Free word prediction to support spelling

Posted by Craig Mill on the 2nd June, 2021

Word prediction can help support learners with spelling difficulties. Increasingly word prediction is being incorporated into the operating systems of devices such as 'Predictive' on the iPhone and iPad and 'Show Text Suggestions' in Windows 10.

What is word prediction?

Word prediction or predictive text offers suggested words and phrases which closely match the first few letters that have been typed. It can help to reduce the number of required keystrokes, by predicting the word you are typing, and the next word based on word frequency and context of what is being typed. 

If you would like to find out more on Word Prediction download the CALL publication a Guide to Word Prediction.

Why use word prediction?

Word prediction has many benefits, such as making the writing process easier, for example:

• It can help learners who experience difficulties with spelling and grammar.
• It can help learners to focus on the writing task rather than worry about making spelling mistakes.
• It can help learners to be more creative and expand their ideas, rather than avoiding words they can’t spell.
• It can help to increase text production (and accuracy).
• It can help to boost confidence.

Word prediction is also beneficial to people who experience fatigue or have limited motor skills as it requires less effort to type, requiring only one or two keys to complete longer words and sentences.

Although there are some excellent word prediction programs such as WordQ and Ghotit, the video below explores two free options, Show Text Suggestions as I Type and the Claroread extension for Chrome and Edge browsers.

For more on text completion in Word online see the article Text Predictions in Word Online - is It any Good?

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