Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. 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: Spell-Checking Abbreviations.

Spell-Checking Abbreviations

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 23, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021


Dave ran into an annoying problem where the spell-checker in Word would routinely mark certain abbreviations as incorrect. Words like "Mr.," "Mrs.," and "Dr." would each have the abbreviation (without the trailing period) marked as incorrect.

Some WordTips readers indicated that this behavior is related to the language you are using for the document. For instance, the abbreviation "Mr." would be a spelling error in UK English, although it is not in US English. While this may be the case, I couldn't get my copy of Word to mark "Mr." as a spelling error in a UK English document, although it did mark other spelling difference such as color (colour). Even so, you might check to see which language is being used for proofing your document.

It is also possible that the spelling error could be triggered by the abbreviation not being terminated with a normal period. If the period that you see is really some other symbol (even though it looks like a period), then Word may not recognize it. Still, in such instances testing has shown that the abbreviation and the terminating symbol will both be underlined by the spell-checker.

Another possibility is that the abbreviations have somehow been added to the exclusion list used by the spell-checker. Get out of Word and use the search capabilities of Windows to locate files that end with the .EXC extension. These are your exclusion lists used by Word. They are regular text documents that you can open with Notepad. If you examine the file's contents and find any of your errant abbreviations in there, delete them, save the file, and restart Word.

If the problem persists, then you can always add the abbreviations to your dictionary. As each abbreviation is flagged by Word, right-click the abbreviation and choose to add it to the dictionary. They should not be flagged again.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9481) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Spell-Checking Abbreviations.

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

Modifying the Size of Items in Windows

Having trouble seeing everything in Windows? Is the type or other objects simply too small? Here are some cool ways to ...

Discover More

Converting From Numbers to Text

If you have a range of numeric values in your worksheet, you may want to change them from numbers to text values. Here's ...

Discover More

Leading Zeros in Page Numbers

Page numbers in Excel printouts are typically simple counters, without much chance for embellishment. If you want to add ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Turning Off Spell Checking

For some documents, you may not want spell checking turned on. There are two ways that you can turn it off, depending on ...

Discover More

Limiting a Spelling Check

When you perform a spelling check, Word typically checks everything in your document. If you want to limit what is ...

Discover More

Dictionary Shortcut Key

Need a quick way to display the dictionary or other grammar tools? Use one of the handy built-in shortcuts provided by Word.

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 9 - 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


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.