Word Processing

Unit 1: Introducing Word

Lesson 2: Basic Text Entry

How do you correct errors in typing?

It's not uncommon to make mistakes as you type. Here are a few tips and techniques you can use to correct your typing errors.

The simplest way is to use the Backspace or Delete key to delete the error. An earlier lesson on basic modifications covered this technique.

Word also has a very useful feature called AutoCorrect that corrects common typing errors automatically, as you type. These include errors such as teh for the, ahve for have, or starting a new sentence without a capital letter. Often, even before you notice that you have made a mistake, it is corrected!

You can define what words AutoCorrect should look for:

Choose AutoCorrect... from the Tools menu
You will get the following dialog box:

Under the Replace: box, type the word you expect to misspell often. In the With: box, type the correct spelling of the word. As you type the word in the Replace: box, you will see the list below going to the word you are typing. When you see your word, just select it – you don't need type the whole word in. Take a look at the animation below for a demonstration.

Defining AutoCorrect

SpellIt is a feature that automatically detects other spelling errors. This feature checks words you type with the ones in Word's dictionary, and as soon as a word it does not recognize appears, it underlines the word with a wavy red line: . This is an indication to you that you might have misspelled a word. In order to correct it, or look at what alternatives Word suggests, right-click while pointing to the word. You are presented with a shortcut menu that first lists its suggestions, then lists options you can take, such as ignore the error, add it to the dictionary, or go to the Spelling dialog box for more alternatives.