For better or for worse, we rely on spell checkers. We also type a lot of text on various types of Web pages—Web forms, online forums, shopping sites, and the like—that don’t include built-in spell-checking capabilities. (OK, you can surely see where this article is heading.) Fortunately, you can add spell-checking capabilities to browsers such as Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Then, whenever you finish typing something on a Web page, you can click an option here and there to find out whether you’re about to post an embarrassing spelling error or typo. And even when you’re using a Web form that includes its own spell-check feature, some browser spell-check tools provide other advantages. First, they’re faster than any Web page spell checkers we’ve seen. Second, storing the dictionary on your own computer means you can add custom words that the program uses wherever you feel the need to turn on its spelling prowess.

For Firefox Users

To add a spell checker to Firefox, you’ll need to download a specialized extension or third-party component that provides new features for the browser. In this case, the extension we recommend is Spell-Bound. The SpellBound extension wasn’t accessible through the standard Firefox extensions gallery when we checked; instead, go to spellbound.sourceforge.net/install, choose your browser version (likely Firefox 1.x), select your OS (operating system) from the drop-down menu, and click Install. You’ll probably see a security notice at the top of your Firefox window, along with a special Web page describing how Firefox blocks potential security threats. Follow the instructions to assure Firefox that the download is safe. You’ll need to restart Firefox to complete the installation.

Next, load a dictionary for the spell checker to use. A wide range of languages is available, including five varieties of English. Go to dictionaries.mozdev.org/installation.html and click a language. If you see a security notice at the top, click Edit Options and then click Allow. Click OK and click the language link again to reattempt the installation. In the Software Installation box, click Install Now. You soon should see a small dialog box confirming the installation.

Test out your new spell checker by browsing to a page that includes a form—even the simple search field at Google. Type a misspelled word, but before you submit the form or perform the search, rightclick and choose Check Spelling. A standard spell check window appears with suggestions for you to consider when replacing the misspelled word.

For Internet Explorer Users

IE doesn’t have the same fancy extension capability that Firefox boasts, but there are plenty of extension-like add-ons available. Our favorite in the spelling realm is ieSpell, which is free for personal use. Go to www.iespell.com and look for the download link on the page’s left side. After installing ieSpell, you might need to restart IE.
After typing a few words into a page’s field or form, you can launch ieSpell by selecting ieSpell from the Tools menu or clicking the ieSpell button on the main toolbar or right-clicking the field and choosing the ieSpell command. Like SpellBound, ieSpell presents a familiar spell check window. You can choose to replace the word with one of ieSpell’s
suggestions, tell the program to ignore the word, or add the word to your dictionary.

Another Option