Major Improvements to Leading English Writing Software
WhiteSmoke adds new contextual spelling algorithms, and makes server-wide updates
WhiteSmoke, Inc. - Wilmington, DE. March 31, 2009 - WhiteSmoke announces the immediate release of a major update to the server-side component of its English writing software, the result of 8 months of intensive development, the analysis of millions of sentences, and extensive customer surveys. A client update for download onto the user’s PC will be launched in the following days. Changes include a new version of the contextual spelling algorithms, a greatly expanded dictionary-thesaurus module, and updates to the grammar checking engine.
“Our tests show that WhiteSmoke has the best error detection of any writing software on the market, and this update confirms that. By working closely with our users, we have made strong advances with the new contextual spelling algorithms and the updated dictionary,” claims Liran Brenner, VP of R&D at WhiteSmoke. He continues, “Combined with the new corrections of tricky grammar errors such as missing subjects, this update is a major step forward for all WhiteSmoke users.”
The major feature of this update is the new version of the contextual spell checker. Greatly expanded in accuracy and scope, the detection and correction of contextual spelling errors now extends to thousands of word pairs based on statistical data of common errors made by native and non-native speakers. Such errors (e.g., “pear” instead of “pair”;”they’re” instead of “their”) are often missed even at the proofreading stage, so an algorithmic solution such as WhiteSmoke’s is a boon to writers of all skill levels.
Additional changes have been made to the grammar engine of WhiteSmoke. The detection and correction of missing subjects in sentences has undergone a major update, with subjects being inserted into sentences in contexts where it could improve the intelligibility of the writing. New punctuation errors are now corrected after refinements to the punctuation algorithms. Detection of mismatched verbs when they apply to the same subject has also been improved, with increased accuracy of corrections and reduced false positives. WhiteSmoke’s grammar checker and other features work equally well for ESL speakers and native English speakers.
The dictionary-thesaurus module has also been updated. The server has been optimized for faster return of dictionary queries, and the dictionary database has been extended with tens of thousands of new and updated words and definitions.
Hilla Ovil-Brenner, WhiteSmoke CEO, states, “The latest improvements to WhiteSmoke 2009 give WhiteSmoke users an even stronger tool to help them write confidently. Contextual spelling errors make up a large percentage of common written English errors, and these latest advancements tackle contextual spelling directly. WhiteSmoke users benefit by getting an advanced ‘personal editor’ sitting right on their desktop!”
