Using AutoCorrect to Fix Common Problems

With AutoCorrect, PowerPoint can automatically correct certain common misspellings and formatting errors as you type. One way to add a word to the AutoCorrect list is to click the AutoCorrect button in the Spelling dialog box. Another way is to directly access the AutoCorrect options. To access AutoCorrect, follow these steps:

1. Choose Office PowerPoint Options.

2. Click Proofing.

3. Click AutoCorrect Options. The AutoCorrect dialog box opens.

4. If it is not already displayed, click the AutoCorrect tab, as shown in Figure 8.8.

   
   Figure 8.8: Set up the corrections that you want PowerPoint to handle as you type.

5. Select the options that you want. At the top of the dialog box is a series of check boxes that help you to fine-tune some other corrections that AutoCorrect makes in addition to spelling corrections:

   • Show AutoCorrect Options Buttons: This option controls whether a button is available to reverse an AutoCorrect action after the action occurs. (For more on how to use this button, see the end of this section.)

   • Correct Two Initial Capitals: If you accidentally hold down the Shift key too long and type two capital letters in a row (such as MIcrosoft), PowerPoint corrects this error if you leave this option selected.

   • Capitalize First Letter of Sentences: Leave this option selected to have PowerPoint capitalize the first letter of the first word after a sentence-ending punctuation mark, such as a period, or to capitalize the first letter of the word that occurs at the beginning of a paragraph.

     EXPERT TIP 

     Click the Exceptions button to open an AutoCorrect Exceptions dialog box. Here, you can enter a list of capitalization exceptions, such as abbreviations that use periods but aren't at the end of a sentence (for example, approx. and Ave.). You can also set up a list of Two Initial Capitals exceptions.

   • Capitalize First Letter of Table Cells: Leave this option selected to capitalize the first letter of the first word within a table cell. Otherwise, PowerPoint does not treat text in a table as a sentence for capitalization purposes.

   • Capitalize Names of Days: Leave this option selected to make sure that the names of days, such as Sunday, Monday, and so on, are capitalized.

   • Correct Accidental Use of Caps Lock Key: If you accidentally leave the Caps Lock on, PowerPoint can sometimes detect it and fix this problem. For example, if you type the sentence, "hE WAS GLAD TO SEE US," PowerPoint may conclude that the Caps Lock is inappropriately on, and so it turns the Caps Lock off for you and fixes the sentence.

   • Replace Text As You Type: This option activates the main portion of AutoCorrect, the word list. You must leave this option selected if you want AutoCorrect to correct spelling as you are typing. For example, if you type "yoiu," PowerPoint automatically changes it to "you."

6. Add items that you commonly misspell to the Replace/With list at the bottom of the dialog box. By default, this list already contains a number of word and symbol pairs. To the left is the common misspelling, and to the right is the word that PowerPoint substitutes in its place. Scroll through this list to see the types of corrections that PowerPoint makes. To add a word pair to the list, type the misspelling in the Replace text box and then type the replacement in the With text box. Then click the Add button. You can also add corrections through the Spelling dialog box.

   EXPERT TIP 

   You can use AutoCorrect to insert typographical symbols. The (C) entry is already set up to insert a copyright symbol, for example, and the (R) entry will insert a registered trademark symbol. If there is a symbol you use frequently yourself, feel free to set up an AutoCorrect entry to insert it more easily.

   If PowerPoint insists on making a correction that you do not want, you can delete that correction from the list. Simply select it from the list and click Delete. For example, one of my clients likes me to code certain headings with (C) in front of them, and so the first thing that I do in any Office program is to remove the AutoCorrect entry that specifies that (C) must be converted to a copyright symbol ((c)).

7. When you are finished, click OK to close the AutoCorrect dialog box.

Caution 

Don't use AutoCorrect for misspellings that you may sometimes want to change to some other word, or you may introduce embarrassing mistakes into your document. For example, if you often type "pian" instead of "pain," and you also sometimes type "pian" instead of "piano," don't tell PowerPoint to always AutoCorrect to "pain," or you may find that PowerPoint has corrected your attempt at typing piano and made it a pain!

When an AutoCorrect action occurs, provided you have not turned off the icon, a small, blue rectangle appears when you point at the AutoCorrected word. Place your cursor over it to display an icon, and then click the icon to see a menu, as shown in Figure 8.9. From here, you can reverse the action, disable that particular correction, or open the AutoCorrect Options dialog box.

Figure 8.9: You can reverse an action, disable a correction, or open the AutoCorrect Options dialog box.