Microsoft Word Mac Set Default Font For References
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Note
Office 365 ProPlus is being renamed to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information about this change, read this blog post.
- If the behavior occurs in multiple documents, we recommend that you try to reset Microsoft Word to the program's default settings. How to reset user options and registry settings in Word. To have us reset user options and registry settings in Microsoft Word for you, go to the 'Here's an easy fix' section.
- Jan 11, 2017 How can i format the font in cross reference automatically? If you want TNR to be the default font of your document, you need to change the default font, not just apply that font to the text. Cross-references are hyperlinked by default in Word, but they are not displayed as 'ordinary' hyperlinks. The only workaround that I know of is.
Dec 12, 2014 How I can change the default font of Word Office for Mac 2011? In Word, File Open Click on Your HD, double click Users, then find and double click on your username (as.
Important
This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, see Description of the Microsoft Windows registry.
Summary
This article describes various methods that you can use to reset user options and registry settings in Microsoft Office Word.
There are two basic types of options that you can define in Word. These options are as follows:
- Options that affect the way that the program operates. (The information for this kind of option is generally stored in the Microsoft Windows registry.)
- Options that affect the formatting or the appearance of one or more documents. (The information for this kind of option is stored in templates or documents.)
When you troubleshoot unusual behavior in the program or in a document, first determine whether the problem might be caused by formatting, options, or settings. If the behavior occurs in multiple documents, we recommend that you try to reset Microsoft Word to the program's default settings.
How to reset user options and registry settings in Word
To have us reset user options and registry settings in Microsoft Word for you, go to the 'Here's an easy fix' section. If you prefer to reset user options and registry settings in Microsoft Word yourself, go to the 'Let me fix it myself' section.
Here's an easy fix
To fix this problem automatically, click the Download button. In the File Download dialog box, click Run or Open, and then follow the steps in the easy fix wizard.
- This wizard may be in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
- If you're not on the computer that has the problem, save the easy fix solution to a flash drive or a CD, and then run it on the computer that has the problem.
Let me fix it myself
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
To manually reset a registry key, you must first delete it. To do this, follow these steps.
Important Always export a registry key before you delete it. This step is important because you may have to restore the functionality that is provided by the key.
Exit all Microsoft Office programs.
Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
Expand the appropriate folders to locate the registry key that you want to delete. (Refer to the 'Main locations of Word settings in the Windows Registry' section.)
Click to select the key that you want to delete.
Use one of the following methods, as appropriate for your operating system:
- In Microsoft Windows 2000, click Export Registry File on the Registry menu, type a file name for the backup copy of the key, and then click Save.
- In Windows XP and later versions or in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and later versions, click Export on the File menu, type a file name for the backup copy of the key, and then click Save.
Make sure that the key that you just exported is selected, and then click Delete on the Edit menu.
When you are prompted to respond to one of the following messages, click Yes:
- Are you sure you want to delete this key?
- Are you sure you want to delete this key and all of its subkeys?
Exit Registry Editor.
After you delete a registry key, and then you restart the program, Word runs the Setup program to correctly rebuild the registry key. If you want to rebuild the registry key before you run the program, repair your installation by following the steps in the 'Repair Word (Office)' section.
More Information
Main locations of Word settings in the Windows Registry
You can reset some Word settings, such as the Word Data and Options keys in the Windows registry, by using the troubleshooting utility that is contained in the Support.dot template.
Word key
Word 2016
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice16.0Word
Word 2013
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice15.0Word
Word 2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice14.0Word
Word 2007
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice12.0Word
Word 2003
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0Word
Word 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice10.0Word
Word 2000
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice9.0Word
Changes made to this HKEY_CURRENT_USER key are mirrored in the following keys for Word 2003, for Word 2002, and for Word 2000:
Word 2003
HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTSoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0Word
Word 2002
HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTSoftwareMicrosoftOffice10.0Word
Word 2000
HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTSoftwareMicrosoftOffice9.0Word
The difference between the 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER' location and the HKEY_USER' location is that the first applies only to the current user of the system, and the second is the default location for all users. However, Word entries are the same for both locations. Therefore, any change that is made to one location is automatically reflected in the other location.
