Using Foreign Language Dictionaries in Word for Windows

ID: Q107539

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SUMMARY

In Word for Windows, you can format text in a document so Word uses a foreign language dictionary whenever you run the proofing tools on a document. (NOTE: Not all foreign languages support all of the proofing tools.)

For information on obtaining foreign language proofing tools, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   alki and foreign and language and word and 6.0 and windows

MORE INFORMATION

To use a foreign language proofing tool in Word for Windows, you must locate the foreign proofing tool file in the following possible areas:

The Word for Windows program directory (usually, "C:\WINWORD")
The TOOLS-path statement in the [Microsoft Word 2.0] section of the WIN.INI file for version 2.x
The TOOLS-path statement in the WINWORD6.INI file also located in the Word for Windows program directory (usually, "C:\WINDOWS") for version 6.0
The individual proofing tools paths located in the [Microsoft Word 2.0] section of the WIN.INI for version 2.x and the WINWORD6.INI file for version 6.0
For example:
Version 2.x -----------
[Microsoft Word 2.0]
```
    Hyphenate 1036,0=C:\WINWORD\HYPH.DLL,C:\WINWORD\PROOF\HY_FR.LEX
    Spelling 1036,0=C:\WINWORD\SPELL.DLL,C:\WINWORD\PROOF\SP_FR.LEX
    Thesaurus 1036,0=C:\WINWORD\THES.DLL,C:\WINWORD\PROOF\TH_FR.LEX
    Grammar 1036,0=C:\WINWORD\PROOF\GR_FR.DLL,C:\WINWORD\PROOF\GR_FR.LEX
```
NOTE: The "1036" is the language code for French. The same entries may appear in the WINWORD6.INI file for version 6.0.

Installation

Version 6.0

To correctly install or add a foreign language proofing tool for version 6.0, follow the instructions included with the ALKI Software Foreign Language Proofing Tools set. You can manually add the aforementioned proofing tool lines to the WINWORD6.INI file if the foreign proofing tools already exist on your system. The statements in the WINWORD6.INI file point Word for Windows to the actual location, and Word will display an error message if it cannot find the necessary files.

Version 2.x

To correctly install or add a foreign language proofing tool, follow the instructions on page 3 of Chapter 2 in the "Microsoft Word for Windows Proofing Tools" manual for version 2.x or follow the installation instructions that come with the ALKI foreign language proofing tools.

Using the Foreign Proofing Tools

To flag a selection of text to use the foreign proofing tools, select the text you want to spell check using the foreign dictionary, and choose Language from the Format menu in version 2.x, or choose Language from the Tools menu in version 6.0. You can choose the specific language from the list of languages in the Mark Selected Text As option. The proofing tools now automatically switch to the designated proofing tools files to match the language the text is formatted in. You can verify the proofing tools' language has switched by looking at the title of the proofing tools dialog box.

For additional information on purchasing the Alki Language Proofing Tools, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q186037
   TITLE     : OFF97: Alki Language Proofing Tools Available

Additional query words: winword2 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c 6.0 word6 winword 6.0c 6.0a 6.0c

Keywords          : kbproof 
Version           : 2.x 6.0 6.0a 6.0c
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: December 19, 1998