SUE'S COOK BOOK Recipe #4 USING THE SOUNDEX SYSTEM (in two parts) To find an individual name among the millions listed in certain census years (1880 and later), you will use an indexing and filing system called the Soundex (sometimes called Miracode). The Soundex is a coded surname index based on the way a surnamed sounds, rather than on the way it is spelled. Surnames that sound similar, even though they are spelled differently, are all filed together. That way, even if the name was misspelled on the census, you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. To search for a particular surname, you must first work out it's code. Every code consists of a letter followed by three numbers. The letter is always the first letter of the surname. The numbers are assigned according to the Soundex Coding Guide below. ****************************************************************************** ******************** SOUNDEX CODING GUIDE This number Represents these letters 1 B P F V 2 C S K G J Q X Z 3 D T 4 L 5 M N 6 R The letters A E I O U W Y H are DISREGARDED, EXCEPT when they are the first letter of the name. ****************************************************************************** ******************** Here are the basic steps for Soundex coding a surname. STEP 1 On line 1, write the surname you are coding. Slash out the letters A E I O U W Y H. For example: If you are coding the name JOHNSON, you would slash out the O's and the H. STEP 2 On line 2, write the first letter of the surname. After it, write the numbers, found on the Soundex Coding Guide, that represent the next 3 unslashed letters in the name. For example: The code for JOHNSON would be J525. To be continued...