Note
For the rest of this section, all references to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER tree apply also to the HKEY_USERS tree, except for the 2007 Microsoft Office 2007 programs and where otherwise noted.
The Data key and the Options key are the most frequently changed areas.
Data key
Word 2016
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice16.0WordData
Word 2013
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice15.0WordData
Word 2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice14.0WordData
Word 2007
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice12.0WordData
Word 2003
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0WordData
Word 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice10.0WordData
Word 2000
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice9.0WordData
This key contains binary information for 'most recently used' lists, including the most recently used file list and the most recently used address book list. This key also contains 'Track Changes' settings and 'Edit' settings.
Options key
Word 2016
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice16.0WordOptions
Word 2013
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice15.0WordOptions
Word 2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice14.0WordOptions
Word 2007
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice12.0WordOptions
Word 2003
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0WordOptions
Word 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice10.0WordOptions
Word 2000
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice9.0WordOptions
This key stores the options that you can set from Microsoft Word, either by changing menu options or by running the Registry Options Utility. For more information, see the 'Use the Registry Options Utility' section.
The options are in two groups: default options and optional settings. Default options are established during the setup process. You can change them by modifying options in Word. (To modify options in Word, click Options on the Tools menu.)
These options may or may not appear in the registry.
Wizards key
Word 2003
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0WordWizards
Word 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice10.0WordWizards
Word 2000
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice9.0WordWizards
All wizard defaults are stored in this key. These settings are created the first time that you run a wizard.
Common key
Word 2016
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice16.0Common
Word 2013
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice15.0Common
Word 2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice14.0Common
Word 2007
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice12.0Common
Word 2003
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0Common
Word 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice10.0Common
Word 2000
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice9.0Common
This key is used by other Microsoft programs, such as the Office programs. These settings are shared between programs. Changes made in one program's settings also appear in the other program's settings.
Shared Tools key
Word 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002 and 2000:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftShared Tools
This key contains the paths for all Windows utilities. (The path may include utilities such as Equation, WordArt, and MS Graph.) Paths for graphics filters and text converters are also registered in this location.
Repair Word (Office)
Word can detect and repair problems associated with Setup. This feature uses the Windows Installer to correct problems with missing files and to repair registry settings.
You can use the following methods to repair or reset Word files and values:
- Method 1: Use the 'Detect and Repair' feature
- Method 2: Repair Word in Maintenance Mode Setup
- Method 3: Reinstall Word (Office)
Method 1: Use the 'Detect and Repair' or 'Microsoft Office Diagnostics' feature
Note
This method is the least aggressive mode of repair. If this method does not resolve the problem, you may still have to use one of the other methods.
To run the Detect and Repair feature in Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click Detect and Repair on the Help menu in Word. The Detect and Repair feature fixes and repairs Word. All files, registry entries, and optional shortcuts for all Office programs are verified and repaired. If you run Detect and Repair from Word, all other Office programs are also checked. This feature performs only a checksum.
The Detect and Repair feature can also restore the Word program shortcuts on the Start menu. To restore the Word program shortcuts, click Help, click Detect and Repair, and then click to select the Restore my shortcuts while repairing check box.
If Detect and Repair does not correct the problem, you may have to reinstall Word. The Reinstall feature in the Maintenance Mode dialog box performs the same action as Detect and Repair, except that Reinstall copies a file when the files are of equal versions. Detect and Repair does not copy over the file when the installation file has the correct version and checksum.
Note
The Detect and Repair feature does not repair damaged documents or damaged data keys in the registry or in the Normal template.
If a file that Word uses at Startup is missing, the Windows Installer automatically installs that file before it starts the program.
