AutoCorrecting for Your Common Errors

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 12, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

Chances are good that you already know what AutoCorrect is and that it can be a boon for those words you habitually mistype. (Exactly why I invariably mistype some words, I'll never understand.) However, setting up AutoCorrect to compensate for your mistyping can be a bother. Here's a quick way to make short work of adding your mistypings to AutoCorrect:

  1. Assuming that Word flags the mistyped word as misspelled, right-click on it. A Context menu appears.
  2. If spelling corrections are offered in the Context menu, there should also be a menu choice called AutoCorrect. Choose it and you will see the same spelling corrections in the resultant submenu.
  3. Choose the correct spelling in this submenu.

What you have just done is tell Word that you want to create an AutoCorrect entry that will automatically correct the mistyped word using the selected spelling. Fast, neat, and easy!

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1482) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

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

Reloading Building Blocks

Building Blocks can be a powerful tool for document creation in Word. Saving your Building Blocks and reloading them into ...

Discover More

Generating Dynamic QR Codes

You can use Word to insert QR codes in your document. Things become just a bit trickier, however, if you want to add a QR ...

Discover More

Recording a Macro

One of the most common ways of creating macros is to use Word's macro recorder. This tip shows how easy it is to use the ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Removing Confusion When Using AutoCorrect

AutoCorrect is a great help when writing, as it can allow you to create regular blocks of text easily. This can cause ...

Discover More

Using AutoText and AutoCorrect Effectively

AutoText and AutoCorrect are closely related tools that can help you improve the productivity of your typing. This tip ...

Discover More

Editing AutoCorrect ACL Files

Information used with the AutoCorrect feature is stored in what is known as an ACL file. You normally edit this file by ...

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 5 - 0?

2014-05-17 06:52:27

Wim van Brakel

The above tip sounds very useful, only in my version of Word 2013, no Context Menu entry 'AutoCorrect' appears. Can I do anything to make it appear?

Thanks in advance!
Wim


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.