A method and apparatus for generating a list of candidate alternative spellings is provided. Among a plurality of files, a first file, which contains a link that indicates a user-entered spelling, is found. The link links to a second file. A second spelling, which is spelled similarly to, but not exactly the same as, the first spelling, is located within the second file. The second spelling is added to a list of candidate alternative spellings of the first spelling. The second spelling does not need to be contained in any result field (e.g., title, abstract, or URL) that is associated with the second file.