In Word 2007, run the Microsoft Office Diagnostics feature. To do this, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Word Options, click Resources, and then click Diagnose.
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In Word 2010, repair Word or the installed Office suite in Control Panel.
Method 2: Repair Word in Maintenance Mode setup
Note
This method is a moderate mode of repair. If this method does not resolve the problem, you may still have to reinstall Word.
The Maintenance Mode Setup process is similar to the process found in earlier versions of Word. The Maintenance Mode Setup process allows you to repair, add or remove features, and remove the program. 'Repair' is a feature in Maintenance Mode that finds and then fixes errors in an installation.
Microsoft Word Mac Set Default Font For References Windows 10
To perform a Maintenance Mode repair, follow these steps:
Exit all Office programs.
Use one of the following methods, depending upon your operating system:
- In Windows 7 or Windows Vista, click Start, and then type add remove.
- In Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
- In Windows 2000, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Open Add or Remove Programs.
Click Change or Remove Programs, click **Microsoft Office **(Microsoft Office Word) or the version of Office or Word that you have in the Currently installed programs list, and then click Change.
Click Repair or Repair Word (Repair Office), and then click Continue or Next.
In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click Detect and Repair errors in my Word installation or click Detect and Repair errors in my Office installation, click to select the Restore my Start Menu Shortcuts check box, and then click Install.
Method 3: Reinstall Word (Office)
Note
This method is the most aggressive mode of repair. This mode resets Word to its default settings, except for settings that are stored in your global template (Normal.dot or Normal.dotm). To do this in Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, follow these steps:
Exit all Office programs.
Use one of the following methods, depending upon your operating system:
- In Windows 7 or Windows Vista, click Start, and then type add remove.
- In Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
- In Windows 2000, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Open Add or Remove Programs.
Click Change or Remove Programs, click Microsoft Office 2003 (Microsoft Office Word 2003) or the version of Office or Word that you have in the Currently installed programs list, and then click Change.
Click Repair Word (Repair Office), and then click Next.
Click Reinstall Word (Reinstall Office), and then click Install.
For more information about Word 2007 or Word 2010, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
924611 How to install the individual 2007 Office features or to repair the installed 2007 Office programs
Templates and add-ins
Global Template (Normal.dotm or Normal.dot)
To prevent formatting changes, AutoText entries, and macros that are stored in the global template (Normalm.dot or Normal.dot) from affecting the behavior of Word and documents that are opened, rename your global template (Normal.dotm or Normal.dot). Renaming the template lets you quickly determine whether the global template is causing the issue.
When you rename the Normal.dotm template in Word 2007 or later or the Normal.dot template in Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, you reset several options to the default settings. These include custom styles, custom toolbars, macros, and AutoText entries. We strongly recommend that you rename the template instead of deleting the Normal.dotm template or the Normal.dot template. If you determine that the template is the issue, you will be able to copy the custom styles, custom toolbars, macros, and AutoText entries from the Normal.dot template that was renamed.
Certain types of configurations may create more than one Normal.dotm template or Normal.dot template. These situations include cases where multiple versions of Word are running on the same computer or cases where several workstation installations exist on the same computer. In these situations, make sure that you rename the correct copy of the template.
To rename the global template file, follow these steps:
- Exit all Office programs.
- Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
- Type the following command, as appropriate for the version of Word that you are running, and then press Enter:
- Word 2002 and Word 2003:ren %userprofile%Application DataMicrosoftTemplatesNormal.dot OldNormal.dot
- Word 2007 and Word 2010:ren %userprofile%Application DataMicrosoftTemplatesNormal.dotm OldNormal.dotm
- Type exit, and then press Enter.
When you restart Word, a new global template (Normal.dot) is created that contains the Word default settings.
Add-ins (WLLs) and templates in the Word and Office Startup folders
When you start Word, the program automatically loads templates and add-ins that are located in the Startup folders. Errors in Word may be the result of conflicts or problems with an add-in.
To determine whether an item in a Startup folder is causing the problem, you can temporarily empty the folder. Word loads items from the Office Startup folder and the Word Startup folder.
To remove items from the Startup folders, follow these steps:
Exit all instances of Word, including Microsoft Outlook if Word is set as your email editor.
Use one of the following methods, as appropriate for the version of Word that you are running:
Word 2002:
Click Start, click Run, type %programfiles%MicrosoftOfficeOffice10Startup, and then click OK.
Word 2003:
Click Start, click Run, type %programfiles%MicrosoftOfficeOffice11Startup, and then click OK.
Word 2007:
Click Start, click Run, type %programfiles%MicrosoftOfficeOffice12Startup, and then click OK.
Word 2010:
Click Start, click Run, type %programfiles%MicrosoftOfficeOffice14Startup, and then click OK.
Word 2013:
Click Start, click Run, type %programfiles%MicrosoftOfficeOffice15Startup, and then click OK.
Right-click one of the files that is contained in the folder, and then click Rename.
After the file name, type .old, and then press Enter.ImportantNote the original name of the file. You may have to rename the file by using its original name.
Start Word.
If you can no longer reproduce the problem, you have found the specific add-in that causes the problem. If you must have the features that the add-in provides, contact the vendor of the add-in for an update.
If the problem is not resolved, rename the add-in by using its original name, and then repeat steps 3 through 5 for each file in the Startup folder.
If you can still reproduce the problem, click Start, click Run, type %userprofile%Application DataMicrosoftWordStartup, and then click OK.
Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each file in this Startup folder.
COM add-ins
COM add-ins can be installed in any location, and they are installed by programs that interact with Word.
To view the list of COM add-ins in Word 2010, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Options, and then click Add-Ins.
To view the list of COM add-ins in Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Word Options, and then click Add-Ins.
To view the list of installed COM add-ins in Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, follow these steps:
- On the Tools menu, click Customize.
- Click the Commands tab.
- In the Category list, click Tools.
- Drag the COM Add-Ins command to a toolbar.
- Click Close.
- Click the new COM Add-Ins button to view the COM add-ins that are loaded together with Word.
If add-ins are listed in the COM Add-Ins dialog box, temporarily turn off each add-in. To do this, clear the check box for each listed COM add-in, and then click OK. When you restart Word, Word does not load the COM add-ins.
Use the Registry Options utility
You can use the Registry Options Utility to examine and change Word settings in the Windows registry. The Registry Options Utility is located in the Support.dot template.
Note
The Support.dot template is not included in Word 2007 or later versions.
For more information about the Registry Options Utility, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
820917 How to change Word options in the Windows registry for Word 2003
Summary of Word options and where they are stored
Note In the following table, 'Template' refers to either the Normal.dot template or a custom template.
| Setting name | Storage location |
|---|---|
| AutoCorrect-Formatted text | Normal.dotm or Normal.dot |
| AutoCorrect-Shared entries | .ACL files user.acl |
| AutoSave path | Registry |
| AutoText | Template |
| Company name | Winword.exe |
| Custom keystroke assignments | Template |
| Font substitution | Registry |
| Macros | Template/document |
| Picture editing | Registry |
| Print data forms | Document |
| Snap to grid | Registry |
| Styles | Template/document |
| Toolbars | Template/document |
| User info | Registry |
| View toolbars | Template |
| View/toolbar | Template |
| Document Parts | Template |
AutoCorrect lists are shared between Office programs. Any changes that you make to the AutoCorrect entries and settings when you are in one program are immediately available to the other programs. Additionally, Word can store AutoCorrect items that are made up of formatted text and graphics.
