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What is SOUNDEX? A SOUNDEX Converter
Language is an ever-changing thing. The same word can easily be spelled in many different ways - and this is especially true with names. You could have a family that chooses to spell their name SMITH or SMYTH or SMYTHE or SMITHE, or that chooses to spell it one way but is recorded by poll-takers in another way by accident. If the speaker has a heavy accent, it's even more difficult to figure out what the proper spelling should be.
This is where SOUNDEX comes in. By the time the 1880 US Census rolled around, the government had dealt with this issue of multi-spelling for names for years and wanted a way around it. The answer was to tag every name with a SOUNDEX code.
So for example, if someone was named SMITH, they would be tagged with SOUNDEX code S530. So would people with the names SMYTH, SMYTHE, SMITHE and so on. That way, if a genealogist was looking for the "Smith Family", they could look by the SOUNDEX code and know that they've probably found all Smiths in the system, even if the polltaker or individual chose to spell it one way or another.
Be sure to learn the SOUNDEX code for any surname you are researching - it can definitely help you track down any missing links!
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Note - Lisa Shea wrote this content for the genealogy site at BellaOnline.com - you might still find this content there as well. That's fine :) I gave permission!
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