If you want to stop Microsoft Word from marking contractions as errors, here is how you can do that. If you often choose formal writing, contractions get flagged. However, if you want to stop Word from underlining contractions or correcting contractions, this step-by-step guide could help you.
What are Contractions in Microsoft Word?
There are some words that can be merged together. For that, we can write shouldn’t instead of should not or couldn’t instead of could not or haven’t instead of have not. These are contractions.
According to the preset policy, contractions should not appear in formal writing while it is fine to combine words in academic writing. That is why Microsoft Word flags contractions and underlines them instantly.
Stop Microsoft Word from marking Contractions as errors
To stop Microsoft Word from marking contractions as errors, follow these steps:
- Open Microsoft Word and go to File.
- Click on Options.
- Switch to the Proofing tab.
- Click on Settings.
- Choose a Writing style.
- Find the Formality section.
- Remove the tick from the Contractions checkbox.
- Click the OK button.
To learn more about these steps, continue reading.
To get started, open the Microsoft Word and click on File > Options.
Then, switch to the Proofing tab and head to the When correcting spelling and grammar in Word section. Click on the Settings button.
Then, choose the Writing style. For your information, there are two of them:
- Grammar
- Grammar & Refinements
After choosing one, scroll down to find the Formality section.
Here you can find a checkbox called Contractions. You need to remove the tick from the respective checkbox.
Finally, click the OK button to save the change.
That’s it! Hereafter, if you launch the Microsoft Word application and type something, it won’t warn you about contraction errors. At any point in time, if you feel to undo the changes you can access the same settings and simply uncheck the option again.
Read: Grammar and Spell Check is not working in Microsoft Word
How do I stop Word from flagging contractions?
To stop Word from flagging contractions, open the Word Options wizard by clicking File > Options. Then, go to the Proofing tab and click on the Settings button in the When correcting spelling and grammar in Word section. Next, choose a writing style and find the Formality section. Uncheck the Contractions checkbox and click the OK button.
How do I stop Microsoft Word from underlining correct words as errors?
To stop Microsoft Word from underlining correct words as errors, you need to tweak the writing style along with the policies. Microsoft Word checks various things, including grammar. Go to the Proofing tab and click on the Settings button in the When correcting spelling and grammar in Word section. Then, remove the tick from various policies that you do not like. Finally, click the OK button.
