Tip of the week # 445
17 April 2015

Always check spelling before you send a message (Microsoft Outlook)

Have you ever written an email message and as soon as you clicked on "Send" you spotted a spelling mistake? Perhaps you didn't allow yourself the time to reread the message. Or perhaps you have a touch of dyslexia. Well, why not configure Outlook so that it automatically checks for spelling mistakes. And no, it won't always prompt you. if there are no mistakes, it sends the message immediately.

Here's how:

1. Click on the File tab and select Options.
2. Click on the Mail category. (The second one.)
3. Select the Always check spelling before sending check box.
4. Select the Ignore original message text in reply or forward check box. (You obviously do not want to correct somebody else's spelling mistakes.)
5. Click OK.

Next time you send a message, Outlook automatically checks for spelling mistakes and prompts you if there are any. If you want to stop the spelling check, simply press the Esc key on your keyboard (or click on the Cancel button if you prefer) and decide whether you want to tweak the message a bit more or send it with spelling mistakes. (And now I'm obviously really worried I might have spelling mistakes in this message.)

With thanks to Andrea for the tip inspiration!