Spell Checker Changes Font in Excel Object

Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
Article ID: Q83582

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 4.0, 4.0a
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0

SUMMARY

If you make a spelling correction to the text in a text box or button using the Spelling command in Microsoft Excel, the font changes to the font used by the first character of text. This happens only when the text box or button is selected in edit mode (that is, when there is a flashing vertical line cursor within the text box or button.)

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Excel provides a spelling checker that can be used to check the spelling of text in cells, objects (buttons, text boxes, and so on), notes, headers, footers, and the formula bar. When the spelling checker finds a misspelled word, it gives you the option of correcting the word. If you make corrections to an object that is in edit mode, Microsoft Excel changes all the text in the object to the font used by the first character of text.

For example, if the first character in a text box is Bold Italic and the rest are normal, then after the correction is made by the spell checker, all the text in the box will be Bold Italic.

WORKAROUND

Select any cell on the worksheet before running the spell checker.
Select the object before running the spell checker.

In the first case, when you select a cell on the worksheet, you take the object out of edit mode and cause Microsoft Excel to check the spelling on the entire worksheet. If you don't want to check your entire worksheet, select just the object you are checking before you run the spell checker.

To check spelling on a worksheet without changing the fonts used in your text boxes or buttons, do one of the following:

To check the entire worksheet and all objects:

Select cell A1 on your worksheet.
From the Options menu, choose Spelling.

Microsoft Excel checks your spelling and displays a dialog box for making changes if any misspelled words are found. When the spelling check is complete, Microsoft Excel displays an alert box stating so.

To check only a specific object:

Select the object by clicking once anywhere on the object. When the object is selected you will see the object handles displayed around its perimeter (object handles are the small black boxes at each corner and at the mid-point of each side of the object).
Note: If your object is in edit mode, it will be necessary to deselect it first. You can do this by selecting any cell on the worksheet first. Then select the object.
From the Options menu, choose Spelling.

Microsoft Excel checks your spelling only on the selected object, and gives you the same options for making any changes.

In both of these cases, if you have text with mixed fonts in your object, the fonts will be unchanged except possibly where actual characters were inserted or removed from the text.

KBCategory: kbtool
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Additional reference words: 4.0 4.00 4.0a 4.00a

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Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
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