AutoCorrect vs. AutoText Comparison

For a long time, I did not know the difference between AutoCorrect and AutoText. If I misspelled a word, AutoCorrect helped by making the correction for me. If I type the current date starting with the name of the month, AutoText will display the name of the month after the first four letters of the name. Other than that, what else did I need to know!

AutoCorrect

There is no prompt displayed as you type specific blocks of text such as an abbreviation or acronym. The text is immediately changed to an assigned block of text. I use AutoCorrect for small blocks of text:

• law or medical firms with several partners in the firms’ name ( dch = Dewey, Cheatham & Howe)
• Latin names of plants (rh = Rhododendron)
• long chemical names (PVC = PolyVinylChloride)

AutoCorrect lets me setup up a shortcut that automatically inserts a block of text as I type the shortcut throughout the document. AutoCorrect is a Microsoft Office feature.

AutoCorrect can also be used as a shortcut to insert symbols such as a copyright, or trademark symbol.

AutoCorrect Instructions

To add more commonly misspelled words, abbreviations, industry anonyms, or shortcuts, go to the Microsoft Office Word 2003 Tools menu.

• Click the Tools menu
• Click the AutoCorrect Options command
• In the Replace: box, type the abbreviation (acronym) of the actual text you want to appear
• In the With: Box, type the actual text you want to appear in your document
• Click the OK button

AutoText

Type the first four letters of an AutoText entry. The AutoText prompt is displayed as a yellow, user defined block of text that appears above the typed text, to be accepted or rejected in a document. AutoText can be used for large blocks of text inside a document, such as “boilerplate” text which is similar to but not a template. I teach students how to use AutoText to create a standard “footer” that accepts and transforms their initials into a block of text that includes their full name, assignment name or number, on the first line, and the assignment page number, and current date, on the next line. AutoText lets them choose to accept or reject the text entry. AutoText is a Microsoft Office Word 2003 feature not found in the other Microsoft Office 2003 programs.

You may have documents such as a letter or memo, which have a familiar greeting or closing remark you do not want to type repeatedly. Use AutoText to fill-in that block of text. AutoText is a Microsoft Office Word feature not found in other Microsoft Office programs.

AutoText Instructions

To add more blocks of text to AutoText feature, go to the Microsoft Office Word 2003 Insert menu.

• Click the Insert menu
• Click the AutoText command
• In the Enter AutoText entries here box, type your text entry
• Click the Add button
• Click the OK button

As my own personal guideline, I use AutoCorrect entries for very short, repetitive blocks of text; AutoText entries for large blocks of text.

Remember! AutoCorrect entries are inserted without a warning or cautionary display; AutoText entries display a user-confirmation to a prompt.

Keep this article and more Microsoft Word tips at your fingertips. Bookmark Your MS Word Trainer or make Your MS Word Trainer a Favorite.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Originally posted 2009-11-14 17:23:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter