# Word 2000

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2000/114431>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 17, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2000/114431 "2002-06-17T00:37:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2000/114431/1 "2002-06-17T00:37:41Z")

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Is there any possible way to use the dictionary and thesaurus features in Word 2000 without having to load Word 2K? Can i just add a shortcut to the desktop for those tools?

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**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2000/114431/2 "2002-06-17T11:50:14Z")

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Are those tools even available in their own shells?

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**Author:** ![magog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@magog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magog)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2000/114431/3 "2002-06-17T13:29:37Z")

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Not easily, AFAIK. The dictionary files are in \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\PROOF, but they are DLLs and are meant to be run within an application. Theoretically, someone could write a program that was just a shell for those extensions, but that would require some work.

I believe there are on-line (as in, downloadable and run on your desktop) programs that are relatively cheap. At [http://www.m-w.com/book/elecprod/spell.htm](http://www.m-w.com/book/elecprod/spell.htm) (for example), you can get one for $12.95.