Read this sentence: “Their going two the beach tomorow.” How many mistakes can you find? And which ones would a computer catch? (Answer at the end of the next section!)
In this post:
- Spelling and grammar checks, and what they miss
- Using the thesaurus to find synonyms
- Find and Replace, including Match case and Whole words only
- Three hands-on activities, a peer check and a quiz
Spelling and grammar checks
- As you type, Word underlines possible spelling mistakes with a wavy red line, and possible grammar mistakes with a double blue line (green in Word 2010 and earlier).
- Right-click an underlined word to see suggestions. Click the right one to fix it.
- To check the whole document, press F7, or go to the Review tab → Spelling & Grammar (called Editor in newer versions of Microsoft 365). In Word 2003, use Tools → Spelling and Grammar.
- Ignore skips a word that is correct, such as a name. Add to Dictionary teaches Word a word you use often, like your surname or village.
Image source: File:English-language screenshot of Enchant, AbiWord’s spell checker (Wikimedia Commons)
Unclear sentences
Some sentences have no spelling or grammar mistakes but are still confusing. “I saw the boy with the binoculars.” Who had the binoculars? Rewrite it so it has only one meaning: “I used binoculars to see the boy.” No checker will spot this for you, so read your work as if you were the reader.
Using the thesaurus
A thesaurus lists synonyms (words with a similar meaning) and often antonyms (words with the opposite meaning). It helps you avoid repeating the same word and choose a more exact one.
- In Word: select a word, then press Shift + F7, or go to Review → Thesaurus. You can also right-click a word → Synonyms.
- In Word 2003: Tools → Language → Thesaurus.
- Check that the synonym fits your sentence. “Big”, “huge” and “important” are all listed for large, but they do not mean exactly the same thing.
Image source: File:Roget’s Thesaurus (book cover).jpg (Wikimedia Commons)
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Find and Replace
- Find (Ctrl + F) highlights every place a word appears.
- Replace (Ctrl + H) swaps one word for another. Replace All changes every match at once.
- Click More >> for options. Match case only finds words with the same capital letters. Find whole words only stops “cat” from matching the “cat” inside “catch”.
- In Word 2003, use Edit → Find or Edit → Replace.
Watch: check spelling and grammar
This video shows how to use the spelling and grammar tools in Word. LearnFree also has a short video on using Find and Replace.
Video: Word: Check Spelling and Grammar – LearnFree – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzrpa-gwN1A
Activity: be the spell checker
Try it: fix the report
Click each underlined word and choose the right suggestion. Watch out: some suggestions are real words that do not fit!
wavy red = possible spelling mistake double blue = possible grammar mistake
Mistakes fixed: 0 of 8
Activity: Find and Replace challenge
Try it: use Find and Replace
Do the three tasks below using Find all and Replace All. Then click Check my document. If something goes wrong, use Undo.
- The boy’s name is really Arjun. Replace Ravi with Arjun everywhere.
- Pepper is really a dog! Replace the word cat with dog, but do not break “catch” or “category”. (Hint: Find whole words only.)
- Use the spelling we use in Trinidad and Tobago: replace color with colour. (This one should also fix “colorful”.)
Activity: pick a synonym
Try it: thesaurus match
Choose the best synonym for each word in bold.
| The lime was very sour. | |
| The cruise ship was big. | |
| Please begin the test now. | |
| The runner was very fast. | |
| She was happy with her result. | |
| The old house was scary. |
Peer check
Your teacher will give you a practice document full of mistakes. Fix it using the spelling and grammar check, the thesaurus and Find and Replace. Then swap with a partner and score each other:
| Check | Yes | Partly | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| No spelling mistakes left | |||
| No grammar mistakes left | |||
| At least two repeated words replaced with synonyms | |||
| Unclear sentences rewritten so they have one meaning | |||
| Names were not “corrected” by mistake |
Self-check quiz
Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.
1. A wavy red underline in Word usually means…
2. Which key starts the spelling and grammar check in Word?
3. Why might a spell checker miss the mistake in “I want two go”?
4. A synonym is a word that…
5. You want to replace “art” with “music”, but not change “start” or “party”. Which option helps?
6. What does Add to Dictionary do?
Related posts on islandclass.org
- Reviewing Documents – Word Processing
- Document Review Tutorial – Track Changes, Comments – goes a bit further
- Tracking Changes Class Demo – The Foolish Donkey
- Tracking Changes – Live Class Demo (Minimal)
For later, in Forms 4–5 (CSEC IT): these go deeper and are for when you reach CSEC Information Technology.
- Word Processing: Reviewing and Protecting a Document – AutoSave, Backups, Passwords and Restrict Editing
- Word Processing: Editing Features – Cut, Copy, Paste, Find and Replace, Tables and Columns
Next: Your First Spreadsheet: Cells, Rows and Columns
Syllabus link: Forms 1–3 ICT curriculum, Module 3, Objective 3.9 – adjust a document using advanced features of a word processor.
Attributions to media used in this post:
- Screenshot of Enchant, AbiWord’s spell checker – EdC – GPL (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Roget’s Thesaurus (book cover).jpg – Peter Mark Roget – Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Video: Word: Check Spelling and Grammar – LearnFree (YouTube)
Updates
2026/10/21
- Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.
© 2026 Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.