Office: Can't Use British English Dictionary in MS Excel

• Microsoft Office for Windows, version 4.2, 4.3
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

When you install Microsoft Excel 5.0 from the Microsoft Office package, you will only be able to check spelling with the American English dictionary (that is, you will not be able to use the British English dictionary). You may be able use the British English dictionary when you check spelling in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint.

CAUSE

The standalone version of Microsoft Excel ships with the Soft-Art spelling checker which uses a different file for checking British English than it does for checking American English. Microsoft Office ships with the Houghton-Mifflin (HM) spelling checker which uses the same file for checking both British and American English.

In order for the HM spelling checker to work correctly, one of the following entries must be present in the [MS Proofing Tools] section of the WIN.INI file:

• Spelling = 2057 (for the British English dictionary)

  -or-

• Spelling = 1033 (for the American English dictionary)

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel version 5.0c.

When you install Microsoft Excel version 5.0c from the Microsoft Office package (versions 4.2c, 4.3c-CD), if your country setting in Microsoft Windows is United Kingdom, Microsoft Excel automatically uses the British English dictionary. If the WIN.INI file contains a reference to both the American English dictionary (1033) and the British English dictionary (2057), then Microsoft Excel version 5.0c uses the first Spelling entry in the EXCEL5.INI file to determine the language of the spelling dictionary to use.

MORE INFORMATION

The Houghton-Mifflin and Soft-Art Inc. products included here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.