Method and system for generating spelling suggestions

A system comprising:

• a computer including a processor;
• a tangible computer-readable medium;
• program modules comprising instructions executable by the processor to suggest replacement words for input words of an input string, the modules comprising:
• a candidate generator including an output of one or more candidate replacement words and corresponding candidate scores for one of the input words that match a subject word of a candidate table, wherein each candidate score is indicative of a probability that the input word should be replaced with the corresponding candidate replacement word;
• a contextual spelling engine receives the output of one or more candidate replacement words and produces a candidate replacement string for each candidate replacement word, each candidate replacement string comprising the candidate replacement word and the input words of the input string less the input word corresponding to the candidate replacement word;
• and
• a language model having an output of probability scores for each of the candidate replacement strings, the probability scores based on statistical data;
• wherein the contextual spelling engine calculates a final score for each of the candidate replacement words based on the candidate score for the candidate replacement word and the probability score for the candidate replacement string containing the candidate replacement word, and outputs one of the candidate replacement words based on the final scores.

A method comprising:

• providing a computer comprising a processor;
• providing a tangible computer storage medium;
• executing instructions stored in the computer storage medium using the processor;
• receiving an original input string of two or more input words, wherein at least one of the input words is misspelled;
• suggesting a replacement word for one of the input words responsive to executing the instructions comprising:
• correcting the misspelled input words of the original input string to thereby generate a corrected input string that contains only correctly spelled input words;
• matching the input words of the corrected input string to subject words of a candidate table;
• extracting candidate replacement words and corresponding candidate scores from the candidate table each corresponding to the matched subject words, wherein each candidate score is indicative of a probability that the input word of the corrected input string should be replaced with the corresponding candidate replacement word;
• generating a candidate replacement string for each candidate replacement word, each candidate replacement string comprising the candidate replacement word and the input words of the corrected input string less the input word corresponding to the candidate replacement word;
• producing probability scores for each of the candidate replacement strings based on statistical data;
• calculating a final score for each of the candidate replacement words based on the candidate score for the candidate replacement word and the probability score for the candidate replacement string containing the candidate replacement word;
• and
• selectively suggesting replacement of the input words of the corrected input string with their corresponding candidate replacement words based on the final scores for the candidate replacement words.