Information about AutoCorrect is stored in various locations. These locations are listed in the following table.
| AutoCorrect information | Storage location |
|---|---|
| AutoCorrect entries shared by all programs | .ACL file in the %UserProfile%Application DataMicrosoftOffice folder |
| AutoCorrect entries used only by Word (formatted text and graphics) | Normal.dot |
| AutoCorrect settings (correct two initial capitals, capitalize names of days, replace text as you type) | Registry |
| AutoCorrect settings used only by Word (corrects accidental usage of CAPS LOCK key, capitalizes first letter of sentences) | Registry |
Updated for Word 2008 (DRAFT in Progress)
Contents
- Spelling FAQ
- Change Language in a Single Click in Word 2008 (external link, scroll down for English)
- Known Bugs
Note: the Word 2004 Help topic 'Troubleshoot spelling and grammar checking' also addresses some questions not covered here.
Spelling Fixes
Spelling depends on the language setting, so first make sure you have a Tools>Language menu entry. If not, see here.
Fixing All Documents, or Changing the Default Language
You need to modify the style that the text is formatted in, to include the language formatting. Then anytime you use that style in the future, it will automatically have the language tags. New documents will behave, although you will need to fix old documents one-by-one.
Change the Normal Style
Go to Tools>Language, select a Language, and click Default.
Word will automatically add that language tag to your Normal style, which is the default style for text in a new blank document. Be sure the 'do not check spelling or grammar' box is NOT checked. Word will ask you to confirm that you want to change the setting for new documents—answer yes. If on quitting Word, you get a 'save changes to Normal' question, answer yes.
If More Action is Necessary
- Click in a word that is not being spell-checked, and go to Format>Style. The style of that word will already be selected in the left column of the dialog.
- Click Modify. Check the “add to template” box to save your changes to all new documents based on that template, but do NOT check the “automatically update” box.
- Use the Format drop-down menu at the bottom of the Modify dialog to select Language—select the Language you want, and make sure the 'do not check spelling or grammar' box is NOT checked.
- Click OK to exit the Language dialog, then OK to exit the Modify Style dialog, and either Close or Apply to exit the Format>Style dialog.
Fixing Single Documents or Documents Created Earlier
First Check the Language Formatting
Select all the text, go to Tools>Language, select the desired language, uncheck the “do not check spelling or grammar” box if necessary, and hit OK. Be sure to Select All the text first! Now it should work.
If the “do not check spelling or grammar” box has a dash in it, this means part of your text is tagged “do not check.” Click twice to clear completely.
If your document uses more than one language, when you Select All and go to Tools>Language, you will see that no language is highlighted. Let it stay that way. Just click the 'do not check spelling and grammar' box until it is completely clear, and that will remove the 'do not check spelling and grammar' formatting regardless of which languages are applied to the text, and will not change your language formatting.
If Necessary, Check the Preferences
In Word> Preferences> Spelling & Grammar, make sure the box labeled 'Hide spelling errors in this document' is UNchecked (and ditto for the similar box for grammar).
You might also click the Check Document button while there, then recheck the spelling. It's possible that during a previous spell check the Ignore/Ignore All option was used.
Fix Old Documents
You can use either the direct formatting method of Select All, go to Tools>Language, and apply a language and clear the 'do not check' box; or the style-based method of redefining the style in each old document.
None of Those Fixes Worked? Check Your System Setup
If you continue to have problems, you may need to check the system settings. Go to System Preferences>International>Input Menu and ensure the languages and keyboard you want to use are installed and enabled (UK is under British, by the way).
Look on your Menu Bar for the flag for the language you want to use (e.g. if you are using 'English Australian', there should be an Australian flag there.) If either of these is wrong, Word may be asking for dictionaries that may not exist. This should not be necessary to switch languages on a regular basis, but may be a one-time only aid.
A few individuals run into problems when they want the default language for Office documents to be different from the default language settings in the OS. A contributor to Mac OS X Hints has posted his workaround here, after finding difficulties getting Word to default to UK English while he was using an Irish keyboard layout in the OS.
Word 2008 has a preference to 'match font with keyboard' (Word>Preferences>Edit). Unchecking this has helped in related cases.
Still Broken?
