# customize a keystroke to spell a word.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customize-a-keystroke-to-spell-a-word/699801
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 28, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customize-a-keystroke-to-spell-a-word/699801 "2014-09-28T20:04:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@btthegreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btthegreat)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customize-a-keystroke-to-spell-a-word/699801/1 "2014-09-28T20:04:50Z")
I want to customize my laptop symbol keys that I never use, to spell acronyms or words that I might use frequently. Is there anyway to do this ? For example can I code the left bracket symbol to type out ," IMO", LOL, my first name, or ’ Conservatives are dead wrong AGAIN! ’ with a single stroke? Its a lot more efficient considering how much more frequently I need those than a left bracket.
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### Author:  [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customize-a-keystroke-to-spell-a-word/699801/2 "2014-09-28T20:35:55Z")
I use autocorrect for such things in Word\*. There is probably a similar program that will work globally.
\*Well, not those things precisely, but typing my initials will cause my whole name to appear and the like.
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customize-a-keystroke-to-spell-a-word/699801/3 "2014-09-28T23:03:35Z")
What you’re talking about is called a ‘ **macro** ’, a combination of keystrokes that can be assigned to a single keystroke. Google **‘macro recorder’** and you’ll find lots of them…
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customize-a-keystroke-to-spell-a-word/699801/4 "2014-09-29T20:06:35Z")
[autohotkey](http://www.autohotkey.com/) is free; use it to make “[hotstrings](http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Hotstrings.htm)” that function as autoreplace in all your programs.
At the bottom of that page is a pre-made hotstring helper that lets you easily add new autoreplace entries.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customize-a-keystroke-to-spell-a-word/699801/5 "2014-09-29T21:08:07Z")
Just don’t change it to anything about quarries, or throwing stuff down them, OK?