How-To Guide: Using Spellcheck

Q.I love Word’s spellchecker except when it comes to names. Word keeps marking last names as misspelled, even when they are spelled correctly. How can I tell Word these names are spelled correctly so I don’t have to select Ignore each time the spellchecker flags the names?

A. You know the names are spelled correctly but if they are not in Word’s internal dictionary, it doesn’t recognize them and “redlines” them. Fortunately, Word includes a wonderful feature called “autocorrect” that will make your life easier. The next time that the spell checker redlines a last name:

• verify that it is spelled correctly
• right-click on the name
• select Add to Dictionary

The name will now become part of a second “user” dictionary on that computer and the spellchecker will check that dictionary also when you run a spell check. Add as many names as you need but be sure to spell them correctly. You are building your dictionary as you add words.

[Posted on November 30, 2005]