• 16bit sound card