Shortcut for AutoCorrect Dialog Box

Christine uses the AutoCorrect feature in Word quite a bit. She would like to set up a shortcut key so that when she presses it, the AutoCorrect dialog box is displayed with the insertion point in the Replace box.

There is no built-in shortcut to display the AutoCorrect dialog box. There are a couple of ways you can approach the problem, however. One is to use the menu shortcuts to display the desired dialog box. This means that in versions of Word prior to Word 2007 you can press Alt, T, A to select the desired menu commands. Note that these are individual key presses; you don't press all three at the same time. The Alt key selects the menus, the T key selects the Tools menu, and the A key selects the AutoCorrect Options choice on the Tools menu. (In Word 2007 you cannot follow these steps; there are no menus to activate, so Alt does nothing.)

Using the three keystrokes to display the AutoCorrect dialog box may sound like a potential problem in the making. After all, on many dialog boxes, Word "remembers" which tab of the dialog box was previously displayed, and then displays that same tab when the dialog box again is displayed. If your goal is to always display the AutoCorrect tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box (so that you can define AutoCorrect entries), then displaying different tabs by following the keystrokes would be a problem.

This is apparently not a problem with the AutoCorrect dialog box, however. Even though it has multiple tabs, it always displays the AutoCorrect tab whenever the dialog box is displayed, regardless of what was previously displayed in the dialog box. Thus, the three keystrokes will always take you right to the place you need in order to define new AutoCorrect entries.

Another option is to create your own AutoCorrect tool for the toolbar. It isn't a keyboard shortcut, but it places the desired dialog box only a single click away. If you are using a version of Word prior to Word 2007, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on any toolbar and choose Customize from the resulting Context menu. Word displays the Customize dialog box.
2. In the Categories list, choose Tools. (Click here to see a related figure.)
3. In the Commands list, choose AutoCorrect Options.
4. Use the mouse to click and drag the AutoCorrect Options command from the list to where you want it on a toolbar.
5. Click Close to dismiss the Customize dialog box.

Now, when you click the tool, the AutoCorrect dialog box opens and the insertion point is in the Replace box, as desired. The same result can be achieved in Word 2007 by following these steps:

1. Click the Office button, then click Word Options. Word displays the Word Options dialog box.
2. Make sure the Customize option is selected at the left side of the dialog box.
3. Using the Choose Commands From drop-down list, choose Commands Not In The Ribbon.
4. Scroll through the list of available commands and choose AutoCorrect Options.
5. Click the Add button. The command is moved to the list at the right of the dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
6. Click OK. The command now appears in the Quick Access Toolbar, to the right of the Office button and just above the ribbon.

Click the new tool, and the AutoCorrect dialog box pops up, allowing you to define any AutoCorrect entries you desire.

Of course, you can also use the Customize dialog box to define an actual keyboard shortcut. Simply follow these steps in versions of Word prior to Word 2007:

1. Right-click on any toolbar and choose Customize from the resulting Context menu. Word displays the Customize dialog box.
2. Click the Keyboard button at the bottom of the dialog box. Word displays the Customize Keyboard dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
3. In the Categories list, choose Tools.
4. In the Commands list, choose ToolsAutoCorrect.
5. Click once in the Press New Shortcut Key box so that the insertion point appears there.
6. Press a keyboard shortcut you want to use to display the dialog box. (You can tell if the shortcut is in use because when you press it, you can see in the dialog box if the shortcut is used by a different command.)
7. Click Assign. The shortcut is now assigned to the command.
8. Close all the open dialog boxes.

The process of assigning a shortcut key is a bit different in Word 2007. Follow these steps, instead:

1. Click the Office button, then click Word Options. Word displays the Word Options dialog box.
2. Make sure the Customize option is selected at the left side of the dialog box.
3. Click the Customize button at the bottom of the dialog box, just to the right of the words "Keyboard Shortcuts." Word displays the Customize Keyboard dialog box.
4. In the Categories list, choose All Commands.
5. Scroll quite far through the Commands list and choose ToolsAutoCorrect.
6. Click once in the Press New Shortcut Key box so that the insertion point appears there.
7. Press a keyboard shortcut you want to use to display the dialog box. (You can tell if the shortcut is in use because when you press it, you can see in the dialog box if the shortcut is used by a different command.)
8. Click Assign. The shortcut is now assigned to the command.
9. Close all the open dialog boxes.