Soundex Searches
-by Kathi Reid
What is the soundex? It codes together surnames that sound similar but have different spellings. Searching a database using a soundex search option is a way of doing a phoentic search. Searching for Johnson in a database with a soundex option will bring results that include Johnson, Johnsson, Johnsen, and more.
Even if you think your surname was always spelled the same way, some databases have errors and a soundex search is a way of expanding a search to also look for sound-alike names. Clerks may have written a name incorrectly or original documents may be faded or the handwriting difficult to read, all of which may lead to spelling errors in the database.
If you can't find a name in a database and there is a choice to do a soundex search, you can expand your search by using this option.
It's not a good idea to begin a database search with a soundex option as you will receive many more results than from a non-soundex search. A soundex search is best after being unsuccessful in a first search OR if you are unsure how to spell a name.
If you are using a genealogy search engine that allows a soundex search, use the chart below to understand what the search engine is doing. If you type in the surname Smith, you will get surname sound-a-likes with the same soundex code, in this case, Schmidt, Smyth, Smithe, Smithee, Schmitt, Smead, Smit, Sneed, Smoote and many other variations. Notice the vowel variations and the how "t" and "d" (both with the same soundex code of #3) are used interchangeably. Try typing each name in the
soundex converter and you will see that each name will have the same soundex code of S530.
Use the Soundex coding guide to help devise your own spelling variations of a surname for a genealogy search engine that does not have a soundex search. Use the code guide to substitute similar consonants to get sound alike names with alternate spellings. Even if you always believe your surname was spelled the same way, clerks sometimes used some interesting and creative spelling on official records. Spelling was more fluid in the 19th century and earlier, and the soundex coding guide may help you locate an ancestor whose name was misspelled.
Soundex Coding Guide:
- Soundex codes begin with the first letter of the surname followed by a three-digit code that represents the first three remaining consonants. Zeros will be added to names that do not have enough letters to be coded.
- Coding Guide (Consonants that sound alike have the same code)
1 - B,P,F,V
2 - C,S,G,J,K,Q,X,Z
3 - D,T
4 - L
5 - M,N
6 - R
- The letters A,E,I,O,U,Y,H, and W are not coded.
- Names with adjacent letters having the same equivalent number are coded as one letter with a single number.
The
Surname to Soundex Converter takes away the drudgery and possible mistakes of calculating the soundex code by hand.
Ancestry.com Search is an example of a search with a soundex option. In this database as with most, you must check the soundex box to receive a soundex search. Try searching for your surname both ways (with and without the soundex option), and see how by using the soundex option in your genealogy searches you now have a wider reach and a better chance of finding that elusive ancestor.
Hint #1:
Whenever you go to the library for lookups that have a soundex index, why not save yourself an extra step and use the Soundex calculator to code the numbers for each family surname before you go. Just draw up a written sheet with all the family surnames and the soundex equivalent beside it. To make it as easy as possible for yourself, put the names in alphabetical order leaving spaces for future additions. Once you are at the library, the soundex codes will be at your fingertips.
Hint #2:
If you are at the library and find a surname for which you need the soundex code, look up soundex calculator using the library's internet connection. Type in the easy to remember URL http://www.searchforancestors.com, and click on Soundex Converter in the yellow navigation bar. Or go directly to the
Soundex Converter.
Family Search, the Mormon database, uses soundex search for all searches unless you check the "Use Exact Spelling" box. Try searching for the same name with and without the "Use Exact Spelling" box checked to compare the results.
© Copyright 1997 - 2008 by Kathi Reid -- All Rights Reserved. This article may not be copied, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written permission from the author.
|
| Site Features
|
Learn
Online lessons to research your family ancestry and find your ancestors.
Share
Register your surnames and find out who else is researching the same family names.
Record
Genealogy software, forms, charts and templates.
Free Genealogy
Free genealogy resources: charts, lessons, software, databases, look ups, relationship charts, form letters, translation services.
Ancestry Free Trials
Free trials to Ancestry.com databases. Why pay when you can view for free?
|
|
|
