Electronic dictionary and method of codifying words therefor

A word processing system comprising

• an electronic dictionary which stores word-representing hash values each corresponding to a word, said electronic dictionary having an even-letter part storing those of said word-representing hash values representing even-letter words and an odd-letter part storing those of said word-representing hash values representing odd-letter words, said word-representing hash values being arranged in numerical order and divided into groups in each of said even-letter and odd-letter parts, first addresses of said word-representing hash values in said groups being stored,
• input means for receiving a letter array and determining the number of letters in said letter array,
• a letter weight table storing preliminarily defined letter weight numbers individually corresponding to alphanumeric symbols,
• a position weight table storing preliminarily defined position weight numbers individually corresponding to letter positions in any word,
• retrieving means for sequentially retrieving from said letter and position weight tables one each of said letter and position weight numbers corresponding to each of the letters of said letter array,
• calculating means for calculating letter-representing hash values for the letters of said letter array from said letter and position weight numbers retrieved by said retrieving means and by a division by a predefined divisor,
• hash-value calculating means for calculating an array-representing hash value corresponding to said letter array by adding said letter-representing hash values obtained by said calculating means, and
• control means for selecting one of said groups stored in said electronic dictionary from high digits of said array-representing hash value and determining whether said array-representing hash value coincides with any of said word-presenting hash values in said selected one of said groups in said electronic dictionary.