Video Link: https://youtu.be/gxQXJwUInKo
Automated Spelling and Grammar Checks
Microsoft Word’s built-in spelling and grammar tools are your first line of defense against errors. They work automatically as you type, providing real-time feedback on potential mistakes.
A red wavy underline indicates a potential spelling mistake. This is Word telling you, “Hey, I don’t recognize this word, so it might be spelled incorrectly.” To fix this, simply right-click the underlined word. A menu will appear with a list of suggested corrections. If you see the correct spelling, click on it, and Word will instantly make the change. If the word is spelled correctly—perhaps it’s a proper noun, a scientific term, or a foreign word—you have a few other options. You can choose to ‘Ignore All’ to stop Word from flagging it in the document, or you can select ‘Add to Dictionary’ to teach Word that this is a word you use and that it is spelled correctly [00:31].
For words you frequently misspell, the ‘Add to Autocorrect’ feature is a great time-saver [01:31]. By adding a word to Autocorrect, Word will automatically fix the mistake as soon as you type it. This is particularly useful for common typing errors.
A blue wavy underline indicates a potential grammar mistake. These can range from a simple punctuation error to a more complex sentence structure problem. To address a grammar error, right-click the underlined phrase. Word will provide suggestions for improvement [03:39]. However, it is important to remember that the grammar checker is not perfect. It may occasionally flag a correct sentence as an error, so always use your best judgment and consider the context of your writing. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to read through your document manually to catch anything the automatic checker might have missed [04:41].
The Comprehensive Review: Manual Checks
While the automatic check is very helpful, you can also run a comprehensive check of your entire document at any time. This is especially useful for a final proofread. To do this, navigate to the ‘Review’ tab in the ribbon and click on the ‘Spelling & Grammar’ button.
This will open a pane on the side of your document, guiding you through each potential error one by one. This feature provides a focused way to review and correct all the mistakes that Word has identified. It will first show you all the spelling errors, then all the grammatical errors, allowing you to systematically check and fix your work.
Using the Thesaurus to Improve Your Vocabulary
To make your writing more interesting and professional, you can use Word’s built-in thesaurus. The thesaurus helps you find synonyms for words, which can help you avoid repetition and add variety to your vocabulary.
To use the thesaurus, right-click on a word you want to change. In the menu that appears, hover over the ‘Synonyms’ option, and Word will show you a list of alternative words [06:51]. You can also open a dedicated thesaurus pane by going to the ‘Review’ tab and clicking on the ‘Thesaurus’ button. This pane will give you a more detailed list of synonyms and related words, helping you find the perfect word to fit your context.
By consistently utilizing these proofreading tools—the automatic checks, the manual review, and the thesaurus—you can ensure your documents are not only free of errors but also well-written and engaging for your audience.
The Microsoft Word Proofreading Guide: Polishing Your Documents was originally found on Access 2 Learn
