Part IV: Using Advanced Excel Features

FIGURE 32.17

Use the Spelling dialog box to locate and correct spelling errors in your worksheets.

The Spelling dialog box works similarly to other spell checkers with which you may be familiar. If Excel encounters a word that isn’t in the current dictionary or that is misspelled, it offers a list of suggestions. You can respond by clicking one of these buttons:

•Ignore Once: Ignore the word and continues the spell check.

•Ignore All: Ignore the word and all subsequent occurrences of it.

•Add to Dictionary: Add the word to the dictionary.

•Change: Change the word to the selected word in the Suggestions list.

•Change All: Change the word to the selected word in the Suggestions list and change all subsequent occurrences of it without asking.

•AutoCorrect: Add the misspelled word and its correct spelling (which you select from the list) to the AutoCorrect list.

Using AutoCorrect

AutoCorrect is a handy feature that automatically corrects common typing mistakes. You can also add words to the list that Excel corrects automatically. The AutoCorrect dialog box appears in Figure 32.18. To access this feature, choose File Options. In the Excel Options dialog box, click the Proofing tab and then click the AutoCorrect Options button.

This dialog box has several options:

•Correct TWo INitial CApitals: Automatically corrects words with two initial uppercase letters. For example, BUdget is converted to Budget. This mistake is common among fast typists. You can click the Exceptions button to specify a list of exceptions to this rule.

•Capitalize First Letter of Sentences: Capitalizes the first letter in a sentence. All other letters are unchanged.

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•Capitalize Names of Days: Capitalizes the days of the week. If you enter monday, Excel converts it to Monday.

•Correct Accidental Use of cAPS LOCK key: Corrects errors caused if you accidentally pressed the CapsLock key while typing.

•Replace Text as You Type: AutoCorrect automatically changes incorrect words as you type them.

FIGURE 32.18

Use the AutoCorrect dialog box to control the spelling corrections Excel makes automatically.

Excel includes a long list of AutoCorrect entries for commonly misspelled words. In addition, it has AutoCorrect entries for some symbols. For example, (c) is replaced with ©, and (r) is replaced with ®. You can also add your own AutoCorrect entries. For example, if you find that you frequently misspell the word January as Janruary, you can create an AutoCorrect entry so that it’s changed automatically. To create a new AutoCorrect entry, enter the misspelled word in the Replace box and the correctly spelled word in the With field. You can also delete entries that you no longer need.

Tip

You also can use the AutoCorrect feature to create shortcuts for commonly used words or phrases. For example, if you work for a company named Consolidated Data Processing Corporation, you can create an AutoCorrect entry for an abbreviation, such as cdp. Then, whenever you type cdp, Excel automatically changes it to Consolidated Data Processing Corporation. Just make sure that you don’t use a combination of characters that might normally appear in your text. n

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Part IV: Using Advanced Excel Features

Note

In some cases, you may want to override the AutoCorrect feature. For example, you may need to literally enter

(c) rather than a copyright symbol. Just click the Undo button on the Quick Access toolbar or press Ctrl+Z. n

You can use the AutoFormat as You Type tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box to control a few other automatic settings in Excel.

Use the Smart Tags tab to make Excel show Smart Tags — similar to hyperlinks — for certain types of data in your worksheets. The types of Smart Tags Excel recognizes vary depending on the types of software that are installed on your system.

The Math AutoCorrect tab contains shortcuts used to enter symbols when working in the Equation Editor (see Chapter 22).

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Part V

Analyzing Data

with Excel