Add or Remove AutoCorrect Exceptions in Word, Excel, PowerPoint

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Microsoft Office’s AutoCorrect feature can be a huge time-saver by automatically fixing common typos and spelling mistakes as you type. However, sometimes AutoCorrect changes words you don’t want it to change. Fortunately, you can customize AutoCorrect by adding or removing exceptions.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to add or remove words, abbreviations, and phrases from the AutoCorrect exceptions list in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Being able to customize these exceptions gives you more control over how AutoCorrect works.

Why Use AutoCorrect Exceptions

Here are some examples of when using AutoCorrect exceptions can be helpful:

  • You use a lot of industry-specific terms or acronyms that AutoCorrect keeps changing incorrectly. Adding exceptions prevents this.
  • There are names or words you use often that AutoCorrect keeps capitalizing incorrectly.
  • You want abbreviations like “etc.” to remain abbreviated instead of changing to “etc” with a period.
  • AutoCorrect changes words in other languages that should not be corrected.

Without customizing the exceptions, these types of unwanted changes can happen frequently.

How to Add Exceptions in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Adding a new exception is easy and prevents AutoCorrect from making automatic changes to that word or phrase. Here are the steps:

  1. Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint and click “File” > “Options”.
  2. Click “Proofing” then “AutoCorrect Options”.
  3. In the AutoCorrect dialog box, click the “Exceptions” button.
  4. On the Exceptions tabs, type the word or phrase you want to add.
  5. Click “Add” to add it to the exceptions list.

The steps are the same for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Now AutoCorrect will ignore that word or phrase instead of changing it automatically.

Removing Exceptions

To remove an exception that you no longer want on the list:

  1. Follow steps 1-3 above to open the Exceptions dialog box.
  2. On the appropriate Exceptions tab, select the word or phrase you want to remove.
  3. Click “Delete”.

The exception will be removed from the list so that AutoCorrect can once again make automatic changes to that word or phrase while you type.

Tips for Managing Exceptions

Here are some additional tips for managing your AutoCorrect exceptions effectively:

  • Review your full list of exceptions periodically and remove outdated ones.
  • Be careful about adding exceptions. The more you add, the less automatic correction AutoCorrect can do properly.
  • Pay attention when typing to identify new problem words to add as exceptions.
  • If you use a variety of Office apps, add exceptions in each program’s options because they do not sync automatically between programs.

Fixing Unwanted AutoCorrect Changes

If AutoCorrect makes an unwanted change before you can add the word as an exception, quickly press Ctrl+Z to undo the change. Alternatively, click the AutoCorrect icon when it appears and select “Stop Automatically Correcting” or “Undo AutoCorrect” from the options.

Conclusion

Learning how to customize your AutoCorrect exceptions gives you more control over accidental changes while typing in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Carefully add any problem words and phrases to the exception list, and remove outdated exceptions periodically. With a few minutes customizing the AutoCorrect options, you can improve efficiency and prevent annoying automatic changes to specialized terms and names.

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