Section 3 - Using the Spell Checker

Using Spell Checker in Word XP and MAC Word 2004:
There are two ways to spell check your document.
Position your cursor at the beginning of the document and select one of these commands:

• Open the Tools menu and then select Spelling and Grammar...On a Macintosh simply select the Spelling… option. 

OR

• Click on the Spelling and Grammar button from the Standard Toolbar.



• The Spelling and Grammar: dialog box appears and Word begins spell and grammar checking.

Word XP




Using Spell Checker in Word 2007:

• Position your cursor at the beginning of the document.
• Click the Review tab and choose the Spelling and Grammar button from the Proofing group.

 

• The Spelling and Grammar dialog box will open and start checking for errors.

When spell checker finds a word that is not in its dictionary, the misspelled word is highlighted in red within the Not in Dictionary: section of the dialog box.  You may then choose one of the following options:

• Ignore -- If the word is spelled correctly, and you do not want to make changes to the word.
• Ignore all – If the word is spelled correctly and you want Word to ignore all cases of this word in the whole document.
• Add to Dictionary – Allows you to add the word to the Custom Dictionary.  (For example if you would like to add a name.)
• Change -- If the word is misspelled, In the Suggestions: section of the dialog box Word will give alternative spellings.  Select the correct spelling and click Change.
• Change all -- This option causes Word to change all instances of the misspelling in the document.
• Undo – Allows you to reverse the most recent spelling and grammar check actions, at one time.

 

NOTE: Word uses a dictionary installed with the program to check for misspelled words.  If a word is not in that dictionary, Word will assume it is misspelled.  Word does not check to see if homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently) have been used properly.  For example, if you type a sentence that says "Susan was not their."  Word's dictionary will not recognize that "their" is used improperly in this sentence only that "their" was spelled correctly.