Google is NOT a spell checker

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My daughter’s “computer class” teacher instructed the children to type words into Google when they weren’t sure about the correct spelling, and if Google doesn’t come back with a “Did you mean…” and offer an alternate spelling, then obviously the word was spelled correctly.

I discovered this while I was proof reading my daughter’s essay. She had the usual smattering of misspelled words, but then she had a word in French, replete with acute accents over the e’s. Yes, I said French. They weren’t spelled *wrong*, they were just spelled correctly in French.

Me: How, praytell, did you manage to come up with that spelling for necessary?

G: I spell checked it in Google.

Me: You did what?

G: I typed it into Google, and Google said I must have meant “nécessité“.

Me: You can’t spell check stuff in Google. That’s not what it’s for. Good grief. Who told you that? For the love of God, use a dictionary.

G: Like dictionary.com?

Me: Yes.

G: How do you spell dictionary?

*Sigh* I can’t quite decide if I should just file this away for the next time the teachers start crying about how they aren’t paid enough, or if I should go to the school and have a little tête-à-tête with said “computer class” teacher and explain to her why having the young skulls full of mush check spelling in Google is a horrible idea.

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