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This article will show you how to Create Custom Dictionaries in Microsoft Word. Have you ever written a word into Microsoft Word only to see a red zig-zag line under it? Even if you think a word is correct or commonly used, Microsoft Word may disagree. One reason this might happen is because of how you have Microsoft Word set up for proofreading. That is, if you have set up Word to check your grammar and writing. Have you ever written a word into Microsoft Word only to see a red zig-zag line under it
Even if you think a word is correct or commonly used, Microsoft Word may disagree. One reason this might happen is because of how you have Microsoft Word set up for proofreading. If you write and edit papers in Microsoft Word, the program will mark many of the specialized terms you used. This is because each field or area has its own language. And the book that Word uses doesn’t have your words in it. So, what are you going to do about it? Well, one option is to right-click on the word that Microsoft Word flagged and choose “Add to dictionary.”
After that, the app will add that word to your Custom Dictionary. So, the next time you use Word, it won’t warn you about it. But there’s something even better. Word lets you make and add your own custom dictionary. That’s a good way to do things, especially if you work with a lot of documents in the same area, like civil engineering, medicine, or anything else. Here are the steps to Create Custom Dictionaries in Microsoft Word. If you want to know more information about this visit Microsoft Word official Website.
How to Create Custom Dictionaries in Microsoft Word
- Click on the “File” tab.
- Go to the Backstage view and click on Options.
- In the Word Options box, click on Proofing.
- Click on the button that says “Custom Dictionaries.”
- In the Custom Dictionaries dialog box, choose one of the choices to make the New button appear. (If you choose All Languages or English, the New button will be grayed out, which means you can’t use it.)
- Click on the “New” button.
- In the Create Custom Dictionary window box, choose where you want your new dictionary to be saved. Keep in mind that the default spot that Word picks will work for most people. Check out the Pro Tip below for more details.
- In the File name text box, type the name of your new custom dictionary.
- Click the Save button.
- Uncheck the new dictionary if you don’t want it to be automatically used in papers you are working on now or will be working on in the future.
- Click the OK button in the box that says “Custom Dictionary.”
How to Add Custom Dictionaries in Microsoft Word
This part assumes that you have already finished the previous section and closed the Custom Dictionary dialog box. If you want to change the words in your usual custom dictionary or another custom dictionary, go to “How to Edit Your Custom Dictionary in Microsoft Word.”
- Click the File tab.
- In the Backstage view, click Options.
- In the Word Options menu box, choose Proofing.
- Click the button labeled “Custom Dictionaries”.
- In the Custom Dictionaries window box, choose your new dictionary.
- Click the button that says “Edit Word List.“
- In the Edit Word List dialog box, type one word at a time into the Word(s) text box.
- For each word, click the “Add” button.
- When you’re done adding words, click the OK button to save your changes. The window box for Custom Dictionaries will close on its own.
How to Use Custom Dictionaries in Microsoft Word
On Mac:
- Choose Preferences from the Word menu.
- Click Spelling and Grammar in the Preferences box.
- The dictionary you’re using at the moment is shown in the middle of the Spelling and Grammar box. Click the Dictionaries button, which is to the right of the drop-down box for your own dictionary.
- Click New in the Custom Dictionaries box.
- In the Save window, give your dictionary a name and save it in Word’s normal folder or find the project folder in your files and save it there. (If you need to use a custom dictionary you saved in a project folder, open Custom Dictionaries as shown and click Add. From there, you can look through your files to find the dictionary you need.)
- Once you’ve saved your new custom dictionary, you’ll be back at the Custom Dictionaries window from Step 4. Check the box next to your new word, and then click OK.
- You are now back at Step 3’s Spelling & Grammar box. Choose your new word from the menu that drops down. Put the window shut.
- Run a spell check on your style guide and add any words it doesn’t know to your personal vocabulary. Now you can use your dictionary on the whole text.
On Windows:
- Choose File from the bar, then click Options at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
- Click Proofing in the Options window, then click Custom Dictionaries.
- Click New in the Custom Dictionaries box.
- In the Create Custom Dictionary box, give your dictionary a name and save it in Word’s default folder or find the project folder in your files and save it there. (As mentioned in the Mac instructions, if you need to use a custom dictionary you saved in a project folder, open Custom Dictionaries and click Add. From there, you can look through your files to find the dictionary you need.)
- Once you’ve saved your new custom dictionary, you’ll be back at the Custom Dictionaries box. Check the box next to your new word, and then click OK.
- Make sure your new language is chosen in the list. Put the window shut.
- Spell-check your style guide and add any words it doesn’t know to your custom vocabulary. Now you can use your dictionary on the whole text.
What is a Custom Dictionary?
The word processor that comes with Microsoft Word has a Spell checker built in. It has a built-in dictionary of words that it uses to make sure that the words in your paper are spelled correctly. When you tell Word to check spelling, it looks at every word in your document. If it finds a word that isn’t in its list of words, it marks that word as wrong. Not every word that is marked as wrong is really wrong. There are a few reasons why Word might mark a word as wrong:
It might be a brand-new word in English. For example, you won’t find the words “Internet” and “video conferencing” in the older version of Microsoft Word. It could be a technical term or a word that only a small number of people know. People who work in specialized areas of knowledge often have a special language they use to talk about ideas in their field.