Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 9, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
Steven has set up an AutoCorrect entry that changes "Shp" to "Sheepskin". However, if he types "shp", AutoCorrect ignores it. He tried to add a lowercase "shp" to the AutoCorrect entries, but Word automatically changes it to "Shp" in the "Replace" box. Steven wonders how he can get Word to automatically change both "shp" and "Shp" to "Sheepskin."
After playing around with AutoCorrect for a bit, it quickly becomes obvious that how you capitalize both the "Replace" and "With" entries has significance. What you use depends on how you want AutoCorrect to do its work.
Here's how it works when it comes to the capitalization of the text in the "Replace" box:
Here's how capitalization of the text in the "With" box affects AutoCorrect:
In Steven's case, what he is seeing follows these rules exactly. He set up the AutoCorrect entry as "Shp" being replaced with "Sheepskin." So, when he later types "shp" in the document, it is ignored. He should delete the AutoCorrect entry and replace it with a lowercase "shp" in the "Replace" box, and in the "With" box enter either "sheepskin" or—if he wants the replacement to always be initial capped—"Sheepskin."
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2024-03-10 14:59:22
Tomek
Re: Here's how it works when it comes to the capitalization of the text in the "Replace" box:
If the text is capitalized (Shp), then the user must type the word, as capitalized (Shp), in order for AutoCorrect to be triggered.
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The situation becomes less clear if you type a capital letter inside the word. For example typing sHp or shP or sHP or SHP will all trigger AutoCorrect; the result will depend on capitalization of the "With" word.
Also, if the replace word contains any capital letters within it the AutoCorrect will be triggered by any word that has the capital letter anywhere, whether it matches the position in the Replace word or not. So for example ipHone as the replace word will be triggered by Iphone, iPhone, or iphonE (but not iphone).
2024-03-10 13:53:37
Tomek
Note that:
shp -> sheepskin may still be capitalized if it is the first word of the sentence.
2024-03-10 13:40:45
Tomek
@Karl:
read the tip again paying attention to the following part of the tip:
Here's how capitalization of the text in the "With" box affects AutoCorrect:
[,,,]
- If the text is lowercase (sheepskin), then the capitalization of the replacement text matches as closely as possible the capitalization of the "Replace" word as typed by the user. In other words typing "shp" means it is replaced with "sheepskin," typing "Shp" means it is replaced with "Sheepskin," and "SHP" is replaced with "SHEEPSKIN."
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Make sure you use all lowercase in the "Replace:" box.
2024-03-09 15:47:26
Karl
This is great, except it doesn't help with using autocorrect to correct "Shp" and "shp" so that Shp = Sheepskin and shp = sheepskin. How do you do that?
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