Word is programmed to recognize spelling and grammar errors and to automatically underline areas where the program believes it has detected an error. Spelling errors will be underlined in red and grammatical errors will be underlined in blue.
To Correct a Spelling or Grammar Error, if you know where the correction needs to be made, you can edit it manually and the underline will disappear on its own when it recognizes you have made the correction. Otherwise, click on the underlined text. This will open a small window of suggestions Microsoft has for you to use as a correction. If you see the word or phrase you intended, select it and Word will correct it for you and remove the underline once it has been done.
To Ignore a Spelling or Grammar Error, Sometimes, Microsoft incorrectly underlines a word or phrase you typed, assuming it is a mistake. This happens commonly with names or titles the program does not recognize. If you want the underline to disappear, click on the error and select “Ignore All.”
To Check Spelling and Grammar, find the ‘Review’ tab along the top bar, next to ‘File,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Insert,’ etc. When the Review tab is open, select ‘Spelling and Grammar,’ or ‘Editor’ (depending on your version of Microsoft Word.) A side bar will open on the right-hand side of the screen, and you will be able to view and access all editing information there.
To Find the Word Count, click on “XXX Words” (the count will display in lieu of the X’s) at the bottom left-hand corner of your document. (It will be grey.) Alternatively, you can find it under the Review tab.
To Use the Thesaurus, highlight a word and right-click on the highlighted word. A menu will pop up, from it, click “Synonyms For” and a list will open for you to choose from. You can click on any word written in blue to get a definition of it, and if it is one you find appropriate, you can either manually replace it yourself, or you can find the “+” button next to the word from the list and it will replace the word for you.
To Find a Particular Text, from the Home tab, click “Find” (by the magnifying glass) or use the keyboard shortcut, [ctrl]-[F] and type the text you wish to find in the search box. Then, click an item to jump to that place in your document.
To Insert a Symbol, click where you want the symbol to appear on your document. Then, find and open the Insert tab at the top. Next, click “Symbol” and a drop-down menu of different symbol options will be displayed. Click on the one you wish to add, and it will be placed onto your document.