WD: Combining Two Spelling Dictionaries into One Dictionary

• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 3.01, 3.02, 4.0, 5.0, 5.1, 5.1a, 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a

SUMMARY

Dictionaries can be merged in all versions of Microsoft Word for the Macintosh.

NOTE: The Word versions 5.0 and 5.1 method is especially useful if the dictionaries are large. If the dictionaries are small, use the Word versions 3.x and 4.0 method even if Word 5.0 is being used.

MORE INFORMATION

Word Version 6.x

1. On the Tools menu, clickOptions.

2. Select the Spelling tab.

3. Select the custom dictionaries you want to merge and choose the Edit button.

4. On the Edit menu, click Select All in one of the files (or press COMMAND+A).

5. On the Window menu, select the other dictionary.

6. Position the insertion point at either the beginning or end of the file.

7. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

8. On the File menu, clickSave As.

9. Give the dictionary a new name if you want.

10. Make sure Save File As Type is Speller Custom Dictionary.

11. Click the Save button.

12. Close the dictionaries.

Word Versions 5.0 and 5.1

To merge user dictionaries in Word versions 5.0 and 5.1:

1. Open both dictionaries as Text files.

2. In one of the files, choose Select All from the Edit menu (or press COMMAND+A).

3. On the Edit menu, click Copy.

4. On the Window menu, select the other dictionary.

5. Position the insertion point at the beginning of the file.

6. On the Edit menu, clcik Paste.

7. On the Edit menu, click Select All (or press COMMAND+A).

8. On the Tools menu, click Sort.

9. On the File menu, click Save As.

10. Type a new name for the dictionary.

11. On the Save File As Type list, click Text Only.

12. Click the Save button.

13. On the File menu, click Quit.

14. Open ResEdit or a comparable system resource editor.

15. Open the text file and click the Get Info button.

16. Change the File Type to WDCD and the Creator Type to WDSE.

17. Quit ResEdit and save the changes to the dictionary.

Word Versions 3.x and 4.0

To merge two user dictionaries, one of the two must be opened as a Microsoft Word document and spell checked with the other open as a user dictionary. As each word is flagged as misspelled, it must be added to the open user dictionary.

1. Open the user dictionary to be merged as a text file. To do this, hold down the SHIFT key and choose Open Any File from the File menu. (The Open command changes to Open Any File when the SHIFT key is held down.) In Word versions 3.x, the command remains Open, but the effect is the same.

2. On the Utilities menu (Tools menu in Word 5.0), click Spelling.

3. Open the user dictionary that is to contain the contents of both dictionaries if it is not already open. To open a specific dictionary, do the following:

   a. With the Spelling dialog box on the screen, click Open on the

         File menu.
   

   b. In the list box, locate the dictionary to be opened, and choose

         the Open button.
   

4. Choose the Start Check button to start the spelling checking process.

5. As each word is flagged, add it to the user dictionary by choosing the "+" (plus) button (choose the Add button in Word 5.0) in the Spelling dialog box.

6. When you are finished with the spelling check, all the words from the open document, which is the source dictionary, will be in the desired dictionary.

7. Close the dictionary file that was used as the source file without saving it, and then quit Word to save the changes to the new dictionary.