Using the Main, Exclude, and Custom Dictionaries

Last reviewed: July 30, 1997
Article ID: Q78274

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c

SUMMARY

The following flow charts show the order in which Microsoft Word for Windows version 2.0 searches its dictionaries when you run the spelling checker.

MORE INFORMATION

No           =     Word did not find the word in the dictionary.

Yes          =     Word found the word in the dictionary.

Custom Dict. =     In all of the charts Custom Dict. means that
                   Word looks through each one of the active
                   custom dictionaries until it finds the word,
                   or until it has exhausted all custom dictionaries.

Case I - Main Dictionary Active

                          Word
                            |
                     Main Dictionary
                        /       \
                       No       Yes
                      /           \
                  Prompt        Get Next
                   User           Word

Case II - Main Dictionary and Custom Dictionaries Active

                          Word
                            |
                     Main Dictionary
                       /        \
                      No        Yes
                     /            \
               Custom Dict.     Get Next
                  /      \        Word
                 No      Yes
                /          \
             Prompt       Get Next
              User          Word

Case III - Main Dictionary and Exclude Dictionary Active

                          Word
                            |
                     Exclude dictionary
                       /           \
                      No           Yes
                     /               \
               Main Dictionary      Prompt
                 /        \           User
                No        Yes
               /            \
            Prompt        Get Next
             User           Word

Case IV - Main, Exclude, and Custom Dictionaries Active

                          Word
                            |
                    Exclude dictionary
                     /             \
                    No             Yes
                   /                 \
           Main Dictionary        Custom Dict.
            /        \                /   \
           No        Yes            No    Yes
          /            \            /       \
     Custom Dict.     Get Next   Prompt    Get Next
     /       \          Word      User       Word
    No       Yes
   /           \
Prompt        Get Next
 User           Word

Case IV - Main, Exclude, and Custom Dictionaries Active

Versions 2.0a-cd, 2.0b and 2.0c:

                           Word
                             |
                    Exclude dictionary
                      /          \
                    No          Prompt
                   /             User
           Main Dictionary
            /        \
           No        Yes
          /            \
     Custom Dict.     Get Next
     /      \          Word
   No       Yes
  /           \
Prompt        Get Next
User           Word

Note: If the same word is in both the exclude dictionary and the custom dictionary, the word is considered to be spelled incorrectly when you run the spelling checker. This is a change in functionality from versions 2.0 and 2.0a

Versions 2.0 and 2.0a:

                           Word
                            |
                    Exclude dictionary
                     /             \
                    No             Yes
                   /                 \
            Main Dictionary        Custom Dict.
            /        \               /   \
           No        Yes            No    Yes
          /           \            /       \
     Custom Dict.     Get Next   Prompt    Get Next
     /       \          Word      User       Word
    No       Yes
   /           \
Prompt        Get Next
User           Word

Note: If the same word is entered into both the exclude dictionary and the custom dictionary in versions 2.0 and 2.0a, the word is considered to be spelled correctly when you run the spelling checker.

Reference(s):

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," pages 281-283

KBCategory: kbproof
KBSubcategory:
Additional query words: speller spell check proof 2.0 winword2
winword

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Last reviewed: July 30, 1997
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