Hello. This is Gerry Chevalier from the GTT Edmonton Chapter. This weekly blog provides tips that I find useful as a keyboard user of Windows. The information is for Windows10 and Office 365, although many tips still apply to older versions.  The tips do not require a screen reader unless specifically noted. Thus, the tips apply whether you are a keyboard user or low vision mouse user. Here is this week’s tip.

Microsoft Word – Quick Spelling Correction and Finding Synonyms

As you are typing, you might make a typo or hear a misspelled word. If you press the Applications key on the incorrect word, a context menu will open, and Windows will suggest what it thinks is the correct word. Simply press Enter to accept the correction, or Escape to return to your document, or press Tab for additional options such as adding the word to the spelling dictionary, or ignoring it. IF a new word is not suggested when you press the Applications key, then Windows is not aware of the misspelling.

Also, when you think you might have used a word too frequently or think there might be a better word to use but you can’t think of one, just press the Applications key on the word. When the context menu opens, arrow down to the Synonyms submenu and press Enter. You will be placed in a list of synonyms. IF one of them is desirable, just press Enter and your original word will be replaced with the chosen synonym. If you don’t like any of the choices, just press Escape to close the menu.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.