Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Automatic AutoCorrect Exceptions for Beginning Sentences.

Automatic AutoCorrect Exceptions for Beginning Sentences

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 4, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007 and 2010


2

Ken asked about a problem he was having with AutoCorrect not capitalizing words at the beginning of sentences as he expected. When typing a document, he would sometimes discover that AutoCorrect was not capitalizing the first word of some sentences, despite being configured to do so.

The reason for this is because AutoCorrect watches (to a limited extent) how you type and tries to adjust itself for what it perceives as your needs. If you are typing along and Word makes an AutoCorrect correction, and you immediately backspace and type over the correction, Word figures that you don't want it to make those corrections any more in the future. To ensure this, it adds the last word of the sentence, with its ending punctuation, to the AutoCorrect exceptions list.

Depending on the way you type, this can cause some problems. For instance, consider this scenario:

  1. You finish a sentence and type the closing punctuation mark and space after the punctuation mark.
  2. You type the first word of the next sentence with the initial letter of that word in lowercase.
  3. You press the space after the first word, and AutoCorrect automatically capitalizes the first letter of that first word.
  4. Before starting on the second word, you change your mind about what the first word should be.
  5. You backspace through the old first word.
  6. You type a new first word, with the initial letter in lowercase.

When you type the space after this new first word, AutoCorrect does two things. First, it doesn't correct the capitalization of the first letter of the new first word—it leaves it lowercase. Second, it automatically adds the last word of the previous sentence, with its terminating punctuation mark, to the AutoCorrect exception list. This means that any time you end a sentence with that word in the future, AutoCorrect will not automatically adjust the capitalization of the first word in the following sentence.

If you don't want Word to behave this way (second-guessing why you are backspacing), then you should follow these steps:

  1. Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. Click Proofing at the left side of the dialog box.
  3. Click the AutoCorrect Options button. Word displays the AutoCorrect dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The AutoCorrect tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box.

  5. Click the Exceptions button. Word displays the AutoCorrect Exceptions dialog box. (See Figure 2.)
  6. Figure 2. The AutoCorrect Exceptions dialog box.

  7. Clear the check box labeled Automatically Add Words to List.
  8. Click OK three times to dismiss all the dialog boxes.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6005) applies to Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Automatic AutoCorrect Exceptions for Beginning Sentences.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Letters and Numbers in Page Numbers

A common task is to add page numbers to document headers and footers. If you want those page numbers to include more than ...

Discover More

Understanding Pattern Matching

Pattern matching is a type of searching you can do in Word that is very powerful. Despite its power, it remains rather ...

Discover More

Word Adds Extra Space before Footnote Marker

When using full justification of your text, you may get extra spaces in places you never wanted. This tip examines one ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Margins for All Documents Changing

Have you had the margins in a group of documents change without you knowingly doing anything? This tip explores some ...

Discover More

Adding Horizontal Lines at the Sides of a Word

Want to add a couple of horizontal lines at the sides of a word? It can be trickier than it sounds, but there are several ...

Discover More

Remembering a Custom Color

Word allows you to define a custom color when you are working with text or with other elements in your documents. The ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight more than 3?

2014-07-08 06:53:53

Laura Jones

Word keeps adding words to my exceptions list even though I have unchecked that box. It is so annoying I get so angry at it, but of course it isn't a person, but who on Earth can it be adding to this list when I have unchecked the box!?


2013-02-13 04:26:37

Stephen

Hi Allen

My problem is a little different. Word is autocorrecting certain words by changing the capital at the start of the sentence to lower caps.

I have just typed "Define" and Word changed it to "define"

Which is quite annoying because I use "Define" a lot.

can you give me a tip on this?

Stephen


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.