Exact Match Search - town name must match letter for letter.

D-M Soundex Search* - If you are not familiar with the correct, contemporary spelling of the town name, try using the Daitch-Mokotoff soundex option which will provide a list of towns whose names sound like the name of the town you are seeking. For example, "SZCZUCIN", "SZCZECIN" and "SHCHUCHIN" would all be offered as search option if you enter the town name as "SZCZECIN".

Begins With Search - displays a list of all towns that begin with the entered letter combination (minimum of first three letters). For example, a search of BREST may return a list that includes BREST, BREST DISTRICT, BREST GMINA, BREST POVIAT, BREST REGION and BREST UEZD.

Note - even if you know the correct contemporary spelling of your ancestral town name, it is strongly recommended that you do a "Begins With Search" in order to identify additional documents recorded on region or district levels.

* The Daitch-Mokotoff soundex algorithm has been used courtesy of Randy
Daitch and Gary Mokotoff.

Web implementation of the algorithm © Copyright 2002, Michael Tobias.