Did you know Microsoft 365 programs include a powerful feature called AutoCorrect? It’s designed to help reduce typing errors as you work, and it’s enabled by default in apps like Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
AutoCorrect automatically fixes common spelling and punctuation mistakes as you type. For example, it will correct irregular capitalisation or commonly misspelt words—so if you accidentally type acheive, just hit the spacebar or press Enter, and it will instantly change to achieve.
More than just spelling fixes
AutoCorrect is also responsible for converting text into symbols. For example type (c) into a document and it will automatically change to the copyright symbol. Have you ever wondered how 🙂 is converted to a smiley face? Now you know it’s AutoCorrect.
Think outside the box
One of my favourite things about AutoCorrect is how you can customise it to suit your own needs. I like to use it in creative ways to boost my productivity.
Think about how often you type things like:
- Your full name
- Your organisation name
- Your postal address
- Your website URL
- Your email signature
- Colleagues’ names
Instead of typing them out each time, let AutoCorrect do the work for you.
To achieve this I use an abbreviation or acronym for those common phrasee which AutoCorrect recognises and changes it to the long form version. No more typing my own name, my business name, my postal address, my website address etc.
From This | To This |
ttl | The Training Lady |
Autocorrect works in Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Word. You only need to set it up in one program, and the rest of them will automatically pick up the new entries. It’s like having your own personal typing assistant which will save you time and reduce repetitive work.
Create an entry in AutoCorrect
The first thing you will need to do is create an entry in AutoCorrect. The AutoCorrect feature is available as a customisable setting within the Options dialog box of Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint. Any corrections you create in one program will then be available across each of the programs. Let’s create this entry via Microsoft Word.
- Open Microsoft Word and create a new blank document.
- Select the File tab and choose Options.
- The Word Options dialog box will appear:
- Select the Proofing option from the categories on the left-hand side.
- Now click the AutoCorrect Options button.
- The AutoCorrect dialog box will appear:
- Place your cursor in the Replace text box and type the shorthand/acronym/abbreviation you’d like to use for this entry. I recommend to use all lower case so that you don’t have to remember to type it upper case.
Tip: Beware if your initials or the acronym spell an actual word, you will need to adjust the acronym you are going to use. For this I suggest you add a number to the end of the acronym E.g. If my initials were “AT“, then I would change the acronym to “at1“.
- Place your cursor in the With text box and type the full version of text for this entry including correct uppercase/lowercase usage and spaces.
- Click the Add button to add this entry to the list:
- If you wish to add additional entries such as your business or department name, repeat the process.
- Click OK twice to return back to the blank document.
- Now type the acroynm or abbreviation into any space on the page and press the space bar OR press Enter.
- The acronym or abbreviation will now change to the full phrase.
- Go and test this in a new email message in Microsoft Outlook, a new presentation in PowerPoint or even a spreadsheet in Excel.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this amazingly efficient way of using Autocorrect. If you want to learn about some more time-saving functions check out these articles:
- Customise the Quick Access Toolbar
- Quick Parts – the quickest way to insert reusable information in Word
- How to reuse text and images using Quick Parts in Outlook
- How to create a folder shortcut on the Taskbar
- Save time! Pin a file to the Open list in Microsoft Office
- The Office Clipboard – a hidden treasure
- The best keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Word
- Easy ways to move between windows
Be sure to comment below if you have any questions.
One Response
I always love coming across Australian WebSites, in most cases I know they will be “Fair Dinkum”. So I’m pleased to come across your site. I was doing a Google Search for using MS Word’s AutoCorrect feature. I know it is there but I haven’t used it in ages, so I need to catch up on the how to part of it. I’m so thankful I found you. I can do with some other Word tips so I will have a look around your site. I’m an Excel, I would say power user, I mainly use Word to put together documents such as Excel training. I’m interested in starting a website one day but time is always the issue for me. Great to encounter you. I’ll leave my details. I’m Dave and I live in Albury NSW.