Spell Check in IOS with or without bluetooth Keyboard

By Shade, 3 December, 2014

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

I have a Ipad Air, less than two months old, and a Iphone 5S, also less than two months old. I use a Zagg bluetooth keyboard case for the Ipad.

I am learning my first screenreader in VoiceOver.

As a writer, it is vital that I can spell check documents. However, I cannot figure out how to spell check with VoiceOver on.

I've followed guidelines in several sets of documents. If I purposely type a mispelled word - there are not three beeps. There is no sound. There is no notice of the mispelled word. If I delete back to the mispelled word, there are no words on the screen, and no mention of a spelling error. A red line is visually visible. Not emntioned by VoiceOver. Flicking on the screen, per one post, usually tosses it out of the text field, and it looses its place.

Here is what it is on:
Under keyboard:
Auto -Capitalize,
Auto - Correct,
Check Spelling,
Predictive Text,
Split Keyboard,
(.) Shoertcut

Under VoiceOver:
Direct Touch Typing,
Characters and Phonetics,
Characters and Words,
Speak Notifications,
Speak Hints.

I have tried turning a few of these off with no result. There is no beep or other vocal notification that a word is mispelled, and no menu to choose a correct spelling. I always mispell words like "tommorrow", and I need way to find the correct spelling, since I cannot see, or hear, the error.

Please help! I need to be able to use pages, and send coherent messages from my Ipad and Iphone.

Options

Comments

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - 23:26

Pages is unfortunately not totally accessible as voiceover does not report any spelling mistakes. I have spoken to various reps, and a year later, no fix. So you will not be able to spell check with pages using ios.

However, Microsoft Word is on IOS as well and is completely accessible. You will have no problem with spell check and hearing notification that you have spelled words incorrectly. Everything is ok on Microsoft Word for IOS which you can get on your iPad and iPhone. I realize you want to use Pages properly with spell check, but until they fix the bug, there is no way to utilize the spell check feature.

By TechTVI on Saturday, January 24, 2015 - 23:26

Could you please explain how to use spell check in the Word app for iOS when VO is running? I have not been able to do this. When VO is off, I can hold my finger on the misspelled word and and then choose "select" from the menu and then suggested spellings appear. However, when VO is on, I can select the word using the rotor, but no menu of suggested spellings appears. Please advise how you are able to spell check in Word app for iOS when VO is on.
Thank you!

By Rowena on Friday, April 24, 2015 - 23:26

I, too, use Pages quite a bit to write novels and articles. I have found that spell check also does not work in iMessages, or when composing mail messages. This is very frustrating and makes us look unprofessional. I really wish Apple would get their stuff together and fix this very embarrassing bug. In my opinion, this is not a small glitch, it is a blatent oversight of a feature that is imperative to all users, included those who rely on VoiceOver to be productive.

By peter on Friday, April 24, 2015 - 23:26

I too have had the same frustration - i.e., not being able to spell check when using a Bluetooth keyboard and VoiceOver.

I did find a workaround that seems to work.

There is a key on my Bluetooth keyboard (in the upper right), that when pressed will show the virtual keyboard on my iPhone when a Bluetooth keyboard is connected.

With the virtual keyboard visible, I can navigate through the document with my Bluetooth keyboard and mis-spelled words are announced by VoiceOver. I can then find spelling suggestions by touching the top of the virtual keyboard and select which replacement word I want.

This is a bit of a strange workaround, but it seems to make it possible to spell check when using a Bluetooth keyboard with VoiceOver running.

Unfortunately I don't know the name of the key that, when pressed, brings up the virtual keyboard even when a Bluetooth keyboard is connected. This key seems to toggle the virtual keyboard on and off. As I said, this key is located on the top row on the far right.

Maybe someone else has some more information on this.

--Pete

By MarkSarch on Friday, April 24, 2015 - 23:26

Hi First let me start saying that Spell check works fine not matter which iOS version you are running.
Rowena always use iMessages and emails and I don't have problems it all unfortunally can't say about numbers cause don't use on the iPhone.
I created a podcast few years ago on this forum and up today apply the same voiceOver gestures
if you are familiar using voiceOver gestures will understand very easy and fast.
when wrote a word voiceOver after hit spacebar announce to you {misspell}
Look and hit on delete key just once
voiceOver will announce Menu item together with some suggestion or to be more clear may be the First suggestion .from the list, some times will give 3 possible suggestions.
If the first suggestion is the correct use double tap using one finger to select follow for spacebar.
Use {flick or swipe} gesture to navegate through the suggestion list.
Flick left move backward
Flick right move forward
double tap select the action follow for spacebar
listen the next demo on the link below:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dlk4vzon5g2ghly/demo%20.mp3?dl=0