Spelling and Grammar in Word

An invaluable tool that Word provides for proofreaders is the Spelling and Grammar Check. The Spelling and Grammar Check, while important for editors, is perhaps even more important for proofreaders. When proofreading, it is advisable to carefully consider each instance that the Spelling and Grammar Check flags.

Please note, though, that this tool provides only marginal assistance when ensuring that a document adheres to a specific type of English (Australian, Canadian, American, or British). The dictionaries provided by the company out of the box are NOT comprehensive enough to ensure that all the differences are noted, particularly when it comes to medical and scientific terms.

Know Spell Check's Strengths and Weaknesses

Never assume that Spell Check will do your work for you. Under absolutely no circumstances should you automatically click "change" when suggestions pop up without reviewing the suggestions. If you do, this could spell disaster for the document and your (and your organization's) reputation!

While it's certainly true that Spell Check is handy and can often provide exactly what you need, it cannot replace human intelligence and discernment. It can catch blatantly misspelled words (e.g., automtion vs. automation; doller vs. dollar); however, it cannot catch homophones, words that sound the same but have different meanings altogether:

• Their proposal was deemed indecent; it did not make cents (vs. sense).

• I've gotten a lot of letters in the male (vs. mail) lately.

• The ark (vs. arc) is an important architectural feature.

Some of these could hypothetically make sense. Their proposal may not have made them rich, but surely that would be expressed in dollars before cents! A lot of letters in the male? How many did he eat? Did Ronald build an ark and sail atop a flood of hamburgers?

As you can see, things can range from a little on the awkward side to downright ridiculous. This just goes to show you what can happen if you rely on Spell Check without first proofreading (if you will) its suggestions. You should always implement these suggestions on an as-needed, case-by-case basis.

How to Use Spelling and Grammar Check

Follow these steps in order to perform a Spelling and Grammar Check.

• Click the Review tab.

• Click the Spelling and Grammar button. The Spelling and Grammar dialog box will open. Ensure that the appropriate style of English is selected.

• For each error, Word will attempt to provide an alternative or several alternatives.

• You can choose either to accept the change or ignore it.

Proofreading with Spelling and Grammar Check

Proofreaders need to remember that, while Word's Spelling and Grammar Check function is relatively reliable, it does not consider context. And they need to remember that Word's dictionary does not include tens of thousands of words that are in the other dictionaries. Spelling and Grammar Check is a tool that can be used; it is not the definitive authority on grammar and spelling. A proofreader needs to be able to analyze a sentence contextually in order to determine if a suggested change is appropriate.

Word Choice

If a document has gone through several rounds of competent editing, the Thesaurus and Research tools in Word should not have to be used during the proofreading process. It is the editor's job to strengthen the language of the paper by replacing repeated words and to ensure that any uncommon language that is specific to the content is used correctly. However, if ifs and buts were candies and nuts, wouldn't it be a Merry Christmas? Sometimes a proofreader receives an ESL document where the intended meaning of the majority of the paper is not clear and the editor is just lucky to get through it. A proofreader may receive a particularly dense theoretical, technical, or scientific document. At other times, a proofreader may receive a document that was edited by a lazy editor.

How to Use the Thesaurus

In order to use Word's Thesaurus, follow these instructions:

• Click the Review tab.

• Highlight the word you want to find an alternative for.

• Click the Thesaurus button.

• A list of potential alternatives will appear in a dialog box.

• Choose the appropriate alternative and click OK.

Alternatively, you could do the following:

• Highlight and right-click the word you want to look up.

• Click Synonyms.

How to Use the Research Function

To use Word 2010's Research function, follow these instructions:

• Highlight the word or phrase you wish to research.

• Click the Review tab.

• Click the Research button. A sidebar will appear next to the document.

• The highlighted word or phrase will appear in the search box. Below the search box, there is a list of three primary options: All Reference Books, All Research Sites, and Business and Financial Sites. Each option provides a list of sites that can be used for research purposes.

• Choose the most appropriate category. If you are looking for references, you can choose to get a definition, an alternative, or a translation. If you are looking for research sites, you can access a number of research websites that include the term you are looking for. If you are looking into business and financial sites, you will get a list of businesses that use that term frequently.

The process varies somewhat in Word 2013 and Word 2016. In Word 2013, the Research function is not accessed through any of the tabs. Instead, press and hold the ALT key; while holding the ALT key, click on the word or phrase you would like to research. The Research pane will appear on the right side of the document. In Word 2016, the Research function is back in a tab, but it is now in the References tab rather than the Review tab.

How to Use Find and Replace

Word’s Find and Replace tool can be a proofreader’s best friend because using it can save a lot of time and ensure consistency across the document. Let's say you realize partway through a document that the author is using a word incorrectly—for example, insure for ensure. Spelling Check won't catch this, but as soon as you realize it, you can do a Find and Replace. Find insure and replace with ensure. But be careful about using Replace All, as it will replace all instances of insure, even the correct ones.

An especially helpful usage of Find and Replace is in resolving spacing inconsistencies. Sometimes the human eye just doesn’t catch all those instances of double spacing versus single spacing between sentences, or sometimes spacing issues are introduced when you make changes. Just find double spaces (type two spaces in the Find what box), and replace with one space (type one space in the Replace with box). Your spacing issues are fixed!

Summary

Word not only helps proofreaders set up their documents, it provides a number of tools to use at the word level as well. Keep in mind that the Spelling and Grammar Check, while relatively reliable, does not provide the correct answer in every case. You'll need to be diligent and do some extra research if you get inconsistent results. And it's always better to double-check more specialized vocabulary rather than taking the first answer you find. The Thesaurus and Word's Research function are also extremely helpful if you are in a bind. And don't forget the useful Find and Replace tool. Try these out the next time you proofread a document and see how well they work for you.

Last Updated: 09/09/2022