XL5: Suggestions Are Not Made from Custom Dictionary

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 5.x, when you check spelling in a worksheet, you can add new words to the custom dictionary. When the Spelling tool encounters these added words, it recognizes them and does not flag them as misspelled words. However, if the Spelling tool encounters a word it does not recognize, it will not make suggestions from the custom dictionary.

CAUSE

If Microsoft Word is installed on your computer, Microsoft Excel uses the Microsoft Word spelling tools. When Microsoft Excel uses the Word spelling tool, this problem occurs because, by default, Microsoft Word suggests words from the main dictionary only.

Note that in Microsoft Word, there is a Suggest From The Main Dictionary Only option that you can clear if you want suggestions to come from the custom dictionary. However, this setting does not apply to Microsoft Excel because it is written to the WINWORD.INI file and Microsoft Excel does not have access to this file.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Checking Spelling, choose the Search button in Help and type:

   spelling

REFERENCES

"User's Guide," version 5.0, Chapter 11, "Checking Spelling"