python - How to return the most similar word from a list of words? -

how create function returns similar word list of words, if word not same?

the function should have 2 inputs: 1 word , other list. function should return word similar word.

lst = ['apple','app','banana store','pear','beer']  func('apple inc.',lst) >>'apple' func('banana',lst) >>'banana store' 

from doing research, seems have use concepts of fuzzy string matching, nltk, , levenshtein-distance, i'm having hard time trying implement in creating function this.

i should point out similar, mean characters , i'm not concerned meaning of word @ all.

slow solution debugging:

def func(word, lst):   items = sorted((dist(word, w), w) w in lst)   # print items here debugging.   if not items:      raise valueerror('list of words empty.')   return items[0][1] 

or, faster , uses less memory:

def func(word, lst):   return min((dist(word, w), w) w in lst)[1] 

see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/682367/good-python-modules-for-fuzzy-string-comparison implementing dist. 1 of answers has link levenshtein-distance implementation.