---
name: "enchant-2"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "enchant"
version: "2.8.21-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/enchant-2"
---

# enchant-2(1)

a spellchecker

## NAME

Enchant - a spellchecker

## SYNOPSIS

**enchant-2** **-a**\|**-l**\|**-h**\|**-v** \[**-L**\] \[**-d** *DICTIONARY*\] \[*FILE*\]\

## DESCRIPTION

**Enchant** is an Ispell-compatible spellchecker. Note that unlike Ispell, it does not have an interactive mode; it is designed to be used by other programs. Enchant requires its input to be UTF-8.

- **-d** *DICTIONARY*

  use the given dictionary

- **-p** *WORDLIST*

  use the given personal wordlist

- **-a**

  list suggestions in Ispell pipe mode format

- **-l**

  list only the misspellings

- **-L**

  display line numbers

- **-h**

  display help and exit

- **-v**

  display version information and exit

## ISPELL COMPATIBILITY

**Enchant** does not implement the following Ispell commands and command-line options. They are all accepted, but ignored, and have no effect.

- **-m**

  - **-B**

  - **-C**

  - **+**

  Enter TeX mode

- **-**

  Enter nroff mode (the default)

- **~**

  Set parameters based on file name

- **\`**

  Enter verbose-correction mode

## FILES AND DIRECTORIES

See [**enchant**(5)](/enchant/5.md) for details of configuration files and personal word lists.

## SEE ALSO

[**enchant**(5)](/enchant/5.md), [**aspell**(1)](/aspell/1.md), [**enchant-lsmod-2**(1)](/enchant-lsmod-2/1.md)

## AUTHOR

Written by Dom Lachowicz and Reuben Thomas.