Now uses sockets.

Here is the COM version in case you care. Same syntax and all:

alias spellcheck { 
  if ($1) && ($1 isalpha) { 
    if (!$comerr) { 
      if ($com(spellcheck)) .comclose spellcheck
      .comopen spellcheck Word.Application
      .echo -q $com(spellcheck,CheckSpelling,1,string,$1) 
      return $com(spellcheck).result
    }
  }
  var %e = .echo -ac info * $!spellcheck:
  if (!$1) %e no parameters
  elseif ($1 !isalpha) %e insufficient parameters
  halt
}