---
title: About
---

# About

CSpell started out as an extension for [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/): [Code Spell Checker - Visual Studio Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker).
When we started using VS Code, it did not have a spell checker. As a person that has trouble with spelling, I found this to be a great hindrance, thus the extension was born.
At the suggestion of users, `cspell` was pulled out of the extension and into its own library and command line tools.

## Goals

The goal was to have a fast spell checker that could check spelling as you type.

-   Fast - check as you type
-   Self-contained - a pure JS implementation - does not need external binaries or to talk to a web service.
-   Compact - the size of the spell checker should not be much bigger than the comparable Hunspell dictionary.
-   Configurable - much of CSpell is configured through `cspell.json` files.
-   Custom Dictionaries - custom dictionaries can be easily added and used.

## Supporting Development

-   Become a [<img src="https://github.githubassets.com/images/modules/site/icons/funding_platforms/patreon.svg" width="16" height="16" alt="Patreon"/>Patreon!](https://patreon.com/streetsidesoftware)
-   [Support through ![PayPal](./assets/paypal.png)](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=26LNBP2Q6MKCY)

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