Re: Soundex?

[Alexia Prendergast <alexiap -at- SEAGATESOFTWARE -dot- COM>]

Soundex indices have been around for a long time -- the US Federal
government has done Soundex indices for census records from 1880-1920.
Soundex is a coding system that accounts for similarities in the
phonetic sound of names, regardless of spelling irregularities. (If you
do any genealogy, understanding Soundex is a must.)

How to code your surname:

this code
represents the letter:
1 b,p,f,v
2 c,s,k,g,j,q,x,z
3 d,t
4 l
5 m, n
6 r

Using the above referenced coding system, one would take the name
STEVENSON
1. Write down the first letter of the surname - S
2. Cross out all vowels, and you are left with - tvnsn
3. You will need three numbers after the S for the complete code. Merely
work through the list of
remaining consonants (eliminating duplicate letters) until you fill up
the three positions. You would get S325.

S325 is the Soundex code for Stevenson, and any name with similar
letters/sounds.

From what I understand, all Soundex-based applications use these
principles to search for words.

A.
--
Alexia Prendergast
Tech Pubs Manager
Seagate Software (Durham, NC, USA)
mailto:alexiap -at- seagatesoftware -dot- com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: BAKER.D.M- [SMTP:BAKER -dot- D -dot- M- -at- POSTAL -dot- ESSD -dot- NORTHGRUM -dot- COM]
> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 1997 8:41 AM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Re: Soundex?
>
>      David,
>
>      My understanding of Soundex is a search conducted in a "sounds
> like"
>      mode.  I believe "Soundex" is Enigma's terminology.
>
>      Donna
>
> ~~
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>

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