Word 2007 provides many tools to proof your content before you submit or publish your document.

Proofing Options

You can change how Word marks a spelling or grammar mistake by opening the Proofing options menu. Here you can also change what dictionaries Word has access to and set exceptions.

1. Click the Office Button.
2. At the bottom of the menu, click the Word Options button.
3. Select Proofing.
4. Select the options you want to modify.

AutoCorrect

This feature will attempt to fix commonly misspelled words and allows you to replace typed letter or symbol combinations with another word or symbol. You can set common typing mistakes or make a special combination for a symbol that you use more often. To access the AutoCorrection menu:

1. Click the Office Button.
2. At the bottom of the menu, click the Word Options button.
3. Select Proofing.
4. Select AutoCorrect Options.
5. Select the options you want to modify or create new replacements.
6. You can also use the right-click shortcut menu to set a new AutoCorrection.

Spelling and Grammar Check

Word by default has a Spelling and Grammar Check running. This will search common dictionaries and libraries, that are on your computer or online, to see if the words you type are spelled correctly and grammatically correct. If it comes across a misspelled word it will underline that word with a Red line. If there is a grammar mistake, the word(s) will be underlined with a Green line. In order to have Word go in and fix these problems you can do one of the following options:

1. Go to the Ribbon, to the Review tab in the Proofing group, click the Spelling and Grammar button. This will bring up the Spelling and Grammar dialog box. Here is it will go through all the spelling and then all the grammar mistakes or add them to your dictionary.
2. Press <F7> to bring up the Spelling and Grammar dialog box.
3. Use the right-click shortcut menu on a particular word; this will bring up alternative spellings at the top of the menu for you to choose for that word, or you can add it to your dictionary there.

Research

The Research tool allows you to look up terms or words in many different libraries, thesaurus, encyclopedias, reference books, and even other languages to give many ways to check your words and phrases. You can find out in dictionary terms what a word is, other similar words, and even a translation of that word or phrase. To open the Research tool:

1. Go to the Ribbon, to the Review tab in the Proofing group, click the Research button. The buttons to the right of this are all a part of Research.
2. A side bar will open up. Enter the text you want to look up in the Search for: box.
3. Select the most appropriate reference book (i.e. dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, translate, etc.).
4. Search and choose an answer that is appropriate for you.
5. When the word(s) are selected the right-click shortcut menu and click Look up to find the words.

Thesaurus

The Thesaurus is a Research tool that allows you to find similar words to the one that you have selected. When you open it up it will open up a Research side bar with the Thesaurus reference book opened. Just enter the text you want to find. There are two common methods of opening the Thesaurus:

• Go to the Ribbon, to the Review tab in the Proofing group, click the Thesaurus button.
• Use the right-click shortcut menu and there should be some similar words near the bottom of the menu that you could use.

Translate

Translate is a Research tool that allows you to translate words and phrases into any of the languages that you have loaded onto your computer. When you open it up it will open up a Research side bar with the translate option opened. Just enter the text you want to translate and select what language for it to be translated to. There are two common methods of opening the Translate:

• Go to the Ribbon, to the Review tab in the Proofing group, click the Translate button.
• Use the right-click shortcut menu and click Translate to set the marked text as a particular language.