# Install nuspell with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Fast and safe spellchecking C++ library. Version 5.1.7 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:nuspell ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install nuspell ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install nuspell ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/nuspell/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add nuspell ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nuspell from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libnuspell-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libnuspell-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install mingw32-nuspell ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mingw32-nuspell from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#nuspell ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/nu/nuspell/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S nuspell ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: nuspell from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install libnuspell5 ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libnuspell5 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:nuspell - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.1.7 - **Source summary:** Fast and safe spellchecking C++ library - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - nuspell (cli) - nuspell (alias) ## Dependencies - icu4c@78 ## Build dependencies - cmake - doxygen - pandoc ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 5.1.7 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/nuspell/nuspell - Upstream latest detected: v5.1.7 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage Nuspell is a modern C++ spell-checking library and command-line tool designed as a safer, faster, more maintainable successor in the Hunspell/MySpell lineage while retaining compatibility with Hunspell dictionaries. ### Project history The Nuspell site and FOSDEM materials place the project in the long spell-checker line from spell, ispell, aspell, MySpell, and Hunspell. Mozilla Open Source Support funded the pure C++ rewrite in 2017 and 2018 for Nuspell 2.0, then funded base functionality and integration work in 2019 and 2020 for Nuspell 3.0. The GitHub release API shows v2.0.0 published on November 22, 2018 and v3.0.0 on November 23, 2019. ### Adoption history Nuspell's adoption story is less about replacing every installed Hunspell binary and more about being a compatible library that can reuse the enormous pool of Hunspell dictionaries. Its homepage points users to language packs from LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, Ubuntu, and Debian, and says Nuspell itself does not ship dictionaries. ### How it is used Practical use is either `nuspell` as a CLI spell checker or libnuspell embedded in editors, document tools, and language-processing applications. Its headline features for package maintainers are Hunspell dictionary compatibility, ICU-backed Unicode, complex morphology and compounding support, personal dictionaries, and performance claims up to 3.5 times faster than Hunspell. ### Why package nerds care Nuspell is a packaging bridge: it wants to modernize the implementation while preserving the old dictionary ecosystem. That makes the dependency graph more interesting than the install count suggests; Homebrew listed 149 installs over 365 days on July 1, 2026, but the library's value is mostly in downstream applications and dictionary compatibility. ### Timeline - 2017-2018: Mozilla Open Source Support funds the pure C++ Nuspell 2.0 rewrite. - 2018-11-22: GitHub release v2.0.0 is published. - 2019-2020: MOSS funds base functionality and integration for Nuspell 3.0. - 2019-11-23: GitHub release v3.0.0 is published. - 2025-11-25: GitHub release v5.1.7 is published. ### Related projects - Hunspell - MySpell - Aspell - Ispell - Enchant - LibreOffice - Firefox - Thunderbird ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** nuspell - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libnuspell-dev - 5.1.6-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnuspell-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | spell checker (development) | http://nuspell.github.io/ - Debian apt - libnuspell5 - 5.1.6-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnuspell5 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | spell checker (shared library) | http://nuspell.github.io/ - Debian apt - nuspell - 5.1.6-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: nuspell from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | spell checker (program) | http://nuspell.github.io/ - Nix - nuspell: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/nu/nuspell/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libnuspell-dev - 5.1.4-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnuspell-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | spell checker (development) | http://nuspell.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - libnuspell5 - 5.1.4-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnuspell5 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | spell checker (shared library) | http://nuspell.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - nuspell - 5.1.4-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: nuspell from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | spell checker (program) | http://nuspell.github.io/ - apk - nuspell - 5.1.7-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nuspell from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Free and open source C++ spell checking library | https://nuspell.github.io/ - apk - nuspell-dev - 5.1.7-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nuspell-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Free and open source C++ spell checking library (development files) | https://nuspell.github.io/ - apk - nuspell-doc - 5.1.7-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nuspell-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Free and open source C++ spell checking library (documentation) | https://nuspell.github.io/ - apk - nuspell-libs - 5.1.7-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nuspell-libs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Free and open source C++ spell checking library (libraries) | https://nuspell.github.io/ - dnf - mingw32-nuspell - 5.1.7-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mingw32-nuspell from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | MinGW Windows nuspell library | https://nuspell.github.io - dnf - mingw64-nuspell - 5.1.7-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mingw64-nuspell from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | MinGW Windows nuspell library | https://nuspell.github.io - dnf - nuspell - 5.1.7-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nuspell from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Fast and safe spellchecking C++ library and command-line tool | https://nuspell.github.io - dnf - nuspell-devel - 5.1.7-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nuspell-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development tools for nuspell | https://nuspell.github.io - pacman - nuspell - 5.1.7-2: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: nuspell from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Fast and safe spellchecking C++ library | https://nuspell.github.io/ ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Productivity CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/productivity-cli-packages/) - Matched curated productivity category metadata from av.db. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [doxygen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/doxygen/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pandoc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pandoc/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [aspell](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aspell/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, spell-checker, spell-checking. - [hspell](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hspell/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, spell-checker, spell-checking. - [ispell](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ispell/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, spell-checker, spell-checking. - [languagetool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/languagetool/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, spell-checker. - [libcdr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libcdr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, productivity. - [libchewing](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libchewing/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, productivity. - [liblouis](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/liblouis/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, productivity. - [libmspub](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libmspub/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, productivity. - [sile](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sile/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, icu4c, icu4c-78, productivity. - [librime](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/librime/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: c-plus-plus, cli, plus, productivity. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/nuspell.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/nuspell.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph