[nfbcs] Using the Spell Checker in Word 2013

[Cathy Schroeder]

How do you get to the panel that allows you to edit the error manually?
 
From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Curtis Chong via nfbcs
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 12:59 PM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List; Discussion of the Graphical User Interface, GUI Talk Mailing List
Cc: Curtis Chong
Subject: [nfbcs] Using the Spell Checker in Word 2013
 
Using the Spell Checker in Word 2013

By Curtis Chong
 
 
When I first began using Microsoft Word (in my case, this was Word 97) to create and edit documents on the computer, I learned how to start the spell checker in Word by pressing the F7 function key. I also quickly discovered that if a spelling error was discovered in my document, I would be presented with a number of choices to make:
 
*	I could press ALT+a to add the offending word to the dictionary;
*	I could press ALT+i to ignore the error;
*	I could press ALT+g to ignore all of the errors involved with this word; or
*	I could press ALT+c if I wanted the suggested correction to replace the word in error.
 
These so-called "accelerator keys" worked in every version of Microsoft Word that I used until the advent of Microsoft Word 2013. Now, while running the spell checker in Word 2013, if I press ALT+i to ignore what Word perceives to be a spelling error, my screen reader says, "Press the accelerator key only, without the Alt key in Office 2013 or later."
 
For a long time, I never really paid attention to this message. I assumed that I could no longer use the Alt key combinations I had learned, and I simply tabbed to the button I wanted to press. I don't know about you, but as far as I am concerned, this was a real waste of time on my part (not to mention a clear indication that sometimes, my cognitive faculties are not what they should be).
 
If I had bothered to give proper attention to the message, " Press the accelerator key only, without the Alt key in Office 2013 or later," I would have realized that I do not have to tab to any of the buttons in the spelling error dialog. Instead, I can do the following:
 
*	press A to add the offending word to the dictionary;
*	press I to ignore the error;
*	press G to ignore all of the errors involved with the word;
*	press C if I want the suggested correction to replace the word in error; and
*	press L if I want all occurrences of the flagged word to be changed to the suggested correction.
 
If some of you who are reading this have already figured this out, then I congratulate you on being far more perspicacious than me. If you haven't, then try using the keys listed here, and see if this doesn't improve your over-all productivity.