The Maltese language is going to get its very own online spell checker! But like most good things, it’s not cheap, setting back the government a massive €8 million.

Unveiled in this year’s budget, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo has long called for its introduction, first speaking about it in Parliament in 2016, before confronting the Prime Minister about the issue in April 2019.

While certainly expensive, the government feels that it is simply unrealistic for there to be no viable online spell-checker for the language, especially when internet use continues to grow at a rapid rate.

Ultimately, the lack of a digital presence can only lead to one thing, the complete extinction of Maltese on the web.  Maltese spell-checker, the government hopes, will prove to be an indispensable tool to encourage more people to use their native tongue online.

The lack of a spell check has also led to growing misuse of the Maltese language (as any quick look on Facebook can prove). With young people now ever-present on the web, the government also feels it’s imperative to provide the service.

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