Using the Spelling & Grammar Checker

Microsoft Word will scan your document for misspelled words. If/When Microsoft Word encounters a word that is not in its dictionary, the Spelling dialog box will be displayed. The misspelled word will be displayed in the dialog box and also highlighted in the text. In addition, a list of alternative spellings is also displayed.

To initiate a spell check:

choose Tools Spelling and Grammar …
or click on the <Spelling and Grammar> buttonon the Standard Toolbar (in Word 2001, this button is visible by click on the “More Buttons” arrow at the right of the toolbar)

Here are the key points to successfully perform a spell check:

Microsoft Word will stop when it finds a word that is misspelled. The Spelling and Grammar Dialog Box will be displayed. The sentence (or a portion thereof) containing the misspelled word will be displayed in the [Not in Dictionary] window at the top of the box; the misspelled word will be in red. Suggested correct spellings will be displayed in the [Suggestions] window.

Correcting a misspelled word
- select the correct word from the list
- or select the misspelled word in the [Not in Dictionary] window and type in the correct spelling
- clickor
  - The result of clickingis that Microsoft Word will replace just this instance of the misspelled word with the correction and then resume the spell check
  - The result of clickingis that Microsoft Word will replace every instance of the same misspelling as it continues the spell check
Skipping over a correctly spelled word
- if the “misspelled” word is actually correctly spelled (a proper name, for example), click
- if you wish to have Microsoft Word ignore every instance of the correctly spelled word, click instead
Adding words to the dictionary
- if you will regularly use a word that is not in Microsoft Word's dictionary you may add it to the dictionary by clicking

Repeated Words

As the spell check proceeds, Microsoft Word stop if it finds two identical words in a row. The sentence (or a portion thereof) containing the repeated word will be displayed in the [Repeated Word] window at the top of the box; the second (“Repeated Word”) word will be in red. Proceed as follows

to tell Microsoft Word to disregard the double word, click
to delete the second word click

Spell Checking Selected Text Only

You may also check the spelling of a word, phrase, sentence(s), paragraph(s):

select the word, phrase, sentence(s), paragraph(s)
initiate the spell check as described above
Microsoft Word will spell check only the selected text (with all of the options described above)
and then ask if you wish to continue to spell check the entire document

Now this is important!

Word processing dictionaries are good, most contain in excess of 100,000 words, but the process of performing a spell check cannot replace good, old fashioned proofreading. For example, what will Microsoft Word (or any word processing spell checker) do to these sentences? Do either of these sentences contain a spelling error? Or is there an error in context?

Two many human feet have compacted the earth on this trail

The whether outside today is miserable.

Grammar Check

By default, Microsoft Word will simultaneously check both spelling and grammar. If you do not want to have Microsoft Word perform a grammar check, look in the lower left of the dialog box and “uncheck” this box

Other Options

Click thebutton and review the many settings for the spelling and grammar checker. Don't want Microsoft Word to stop and check your spelling as you type? Don't want grammar checking to be “on” by default? These are the kinds of things that can be set in the dialog box that appears when you click this button.