AutoCorrect: The New Shorthand

By Tim McIndoo, Dissertation Editor

If you want to speed up your work and improve the accuracy of your typing, you might try using Word’s AutoCorrect feature. It can store and paste up to 255 characters.

Using AutoCorrect in Word 2007

To access this function,

1. Click on the Office button in the upper left corner of the screen. A screen pops up.
2. Click on Word Options at the bottom right.
3. From the menu bar on the left, click on Proofing (third option from the top). Then look for the first heading on the page and click on the box labeled "AutoCorrect Options." The AutoCorrect dialog box then appears. Here is a screen shot of the AutoCorrect dialog box, ready for entry of a new item:

Using AutoCorrect in Word 2003

To access this function,

1. Go to Tools on the Menu Bar.
2. Drop down to AutoCorrect Options near the bottom of the menu. Here is a screen shot of the AutoCorrect dialog box, ready for entry of a new item:

In the center of the screen, look for the Replace box. Type in the short form of the text you want to make magically appear, for example, your full name. Here you’ll see “tqm.” Just to the right, in the With box, type in the long form of the text. Here you’ll see “Timothy Quinn McIndoo.” Click Add. The box now looks like this:

Now click Add. Then click OK and the dialog box disappears. It’s as simple as that.

To confirm your entry, open a Word doc and type in the code followed by the space bar. Voila! Your text appears! Note that you can use both plain and formatted text. Select either the Plain text button or the Formatted text button just above the replacement text in the With box.

Finally, don't forget to keep a list of all your entries!