# Any way to compare Word dictionaries?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-compare-word-dictionaries/490517>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 23, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-compare-word-dictionaries/490517 "2009-03-23T22:38:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-compare-word-dictionaries/490517/1 "2009-03-23T22:38:48Z")

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Depending on the client, I have to switch Word (2000) between American and British English (the [Oxford Spellchecker and Dictionary](http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?ci=9780199234189) helps). In setting up a document, I go to Tools\>Language\>Set Language, then scroll down to the list of English choices.

Ohhh! Jamaican? Caribbean? Canadian? Oh, the list goes on. Is there a way I can compare the standard American English dictionary file to the other language dictionaries? I’d love to find out how Irish English differs.

MS Access is available if I need to import the lists and run a query.

Or is there an easier way?

Thanks,

Rhythm

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**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-compare-word-dictionaries/490517/2 "2009-03-25T12:06:34Z")

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The short answer is that you can’t do this.

[Answer To a similar question on the MS Office Site Forum](http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.word.docmanagement&tid=05cbae6e-2860-40ee-9ad4-79287b8fd0e1&cat=en-us-office-word&lang=en&cr=US&sloc=en-us&m=1&p=1http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.word.docmanagement&tid=05cbae6e-2860-40ee-9ad4-79287b8fd0e1&cat=en-us-office-word&lang=en&cr=US&sloc=en-us&m=1&p=1)

If the above does not pull back the thread, go to:  
[http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx](http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx)  
Search on “dictionary” in “Word General Questions”  
The thread you want is “How do I browse the installed spelling dictionary?”

Basically:

1. The dictionaries that come with Office are binary files
2. They are not actually lists of words, they a set of bases, prefixes, roots, and a rules data set which is used by office programs to do the spell check.
3. Hi Opal.

You can ultimately create your own combo dictionary via judicious use of exclude and custom dictionary files. The thread I referenced has a couple of links to how some of that works. Poking around the Office site will yield others.

Hope that helps, though it was probably not what you wanted to hear.