from difflib import get_close_matches
 
def get_target_match(target, targets):
    '''
    Approximates a match for a target from a sequence of targets,
    if a match exists.
    '''
 
    matches = get_close_matches(target, targets)
    print target, targets
    print matches
    return matches and matches[0] or None
 
target = 'z'
targets = ['Joe', 'Bob', 'zombie', 'Susan', 'kobold', 'Bill']
match = get_target_match(target, targets)
print "Going nom on %s" % match

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