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Microsoft Word - How to Spell Check in Word

Microsoft Word Spellcheck

Nobody writes perfectly. No matter how short a document is, there is almost certainly going to be a spelling error somewhere in it.

In this tutorial we'll walk through the process of spellchecking a document written with the Microsoft Word application.

Getting a Document to Check

Below is a couple paragraph's from Homer's Odyssey, with a few spelling errors added in. Copy & paste this into a new Microsoft Word document.

"May it be evn so," answered Penelope; "if your words come true, you shall have such gifts and such good will from me that all who see you shall congratulate you." Thus did they converse. Meanwhile the suitors were throwing discs, or aiming with spears at a mark on the levelled ground in front of the house, and behaving with all their old insolence. But when it was now time for dinner, and the flock of sheep and goats had come into the town from all the country round, with their shepherds as usual, then Medon, who was their favorit servant, and who waited upon them at table, said, "Now then, my yong masters, you have had enough sport, so come inside that we may get dinner ready. Dinner is not a bad thing, at dinner time."

This may not be pasted into your Word document with perfect formatting, but that is not important: We can check the spelling anyway.

Running the Spellcheck
  1. Click on the Tools menu.
  2. Click on the Spelling and Grammar item. Tip: You can start spellchecking by pressing F7 or clicking the ABC icon: icon_spellcheck.gif 
  3. Here's an image of the Spelling and Grammar dialog: 
    dialog_spellcheck.gif

    The Spelling and Grammar dialog. Notice that we have an error: The word in red, "evn" is not known to Word.
  4. We should correct this error. The word was obviously meant to be "even" instead of "evn". Click on the right word ("even") in the Suggestions box.
  5. Click the Change button: button_change.gif This will correct the word.
  6. There are more errors: Word does not know what "Medon" is. Medon is a name, and it does not need corrections, because it is spelled right. Click the Ignore button: button_ignore.gif. This will tell Word that it should not be corrected. Tip: you can press the Ignore All button to tell Word that it should not try to correct the word "Medon" if it occurs again in that document.
  7. There are more errors. If you feel you need practice, correct them too.
  8. When your document has been checked, you will see a dialog box saying: "The spelling check is complete."
 
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