Custom Dictionary - the word "internet"

[Sheri_L.]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel I asked about Custom Dictionary a few months ago and received a great answer from John McGhie. Now I have a new problem with Custom Dictionary.

I am an editor and the publisher has changed the style guide; "internet" must now be spelled with a lower-case "i". Virtually every document I edit has the word "internet". I added it to my Custom Dictionary but it still kept getting caught as an error and continued to suggest "Internet".

I rebuilt the Custom Dictionary (again) using John's previous directions. However, no matter what I do, "internet" always shows as an error.

Is there something about the word "internet" making it so that I can't override the upper-case "I"? I know that seems a strange assumption but I can't figure out a reason I can't successfully add "internet" to the Custom Dictionary. When I open the Custom Dictionary, it does have "internet" listed correctly. So it's in there, but not being recognized when I do a spell check.

Any suggestions? Help!

Sheri

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor:
Intel I asked about Custom Dictionary a few months ago and received a
great answer from John McGhie. Now I have a new problem with Custom
Dictionary.

I am an editor and the publisher has changed the style guide; "internet"
must now be spelled with a lower-case "i". Virtually every document I
edit has the word "internet". I added it to my Custom Dictionary but it
still kept getting caught as an error and continued to suggest "Internet".

I rebuilt the Custom Dictionary (again) using John's previous
directions. However, no matter what I do, "internet" always shows as an
error.

Is there something about the word "internet" making it so that I can't
override the upper-case "I"? I know that seems a strange assumption but
I can't figure out a reason I can't successfully add "internet" to the
Custom Dictionary. When I open the Custom Dictionary, it does have
"internet" listed correctly. So it's in there, but not being recognized
when I do a spell check.

Any suggestions? Help!

Sheri

Hi Sheri,

I think you're almost on the right track.

Click on the Tools menu and choose AutoCorrect

In the gray area labeled Replace as you type (leave it checked) you'll
find a little box that has two columns, and an input field under the
word Replace. Type the word internet in the input field, and in the list
underneath you should see internet on the left and Internet on the
right. Click in the list to highlight that item, then press the Delete
button.

There's lots more you can do with this feature. If you get the Office
2008 for Mac All-in-One For Dummies book, head to page 185 and start in
on Chapter 3, Working with Text, Words, and Paragraphs.

-Jim

 

[Sheri_L.]

Jim:

I did as you suggested but neither internet nor Internet were on the list. I took an educated guess and added Internet in the Replace box and internet in the With box and clicked Add. I tested it and this works when I create a document.

But, if I receive a document to edit that already has the word Internet (upper-case) will Word "know" to change that to internet (lower-case)? If not, which I'm guessing is the case, when I run spell check, will the upper-case I be changed to lower-case?

If so, then your suggestion is perfect. If not, I still appreciate the info as this will be helpful if I type Internet by mistake.

Any idea as to what happens in a document that's already been written?

Thanks.

Sheri

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Sheri:

To correct a spelling or capitalisation that is in the main dictionary (as
Internet is) you have to add the term to an Exclusion Dictionary, to cause
Word to ignore the entry in the main dictionary.

To do that, follow the technique in Suzanne Barnhill's article here:
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/ExcludeWordFromDic.htm

I don't think that technique actually works in Mac Word 2008 or in Word
2004. However, another user, Brad Douglas, assures me that it works for
him. I queried Microsoft about it, around six months ago, but so far have
not received an answer.

Brad notes the following:

Note that Mac Word 2008 has a file format extension with the
description "Speller Exclude Dictionary". If you save a word document
in that format, you create an exclusion dictionary.

It should be saved in the following directory:
Home Folder --> Library --> Preferences --> Microsoft --> Office 2008

If you can get it to work, please tell me so I can correct the note I added
to Suzanne's article.

You can then add your preferred spelling or capitalisation to the custom
dictionary.

Cheers

But, if I receive a document to edit that already has the word Internet
(upper-case) will Word "know" to change that to internet (lower-case)? If not,
which I'm guessing is the case, when I run spell check, will the upper-case I
be changed to lower-case?