It's rare that this is the problem for English speakers, but make sure the proofing tools are actually installed. Look here:
- Word 2008: Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Office/Shared Applications/Proofing Tools
- Word 2004: Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Shared Applications/Proofing Tools/
Set the Default Language
Go to Tools>Language, select your language, and click Default. This will affect all documents created from then on. You'll need to fix old documents one-by one. (If you don't have a Tools>Language entry, see here.)
You are highly advised to read How Spell-Checking Works in Word, as the notion of a 'default language' doesn't exactly apply to Word.
Spell-Check Doesn’t Catch Misspelled Words
For Word to spell-check, whether by using the Tools>Spelling & Grammar dialog, or by showing red underlines for the “check spelling as you type” function, you need to tell it which language you are using.
As a test, click in a word that isn’t being spell-checked. Go to Tools>Language and see what language the “Mark Selected Text As” blue selection bar is highlighting, and if the 'do not check spelling or grammar' box is checked. Note: Older versions of Word (Word 98, Word 2001, Word X) do not have a “do not check spelling and grammar” box. Instead the language list contains a “(no proofing)” option at the very top, which behaves similarly.
- If the language doesn't match the one you think you are using, Word won't catch errors.
- If the 'do not check spelling or grammar' box is checked, Word won't catch errors.
If Tools>Language shows settings you don’t want, here’s how to fix it. If you don't have a Tools>Language entry, see here.
The Mysterious 'No Proofing' Message
Sometimes when you run Tools>Spelling & Grammar, Word will give you the following dialog message after the spellcheck is complete.
The spelling check is Complete. Text set to (no proofing) was skipped. To find (no proofing) text, click Edit/Replace, click More, click Format, click language and choose No proofing.
Word spellchecks according to the language formatting that has been applied to the text. You can see what language the text is formatted in by going to Tools>Language and seeing what comes up highlighted. If you receive the above message, it means that some of the text is formatted without a language, or as No Proofing. Word is giving you instructions on how to find that text, so that you can reformat it. Note: If you don't have a Tools>Language entry, see here.
Now, in recent versions, this message is actually incorrect. Versions of Word prior to Word 2004 had (no proofing) listed as equivalent to a language, so that it was possible to have text with no language formatting at all. In Word 2004, the equivalent of (no proofing) is checking the 'do not check spelling and grammar' box in Tools>Language, which is a format layered on top of language formatting. So in Word 2004, when it says search for (no proofing) text, really you need to search for text with that 'do not check spelling and grammar' box checked. In earlier versions, you would search for a Tools>Language setting of (no proofing).
However, you can ignore this message entirely. Just jump to the Fixes section for the regular remedies.
How Spell-Checking Works in Word
Common Misconceptions
The Word>Preferences>Spelling and Grammar item labeled 'Dictionaries..' only relates to custom dictionaries, and nothing else. Making changes there will not help solve a spellchecking problem.
The Encarta dictionary, which you access via Tools>Dictionary or the Toolbox when looking for definitions of words, has nothing to do with spellchecking at all.
Fundamental Fact: Correct Spell-Checking Depends on a Correct Language Setting
Language is a text property, like bold, or italic. It is not a program-level setting, so you cannot set a preference to tell Word to use UK English, or set an active dictionary to UK English. Instead, you have to make sure that the text is tagged as UK English (or whatever language you are interested in).
This approach is actually more powerful, as it provides the flexibility to use multiple languages in the same document and have all those words spellchecked properly. However, it can be quite confusing, as it may mean that you have to change text formatting in multiple places instead of just changing one setting.
So how do you tag the default text with the correct language? Well, first you need to understand where default text comes from. New documents in Word, created by cmd-n or File>New Blank Document, are based on the Normal template. The Normal template already has an empty paragraph in it. Regular new documents are more or less copies of the Normal template.
