How to use Autocorrect in Microsoft Word

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Who might this blog post be useful for?: Autocorrect in Microsoft Word may be useful for people with literacy difficulties who aren’t eligible for funding for Global Autocorrect.

What study skills challenges can this app help you overcome?: Problems with spelling, long periods of time wasted proof-reading text for spelling errors.

What is the tool or study skills strategy?: Autocorrect features in Microsoft Word.

Microsoft is fast catching up to leading providers of assistive technology, and is providing more features than ever before to help users with additional needs, SpLDs and disabilities. This is great as not everyone is eligible for, or can access funding for additional support, but the University currently provides all staff and students with Microsoft Office 365 “FREE for personal and University use”. Various versions of Microsoft Office are available on managed computers on campus.

Autocorrect

Word’s autocorrect feature is a great alternative to Global AutoCorrect. To access the Autocorrect menu, click File>Options>Proofing>AutoCorrect Options.

screenshot of proofing tab in Word options. Autocorrect options is highlighted in pale blue.

If you ever forget how to access this menu you can search ‘Autocorrect’ in the Word help feature shown below.

screen shot of the microsoft word search function

In the search box pictured above, type in ‘autocorrect’. Then, follow the instructions in the Help bar that pops up on the right.

screen shot of the autocorrect search results in word's help feature.

screen shot of the help bar in word on the right hand side of the page

You can create and edit new AutoCorrection settings for words, and you can also add shortcuts which is a really handy feature, as discussed in my blog post on shortcuts and alerts in Global AutoCorrect– you can type an abbreviation which will autocorrect to the full phrase. One example is that I have set mine up so that when I type ‘GAC’, it is autocorrected to ‘Global AutoCorrect’.

screen shot of the read aloud button, followed by 'add to autocorrect' and 'autocorrect options'

There is also an option to add words to AutoCorrect from the drop down menu without spending ages finding the autocorrect settings. To do this, simply right click on a word and select ‘add to AutoCorrect’, or, ‘AutoCorrect options…’ as shown above.

screen shot of AutoCorrect settings page

 Once you’re in to the AutoCorrect options, you can add new spellings and shortcuts in the following way:

  • Select ‘AutoCorrect Options’ from the drop-down spelling menu beneath ‘Read Aloud’.
  • Under ‘Replace’ type the misspelling.
  • Under ‘With’ type the correction.
  • Ensure the ‘Replace text as you type’ is ticked.
  • Click the ‘Add’ button and finally ‘Ok’.

Screen shot of math autocorrect function.

You can also add and remove shortcuts for mathematical symbols, as above, by selecting the ‘Math AutoCorrect’ in the AutoCorrect settings.

Thanks for reading,

Rachel