Customizing AutoCorrect
Are there some words you tend to often mistype?
Word can be set to automatically correct those for you.
1. Click "Tools" on the menu bar, and go down to "AutoCorrect Options…"
2. In the "Replace" box, type the word as you frequently mistype it.
3. In the "With" box, type the word as it should appear.
Now, every time you mistype the word, Microsoft Word will automatically correct it for you.
Do you frequently have to type long strings of text (like your name and address) over and over again?
You can use AutoCorrect instead of a "macro" to automatically fill in remaining text when you type the first few characters.
1. Click "Tools" on the menu bar, and go down to "AutoCorrect Options…"
2. In the "Replace" box, type an unusual but meaningful string of characters
3. In the "With" box, type the text you want to replace the string of characters.
For example, to quickly type "John Doe, 123 Main St., Anytown", I could put "jdoe" in the "Replace" box and "John Doe, 123 Main St., Anytown" in the "With" box. Then, whenever I type "jdoe", Word would automatically "correct" that to be "John Doe, 123 Main St., Anytown".
Does autocorrect sometimes "correct" things against your will? Do you sometimes type PC and Word "corrects" it to Pc?
You can turn OFF part or all of the autocorrect feature, if you wish.
1. Click "Tools" on the menu bar, and go down to "AutoCorrect Options…"
2. Uncheck any box which is giving you trouble. (Note: if you want to turn autocorrect completely off, uncheck the button "Replace text as you type" box.)
Here are some more tips for making AutoCorrect work FOR you, rather than AGAINST you:
- Want to type a solid line across the page? Type three dashes and press Enter. (Want to remove the AutoCorrect and revert back to three dashes? Press the backspace key.)
- Want to use bullets? Type an asterisk, a space, and then your text. When you press Enter, Word will automatically start a bulleted list. (Want to turn off bullets after your last item? Press the Enter key again after your last bulleted item.)
- Want to create a numbered list? Type a 1, a period, a space, and then your text. When you press Enter, Word will automatically start a numbered list. (Ready to turn numbers off? Press Enter again after your last numbered item.)