Chrome’s built in spell checker works ok insofar as that goes (except on those occasions when it fails to kick in), but what about when you want to check for both spelling and grammar? In this case, what you need is Ginger, which checks both, and whose developers claim is more accurate and corrects up to ten times more than regular spell checkers.
Ginger is available as an extension for Chrome as well as a desktop version that supports MS Office (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint), Firefox, and IE.
Using Ginger is easy! In Chrome, all you have to do is install the extension and simply click the green Ginger icon in the Chrome toolbar when you’re ready to use it. A dialog prompt will appear that will let you type in a word or phrase to check it.
However, whenever you are simply typing in Chrome, say while writing an email for example, Ginger will be automatically check it for you and point out the errors using a green dotted underline. Right clicking the erroneous word will give you suggestions to replace it with. It works the same with grammar mistakes, and it is generally quick to find any errors that might occur.
If you’re running Windows you can also use Ginger in Microsoft Office and other web browsers. You will need to install the Ginger desktop client, and the process works somewhat differently from the Chrome, in that you will have to copy the text you want to check into the clipboard and then press ‘F2’ to check it (or click the hovering green ginger icon in MS Office). Note that Ginger will not work in unsupported applications though, such as your text editor or whatever else.
Ginger, in short, is an excellent software that does a great job checking spelling and grammar, and a must have browser extension. The only drawbacks it has are the fact that you have to copy/paste your text into the Ginger dialog in Chrome (rather than, say, merely highlighting it), and that you have to be online in order for Ginger to work.
Ginger makes Chrome that much more practical and helps improve your English to boot. Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it in the comments section.
