Is there any commands to find data in Access which SOUNDS like the ones user want? (eg. if the user wants to choose 'lie', the words 'lay', 'lai', 'like' will be selected as well bcos it sounds almost like 'lie')

Access has no built in function that will do this. There is a common technique that you should be able to find info on. You will need to add a new column to the table to store the soundex code. The soundex algorithm removes vowels and dipthongs and produces a calculated replacement field. In theory, lay and lai will end up with the same soundex code.

Here's a link to a link: http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/ubb/Forum3/HTML/002280.html

[This message has been edited by Pat Hartman (edited 12-12-2001).]

pat h. is correct, access has no built-in function to do this.

further, the soundex algorithm was not designed to operate on a general vocabulary. it was designed to operate on surnames (many, many years ago).

it would appear you want a more general solution:

you wrote-----
(eg. if the user wants to choose 'lie', the words 'lay', 'lai', 'like' will be selected as well bcos it sounds almost like 'lie')
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you are asking for an "extremely heavy-duty" solution! this is way beyond an Access app. and something the big-time search engines would like to achieve.

if you don't understand terms like: morpheme and phoneme, you have way too much homework to do http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif

ex. 'ghoti' phonetically can yield 'fish' (apologies to G.B Shaw)

you can't cover all the possibilities or purchase a db to do this. it would be lots more cost effective to teach your users to spell.

hth,
al

(edited because i can't spel)

[This message has been edited by pcs (edited 12-12-2001).]