Textual ambiguity may be a thing of the past if Apple adopts one of its newly-published patent applications, a system which will inform the person on the other end of the line when autocorrect has been at work.

The method disclosed within the patent is relatively simple: it highlights any words within a message which have been automatically corrected by the operating system. Apple currently does this only for the sender, and only in limited circumstances — after using dictation, iOS will use a blue underline to point out any words it was unsure about.

The rest of the time, words are simply changed. Combined with the input speed of a QWERTY keyboard and fact that most people don't review their messages after typing but before hitting send, this has resulted in some hilarious miscommunications.

Apple's new invention would fix this by essentially extending the current post-dictation model.

Recipients would be able to see that words were changed, but they would not be able to see the original. Instead, Apple hopes it will prompt them to ask for a clarification: whether they were to meet at four o'clock or the much more delicious but temporally unsuitable fudge o'clock.