Talk:Metaphone

Main problem with that algorithm
Well, the main problem with that algorithm is: there is no real sound of English with regard to writing (Phonem-to-graphem). Read or read, know or sew? Pretty tough to try such a language. --media_lib 16:52, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Another different usage of this word as I found in the OED is a free allophonic variant chosen in preference to another because regarded as more suitable to the type of speech used (tomahto, eyether, used in a given situation instead of the more customary pronunciations of tomato, either). Or in other words Either of two or more phonemes which are in free variation in particular words or in particular circumstances. Also: (in H. E. Palmer's terminology) a phoneme comprising more than one sound

I'm not a linguistician nor very well acquainted with the wikipedia editing, but maybe this usage should be at least indicated in the metaphone entry. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.94.188.17 (talk) 13:11, 14 October 2007 (UTC)

Review External Links
Some links in the 'Downloadable Implementations' section link to Double Metaphone, not the current article. This should be reviewed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.15.229.19 (talk) 02:18, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Source Code Availability
The Metaphone 3 section's final sentence seems irrelevant, and almost like an advertisement. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mikedominice (talk • contribs) 15:42, 19 December 2011 (UTC)
 * I don't see the problem. As of now, it appears to be a factual statement that Metaphone 3 is commercial software and a list of the languages in which it is officially implemented. SoledadKabocha (talk) 05:46, 19 September 2012 (UTC)


 * It does seem to be an advertisement. It should be removed. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.89.150.115 (talk) 07:13, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

Open source
The last sentence of the "Procedure" section begins "To implement Metaphone without purchasing an open source copy of Metaphone 3...", but I don't see how Metaphone 3 satisfies any common definition of open-source software. None of the references make such a claim, let alone name a specific open-source license. On the contrary, reference 6 (http://aspell.net/metaphone/ ) states that it is "not free software." (Admittedly, free and open-source are not exactly the same thing, and there could be some gratis versus libre confusion in this statement.)

Is it okay if I remove the "open source" wording? SoledadKabocha (talk) 05:46, 19 September 2012 (UTC)

What is metaphone used for?
This article doesn't say anything about what the algorithm could be (or has been) used for. It would be nice to include an explanation of what the "approximate phonetic representation" could be used for. Also, are there any notable usages that should be mentioned? Ethanmdavidson (talk) 23:21, 30 January 2022 (UTC)


 * I was wondering the same thing. What is something used for indexing words.... for? Why would you index the words? There must be some use for it, in order to be this complex and notable.