Concepts

What is a Custom Dictionary?

Microsoft Word has a Spell checker feature with its word processor. It has a built-in dictionary of words it uses to check the spelling of words in your document. When you give Word the command to check spelling, it examines every word in your document and if a word in your document isn't in its dictionary of words, it flags your word as misspelled.

Not all words flagged as misspelled are really incorrect. There are a couple of reasons Word may flag a word incorrectly:

1. It may be a new word in the English language. For example, you won't find the words "Internet" and "video conferencing" in the earlier version of Microsoft Word.
2. It may be a technical term or one that is common to only a small group of people. People working in specialized areas of knowledge often have a specialized vocabulary they use to talk about ideas in their field.

What can you do if you repeatedly use a word in your writings that isn't in Microsoft Word's dictionary? Create a Custom Dictionary.

A Custom Dictionary is a list of words within Microsoft Word created by you. By placing a word on this list you are in effect saying to Microsoft Word, "If you see this word in a document, don't mark it as misspelled." The Custom Dictionary is integrated with the Spell checker, so it is easy to add and delete words. If Microsoft Word flags a word as misspelled that you know to be correct, press a button and it's added to the Custom Dictionary.

Copyright 1996 by the Curators of the University of Missouri