Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Spell-Checking from the Keyboard.

Spell-Checking from the Keyboard

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 13, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

You may already know that you can right-click on a misspelled word and the resulting Context menu will display suggested corrections for your error. You may not want to use the mouse to activate this feature, however. You might not want to take your hands off the keyboard, which can slow down your editing.

If you are of this ilk, there are two major ways you can display the Context menu for the misspelled word. In both instances, you must make sure the insertion point is somewhere in the misspelled word, then you can do either of the following:

  • If you have one of the 104-key Windows keyboards, press the "right-click key." This is the key next to the right Ctrl key.
  • Press Shift+F10.

Either of these methods results in the Context menu being displayed. You can then use the arrow keys to select a suggested spelling correction. Pressing Enter then makes the correction. If you don't see a suggestion you like, pressing the Esc key dismisses the Context menu.

Another possible solution is to simply place the insertion point someplace before the misspelled word, and then press Alt+F7. This automatically selects the next misspelled word in the document and displays the Context menu with suggested alternatives.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1210) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Spell-Checking from the Keyboard.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Embedding Your Phone Number in a Document

One way you can designate your responsibility for a document is to add your phone number to it. There is no need to add ...

Discover More

Converting Imported Information to Numeric Values

If the information you import into Excel is treated as text by the program, you may want to convert it to numeric values. ...

Discover More

Printing a Short Selection

Need to print just a portion of a worksheet? It's easy to do if you follow the steps in this tip.

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (menu)

Quickly Accessing Spelling and Grammar Options

You can change the way Word handles spelling and grammar checks through the menus. But there is a quicker way to access ...

Discover More

Editing While Spell-Checking

When you run a spell-check on a document, you may end up seeing other things that need to be edited. Never fear; you can ...

Discover More

Spell-Checking Abbreviations

Need to make sure that Word includes abbreviations when you check a document's spelling? Here's how to make sure that ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six minus 6?

2021-06-13 22:21:00

Erin

I'm very frustrated to find that Microsoft chose to change this functionality in Word. This was a very helpful tool I used daily in my work for editing documents. Now, it's slowed me down quite a bit since they've "streamlined" the popup menu. Has anyone else found this frustrating?


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.