1. A method using a digital data processing means for locating from a plurality of digital coded candidate words at least one candidate word which is both an acceptable misspelling and an acceptable inflection of a digital coded query word, the candidate and query words each comprising plural characters, the method comprising the steps of: determining characters forming a stem portion and an ending portion of such query word; forming a suffix class indication for any one of a plurality of classes in which the query word may be included; comparing the characters forming the stem portion with characters starting at the beginning of each of a plurality of such candidate words for finding candidate words having acceptable misspelling matches and those with nonacceptable misspelling matches; determining characters forming an ending portion, if any, in each of individual ones of the candidate words; utilizing the suffix class indication to select, from among other suffixes, a representation of characters forming at least one acceptable suffix for the candidate words; and comparing, character by character, the characters of said at least one acceptable suffix with the characters in the ending portion of each of individual ones of the candidate words for finding candidate words having acceptable ending portions; the first and second recited steps of comparing thereby locating the candidate words which are both an acceptable misspelling match and an acceptable inflection of the query word.
1. A method using a digital data processing means for locating from a plurality of digital coded candidate words at least one candidate word which is both an acceptable misspelling and an acceptable inflection of a digital coded query word, the candidate and query words each comprising plural characters, the method comprising the steps of: determining characters forming a stem portion and an ending portion of such query word; forming a suffix class indication for any one of a plurality of classes in which the query word may be included; comparing the characters forming the stem portion with characters starting at the beginning of each of a plurality of such candidate words for finding candidate words having acceptable misspelling matches and those with nonacceptable misspelling matches; determining characters forming an ending portion, if any, in each of individual ones of the candidate words; utilizing the suffix class indication to select, from among other suffixes, a representation of characters forming at least one acceptable suffix for the candidate words; and comparing, character by character, the characters of said at least one acceptable suffix with the characters in the ending portion of each of individual ones of the candidate words for finding candidate words having acceptable ending portions; the first and second recited steps of comparing thereby locating the candidate words which are both an acceptable misspelling match and an acceptable inflection of the query word. 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the characters forming the determined query word stem portion for acceptable misspelling matches comprises the additional step of forming a match class indication representing one of a plurality of classes in which each of the acceptable misspelling matches may be included; and wherein the step of determining characters forming an ending portion comprises the additional step of utilizing the acceptable match class indication for each of individual candidate words to determine the position of an ending portion in each of individual candidate words.