# Suggest query issue
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/suggest-query-issue/364514
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [August 7, 2024, 6:38am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/suggest-query-issue/364514 "2024-08-07T06:38:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jahedi](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jahedi)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2024, 6:38am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/suggest-query-issue/364514/1 "2024-08-07T06:38:13Z")
Hi,
I am using Suggest query for a Did-you-mean functionality based on this tutorial [Create a simple “did you mean” — ElasticSearch](https://medium.com/@andre.luiz1987/create-a-simple-did-you-mean-elasticsearch-9f0c0460a1b5) but there is an issue.
If a typo happens in the middle of a word, the suggest query returns relative phrases and it's fine but if the typo happens in the beginning of a word, It mostly shows irrelative options or shows no options.
for example consider this
typeo is in the middle of the word, `linox` instead of `linux`
```auto
GET my_index/_search
{
"suggest": {
"text": "linox",
"did_you_mean": {
"phrase": {
"field": "title.suggest",
"size": 5,
"confidence": 1,
"max_errors":2,
"collate": {
"query": {
"source" : {
"match": {
"{{field_name}}": {
"query": "{{suggestion}}",
"operator": "and"
}
}
}
},
"params": {"field_name" : "title"},
"prune" :false
}
}
}
}
}
```
and It returns reletive options:
```auto
{
"took": 8,
"timed_out": false,
"_shards": {
"total": 1,
"successful": 1,
"skipped": 0,
"failed": 0
},
"hits": {
"total": {
"value": 0,
"relation": "eq"
},
"max_score": null,
"hits": []
},
"suggest": {
"did_you_mean": [
{
"text": "linox",
"offset": 0,
"length": 5,
"options": [
{
"text": "linux",
"score": 0.019855337
},
{
"text": "link",
"score": 0.0065617864
}
]
}
]
}
}
```
But the problem is when the typo is at the first of the word. consider this:
`Iinux` (starting with capital i)
```auto
GET my_index/_search
{
"suggest": {
"text": "Iinux",
"did_you_mean": {
"phrase": {
"field": "title.suggest",
"size": 5,
"confidence": 1,
"max_errors":2,
"collate": {
"query": {
"source" : {
"match": {
"{{field_name}}": {
"query": "{{suggestion}}",
"operator": "and"
}
}
}
},
"params": {"field_name" : "title"},
"prune" :false
}
}
}
}
}
```
and the output is empty:
```auto
{
"took": 3,
"timed_out": false,
"_shards": {
"total": 1,
"successful": 1,
"skipped": 0,
"failed": 0
},
"hits": {
"total": {
"value": 0,
"relation": "eq"
},
"max_score": null,
"hits": []
},
"suggest": {
"did_you_mean": [
{
"text": "Iinox",
"offset": 0,
"length": 5,
"options": []
}
]
}
}
```
Both words `Iinux` and `linox` only have once character mistake and both are really similar to `linux`.
Why Suggest query has this behavior and how can i fix this issue?
Thanks in advance.
---
### Author:  [@RabBit\_BR](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/RabBit_BR)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/suggest-query-issue/364514/2 "2024-08-07T12:57:46Z")
Hi @jahedi
Change this **prefix\_length** property to 0.
Doc:
> `prefix_length` The number of minimal prefix characters that must match in order be a candidate suggestions. Defaults to 1. Increasing this number improves spellcheck performance. Usually misspellings don’t occur in the beginning of terms.
> **[Suggesters | Elasticsearch Guide \[7.17\] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.17/search-suggesters.html#_direct_generators)**
```auto
"phrase": {
"field": "title.suggest",
"size": 5,
"confidence": 1,
"direct_generator": [
{
"field": "title.suggest",
"prefix_length": 0. <<<<-------
}
],
```
---
### Author:  [@jahedi](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jahedi)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2024, 1:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/suggest-query-issue/364514/3 "2024-08-07T13:05:16Z")
Thank you so much