Controlling AutoComplete for Month Names

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 17, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


Bill has always been able to type the beginning of a month (like "Dece") and press Enter for completion. He recently had a hardware problem fixed by HP and they changed his system board, resetting the PC in the process. Bill installed Windows 11 and Word and the AutoComplete for month names no longer works. He wonders how he can turn this back on.

This is handled by a single configuration setting within Word. By default this setting should be turned on in Word, but it appears it may not be turned on in Bill's case. Follow these steps to make the change:

  1. Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 and later versions, display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. At the left side of the dialog box, click Advanced. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Editing area of the Word Options dialog box.

  4. In the Editing Options area of the dialog box, make sure the Show AutoComplete Suggestions check box is selected. (This check box is near the bottom of the Editing Options area.)
  5. Click on OK.

Word should now allow you to AutoComplete month names as you type.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11911) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365.

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

Changing the Default Highlighting Color

One of the tools that Word makes available on the Home tab of the ribbon is the Text Highlight tool. This functions ...

Discover More

Determining Page Layout

Getting your document onto paper is the whole purpose of word processing. Here are some concepts that are important when ...

Discover More

Maintaining Fields in a Merged Document

When merging documents, you may want to include some fields in the merged documents. For some fields this is impossible, ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Getting Rid of an Unwanted AutoCorrect

Word uses its AutoCorrect feature to help improve your typing. Sometimes, however, AutoCorrect can cause problems with ...

Discover More

Controlling Automatic Capitalization

When you start typing, do you ever notice those times that Word starts capitalizing words at the start of what it thinks ...

Discover More

Forcing a Word to Lowercase

In the prose you create, you may have certain words you might always want to be lowercase, even at the beginning of ...

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 two minus 1?

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.