# autocorrect spelling in WORD **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autocorrect-spelling-in-word/554458 "2010-09-20T20:32:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rlguffey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea5d25/32.png) [@rlguffey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rlguffey)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autocorrect-spelling-in-word/554458/1 "2010-09-20T20:32:32Z")
I am wondering what criteria are used to allow WORD to autocorrect spelling. If I type tehm for them it will not correct it. It will correct taht for that, waht for what. Interestingly, it will not correct scuh for such but it will correct suhc. If I type epedite for expedite, it corrects it. Is there an algorithm that determines when autocorrect is used and when it is not? There must be, but what are the criteria for correction? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autocorrect-spelling-in-word/554458/2 "2010-09-20T21:12:03Z")
Under Autocorrect options there’s an autocorrect tab with a list of entries. You can delete any you want and add your own entries. If you say what version you’re working with we can tell you exactly where to look. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autocorrect-spelling-in-word/554458/3 "2010-09-22T05:26:36Z")
Autocorrect has a list with 2 columns in it. If it finds something you type in column A, it will change it to the word in column B. You have to enter the words in yourself (I am not familiar with the last few versions of word, but the one I have has no supplied entries). You can have some fun with this if you have access to someone else’s computer. I once changed a co-workers Autocorrect to misspell words that he was likely to use on project documentation (change “files” to “flies” for example). I completely forgot about it within a month, and he didn’t notice it for 6 months. The only reason he noticed it at all was I also programmed it to spell his own name wrong. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autocorrect-spelling-in-word/554458/4 "2010-09-22T11:47:20Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > The only reason he noticed it at all was I also programmed it to spell his own name wrong. 😃 You can make it spell someone’s name not just wrong, but completely different. Example: user types “Bob”, which the gets autocorrected to “Dickweed”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autocorrect-spelling-in-word/554458/5 "2010-09-22T12:25:31Z")
You can also use it for shortcuts. I often program a two-letter code for the name of my main character when I’m writing a novel, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autocorrect-spelling-in-word/554458/6 "2010-09-22T13:20:23Z")
Autocorrect is not artificial intelligence…it is completely user/progammer driven. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autocorrect-spelling-in-word/554458/7 "2010-09-22T13:36:27Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > You can make it spell someone’s name not just wrong, but completely different. Example: user types “Bob”, which the gets autocorrected to “Dickweed”. I’ve done this to co-workers’ computers a couple of times - have it change something they would type semi-frequently to something else entirely. If you practice a little on your own computer, and know what substitutions you want to make, you can do it in just a few seconds of access.