Last modified: Jun 03, 2025 By Alexander Williams
Install Python-Levenshtein via pip and Build Tools
Python-Levenshtein is a library for calculating string similarity. It is useful for fuzzy string matching. This guide will help you install it easily.
Table Of Contents
Prerequisites
Before installing Python-Levenshtein, ensure you have Python and pip installed. You also need build tools for compiling the package.
Check Python version:
python --version
Check pip version:
pip --version
Install Build Tools
Python-Levenshtein requires build tools for compilation. On Windows, install Visual Studio Build Tools. On Linux/macOS, install gcc
and make
.
For Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt-get install build-essential
For macOS:
xcode-select --install
Install Python-Levenshtein
Use pip
to install Python-Levenshtein. Run the following command:
pip install python-Levenshtein
If you encounter errors, ensure build tools are installed. For more Python package installations, check Install Flask-SQLAlchemy in Python.
Verify Installation
After installation, verify it works. Open a Python shell and import the library:
import Levenshtein
print(Levenshtein.distance("hello", "world"))
Output:
4
Troubleshooting
If installation fails, check the error message. Common issues include missing build tools or permissions. Use sudo
on Linux/macOS if needed.
For permission issues, try:
pip install --user python-Levenshtein
For other Python setups, see How to Install WTForms in Python.
Conclusion
Installing Python-Levenshtein is simple with pip and build tools. It enables efficient string matching in Python. For more libraries, check Install Pytest-mock for Python Testing.
Now you can use Python-Levenshtein for your projects. Happy coding!