If so, then your suggestion is perfect. If not, I still appreciate the info as
this will be helpful if I type Internet by mistake.

Any idea as to what happens in a document that's already been written?

Thanks.

Sheri

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Sheri_L.]

Sorry if this is a duplication; I just sent a reply but it didn't appear to go through.

I've tried all of the above suggestions as well as the ones in the book Office 2008 for Mac: The Missing Manual and nothing seems to work.

Jim's suggestion, using Autoformat, works if I'm creating a document. But if there is an existing document, it doesn't change Internet (upper-case) to internet (lower-case.)

I've tried creating an exclusion dictionary to no avail. If I create one - and I am using the correct format for an exclusion dictionary, putting it in the correct location, etc. - I get an error when I spell check that tells me the exclusion dictionary is not available. If I then click okay, spell check runs and Internet does not show up as a spelling error.

If I delete or disable the exclusion dictionary, spell check runs normally and doesn't pick up upper-case Internet as an error.

I have remembered to quit and restart Word after each change.

Jim's autocorrect suggestion works if I'm creating a document. If I'm spell checking an existing document, the error is not picked up.

I'm beginning to think the only way around this is to run a global Find/Replace (find Internet/Replace internet) on each document I receive. It seems a cumbersome way to do this but I can't seem to find any other way.

I really appreciate Jim's and John's suggestions and I'm sorry I couldn't get them to work. More suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Sheri

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Sorry if this is a duplication; I just sent a reply but it didn't appear
to go through.

I've tried all of the above suggestions as well as the ones in the book
Office 2008 for Mac: The Missing Manual and nothing seems to work.

Jim's suggestion, using Autoformat, works if I'm creating a document.
But if there is an existing document, it doesn't change Internet
(upper-case) to internet (lower-case.)

I've tried creating an exclusion dictionary to no avail. If I create one
- and I am using the correct format for an exclusion dictionary, putting
it in the correct location, etc. - I get an error when I spell check
that tells me the exclusion dictionary is not available. If I then click
okay, spell check runs and Internet does not show up as a spelling error.

If I delete or disable the exclusion dictionary, spell check runs
normally and doesn't pick up upper-case Internet as an error.

I have remembered to quit and restart Word after each change.

Jim's autocorrect suggestion works if I'm creating a document. If I'm
spell checking an existing document, the error is not picked up.

I'm beginning to think the only way around this is to run a global
Find/Replace (find Internet/Replace internet) on each document I
receive. It seems a cumbersome way to do this but I can't seem to find
any other way.

I really appreciate Jim's and John's suggestions and I'm sorry I
couldn't get them to work. More suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Sheri

Hi Sheri,

Word does not go through a document and fix spelling or grammar errors
when a document opens.

If you receive a document with "Internet" in upper case it stays
capitalized until you run spell check or change it to "internet" manually.

Using Find and Replace you can search a document and replace all
instances of "Internet" with "internet" with Replace All. Be sure to
check the case sensitive option when you do this.

-Jim

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Sheri;

Is Office fully updated (12.2.3)? I'm not finding either the capitalized or
lower case variation being caught as a spelling error.

The lower case version is, however being caught as a grammatical error
(green wavy underline rather than red). If that's what you're actually
seeing there's nothing you can do through the Custom Dictionary to change
the application of the rules grammar. Neither does an Exclusion Dictionary
countermand the rules of grammar being used. In fact, I know of no way of
making specific exceptions to what the Grammar Check will flag, although you
can make categorical adjustments. Unfortunately, that may be overkill for
this one term, causing actual errors of that type to not be caught.

As Jim points out, nothing about the Spelling & Grammar features will change
the content of the document. As you found, AutoCorrect works on an "as you
type" basis so it doesn't retroactively change existing content either. Use
of Find & Replace will make the change, but just clicking "Ignore All" for
the first occurrence in the Spelling & Grammar check of any document should
provide the relief you seek.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac