Proofreading a Document - X

There are many features to help you proofread your document.  These include:  Spelling and Grammar, Thesaurus, AutoCorrect, Default Dictionary, and Word Count.

Spelling and Grammar
To check the spelling and grammar of a document

• Place the cursor at the beginning of the document or the beginning of the section that you want to check
• Click the Review Tab on the Ribbon
• Click Spelling & Grammar on the Proofing Group. 

• Any errors will display a dialog box that allows you to choose a more appropriate spelling or phrasing.

If you wish to check the spelling of an individual word, you can right click any word that has been underlined by Word and choose a substitution.

Thesaurus
The Thesaurus allows you to view synonyms.  To use the thesaurus:

• Click the Review Tab of the Ribbon
• Click the Thesaurus Button on the Proofing Group. 
• The thesaurus tool will appear on the right side of the screen and you can view word options.

You can also access the thesaurus by right-clicking any word and choosing Synonyms on the menu.

Customize AutoCorrect
You can set up the AutoCorrect tool in Word to retain certain text the way it is.  To customize AutoCorrect:

• Click the Microsoft Office button
• Click the Word Options Button
• Click the Proofing tab
• Click AutoCorrect Options button

• On the AutoCorrect Tab, you can specify words you want to replace as you type

Create a New Default Dictionary
Often you will have business or educational jargon that may not be recognized by the spelling and/or grammar check in Word.  You can customize the dictionary to recognize these words.

• Click the Microsoft Office button
• Click the Word Options Button
• Click the Proofing tab
• Click the When Correcting Spelling tab
• Click Custom Dictionaries

 

• Click Edit Word List
• Type in any words that you may use that are not recognized by the current dictionary.

Check Word Count
To check the word count in Word 2007 look at the bottom left corner of the screen.  It will give you a total word count or if you have text highlighted it will tell you how many words are highlighted out of the total.