Ancestry, FamilySearch, and other sites allow users to perform “unexact” searches. Sometimes it is clear how these unexact searches work and sometimes it is not. They often give results for names that sound like the name entered in the search box, names that mean the same thing, names that are similar, etc.

But sometimes changing just one letter can change the unexact results. Try it and see. A search for the last name of Ichner and Ischner on FamilySearch gives different results when the “match name exactly” box is unchecked.

Always experiment with different spellings, particularly if you are uncertain of what might happen.

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