sic

Connect to the default host (irc.ofct.net) with the nickname set in the $USER environment variable

$ sic

$ sic -h [host] -n [nickname]

$ sic -h [host] -n [nickname] -k [password]

$ :j #[channel]<Enter>

$ :m #[channel|user]<Enter>

$ :s #[channel|user]<Enter>

sic [options] [file]

-a
    Add the word to the personal dictionary.

-d dictionary
    Use the specified dictionary file.

-e
    Edit the word manually.

-s
    Suggest possible corrections. This is the default behavior.

file
    Optional input file to check. If omitted, reads from standard input.

The sic command is an interactive spelling checker designed to be used inline with text editors or other applications. Unlike traditional spell checkers that operate on entire files, sic examines one word at a time, presenting the user with potential corrections and allowing them to replace the misspelled word, accept it as correct (adding it to a personal dictionary if desired), or manually edit the word. Sic is particularly useful for checking documents with technical terms or specialized vocabulary.

It reads from standard input, checks each word, and writes the corrected text to standard output. User interaction is required for each potential misspelling. The command offers a quick and efficient way to correct typing mistakes and improve document accuracy directly within a terminal or editor environment.

Sic requires user interaction for each misspelled word, making it less suitable for automated batch processing. It also relies on the availability and quality of the dictionary file.

To check the spelling of a file named document.txt and interactively correct any errors:
sic document.txt

To check spelling from standard input, such as the output of another command:
cat document.txt | sic

The personal dictionary allows you to add words specific to your domain to avoid repeated prompting by sic. This can significantly improve the workflow when dealing with specialized terminology.

Sic appeared relatively early in the history of Unix-like systems, filling a niche for inline spelling correction. Its development focused on interactive usage within text-based environments where graphical interfaces were not prevalent. It was particularly useful before more advanced, integrated spell checking tools were common in text editors and word processors.

While its direct use might be less common in modern graphical environments due to integrated spell checkers, sic remains a valuable command-line tool for quick, interactive spelling checks and for integration into scripting workflows.

spell(1), aspell(1), hunspell(1)