Usually, that empty paragraph is formatted in the Normal style. So to change the settings for that, you would change the language setting for the Normal style. When you go to Tools>Language, select a language, and click Default, that is exactly what Word does, making it a little easier for you. So you can do that. Note: If you don't have a Tools>Language entry, see here.
Changing the Normal style, however, only takes effect for new documents generated from the Normal template. It will not change already created documents, so you will need to do that manually. In addition, if you are using any other templates, you may need to change the language formatting for those templates as well. Please jump to the Fixes section for details on how.
Why Does Spell-Checking Go Bad?
In single documents, one common reason is pasting in text from the web or another document, which has a different language formatting. That text will carry its formatting unless you use one of the Paste Options (new in Word 2004), and if you continue typing and hitting enter from that text, the same formatting will apply to your new text.
In versions earlier than Word 2004, new styles created from scratch were set to (no proofing) unless you specifically assigned them a language.
Check Spelling in a Different Language
First make sure you installed the proofing tools for the language. Look here:
- Word 2008: Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Office/Shared Applications/Proofing Tools
- Word 2004: Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Shared Applications/Proofing Tools/
to see what proofing files are already installed.
If you don't see the language you want, check the unofficial list of the proofing tools in Office 2008 and 2004. If the languages you want are on the list, but not in your Proofing Tools folder, go back to the install CD and try installing the proofing tools for that language, using the Custom Installer. Office 2004 offers more proofing tools than Office X. For versions earlier than Office 2004, additional language proofing tools are hidden in the Value Pack on the CD. Note that MacWord offers spell-check for many languages, but will only check the grammar for a few, and will not offer definitions for anything but English.
If you do see the desired language files in the Proofing Tools folder, then you need to make sure that you specifically tell Word what language the text is. To do so, select text, go to Tools>Language, select the desired language, and click OK. If you are in Word 2004 or 2008, make sure 'do not check spelling or grammar' box is completely clear, no hyphen or anything. (If you don't have a Tools>Language entry, see here.)
Once the text is properly tagged, Word will automatically use the correct proofing tools when you right-click (control-click) or when you run Tools>Spelling & Grammar, even if your sentences mix more than one language.
If you are changing languages in a lot of documents, it may be easier to record a macro to apply the language as direct formatting; or to use a style that includes the language formatting; or to create a template that has the default set to your preferred language. For Word 2008, see Corentin Cras-Méneur's tips on creating a script to easily switch languages.
It is possible to tag text with a language that you don't actually have installed, as the Tools>Language dialog will list languages that you do not have proofing tools for. Word will just completely ignore this text. It will not be spell-checked, and Word won’t even give you a message that some text was skipped, as it would if some text were tagged “do not check spelling and grammar.” So be careful not to make that mistake. However, different versions of Word have different proofing tools available. If you tagged a language Czech, and then sent it to a Windows-using friend who did have Czech proofing tools installed, your friend should be able to spellcheck the text.
The Spelling & Grammar Preferences Are Grayed Out
If the Spelling & Grammar section of Word>Preferences is grayed out, this is probably due to a corrupt Preferences file. See here for Word X/2004/2008 and here for Word 98/2001.
If only the Grammar section is grayed out in Word>Preferences, Spelling & Grammar pane, this may be because you have assigned a language that MacWord doesn’t have grammar tools for, such as Dutch. Oddly, even if you assign a language that MacWord doesn’t have any proofing tools for, such as Turkish, the Spelling Preferences will not be grayed out.
The Add Button Is Grayed Out
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The “Add” button in the Tools>Spelling & Grammar dialog, or in the right-click menu, may be grayed out. This is probably because you don’t have a Custom Dictionary established.
You need to enable a custom dictionary, as the words you Add go into your personal custom dictionary. In Word>Preferences>Spelling & Grammar, click on Dictionaries.. to manage custom dictionaries. The checked ones are loaded. If there is nothing in the list, you may need to create a custom dictionary (click New in the dialog).
If you assigned the custom dictionary a language, then Add may be grayed out because the language assigned to the word does not match the language assigned to the dictionary. The custom dictionary does not require a language, and if you don’t assign a language, the custom dictionary can mix together words of any language. For that reason, set the language of the custom dictionary to “none” whenever possible. A bug involving a Spanish custom dictionary has been fixed in Office 11.2.
Word’s Help on “custom dictionary” is actually rather helpful, at least in Word 2004.
There Is No 'Language' on My Tools Menu
If you don't see an entry for Language in the Tools menu, it's probably because you have Word 5.1 Menus enabled. Look under View. If you see an entry for 5.1 Menus, uncheck it. The entry will vanish.
This is also the explanation for a missing View>Formatting Palette, and various other menu oddities.
Word 2004 has had a rash of complaints about 5.1 Menus being enabled because the simple keyboard shortcuts control-5 and control-8 turn them on. You can unassign this shortcut key through the Tools>Customize dialog, if you want to prevent this happening. The command you need is 'Word5Menus' and it is listed under the category 'Window and Help'. If you are not familiar with Tools>Customize, see here.
Some Known Bugs
If you have additional information on these bugs, or suggested workarounds, please post a message on the the Microsoft's Answers site. Microsoft office 2016 professional plus download für mac.
Do You Have a Custom Dictionary with the Language Set to Spanish?—FIXED!
FIXED in Office 2004 SP2 with the 11.2 updater! Previously, a bug in the Spanish proofing tools prevented you from using a custom dictionary with the language set to Spanish. After installing the 11.2 update, you should be able to use a Spanish custom dictionary.
German Hyphenation Makes Word Crash
Word 2004—at present it is not confirmed whether this has been fixed in Word 2008, or by an update to Word 2004.
If you are using German documents and have automatic hyphenation turned on, Word may crash. It appears that an update for Word 2004 corrupted the German Hyphenation files (around 11.2). You can fix the problem by re-installing older German Hyphenation files.
Quit all Office programs. Look in the folder Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Shared Applications/Proofing Tools/ and trash the following three files:
- German Hyph Dict (post-reform)
- German Hyph Dict (pre-reform)
- German Hyphenation
Replace them with the identically named files from the Office 2004 CD, or even the Office X CD.
Thanks to forum posters here and here for this information.
The Tools>Spelling & Grammar Dialog Stops Showing Suggestions
This bug has been confirmed in Word 2004, up to and including the Office 11.2.1 update. If you are spell-checking long documents, and hit Change All a few times, eventually the suggestions window in the Spelling & Grammar dialog will stop showing new suggestions. Word will actually carry on spell-checking in the background, but you can’t see the words it suggests because the dialog stops refreshing. The only way to fix this problem is to exit the dialog and start over—or avoid clicking Change All. Using Find and Replace instead may be a possible workaround.
In this case, long documents are defined as about 100 pages or more.
This bug appears to be fixed in Word 2008. It may have been fixed with an earlier update in Word 2004, so run Help>Check for Updates in that program.
If you see this bug in Word 2008, please post on the Mac Word Microsoft Answers Site and let the MacBU know by using Help>Send Feedback in Word.
My Exclude Dictionary Doesn’t Work
It doesn't work for anyone. The feature is broken in Word 2008, Word 2004, and possibly Word X.
In fact, if you follow the directions in Word 2004 Help for “specify a preferred spelling for a word,” you will find that you have loaded your exclude dictionary as a custom dictionary and that all those words you meant to exclude are now being read as correct.
Possible workaround: create your own custom entries in Tools>AutoCorrect to change words that you would normally add to an exclude dictionary. AutoCorrect is language-dependent, so that you can set words to AutoCorrect when typing in one language but not in another.
Please use Help>Send Feedback in Word to let the MacBU (Macintosh division of Microsoft) know that you need an exclude dictionary. Explain to them why you need it and how you use it.
For versions earlier than Word 2004, Word’s Help on “exclude dictionary” is actually quite good. Start there if you are having problems.