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Check spelling, autocorrect, and dynamic spelling

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InDesign

InDesign

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  1. InDesign User Guide
  2. Get to know InDesign
    1. Introduction to InDesign
      1. What's New in InDesign
      2. System requirements
      3. Common questions
      4. Use Creative Cloud libraries
    2. Workspace
      1. Workspace basics
      2. Contextual task bar
      3. Customize your workspace in InDesign
      4. Toolbox
      5. Set preferences
      6. Properties panel
      7. Touch workspace
      8. Default keyboard shortcuts
      9. Undo edits and manage History panel
      10. Document recovery and undo
    3. Generative AI (Not available in mainland China)
      1. Text to Image
      2. Generative Expand
      3. Generate Effect in InDesign (Beta)
      4. Generative AI FAQ
  3. Create and layout documents
    1. Documents and pages
      1. Create documents
      2. Work with parent pages
      3. Work with document pages
      4. Set page size, margins, and bleed
      5. Work with files and templates
      6. Convert PDFs to InDesign files in InDesign (Beta)
      7. Create book files
      8. Add basic page numbering
      9. Number pages, chapters, and sections
      10. Convert QuarkXPress and PageMaker documents
      11. Share content
      12. Understand a basic managed-file workflow
      13. Save documents
    2. Grids
      1. Grids
      2. Format grids
    3. Layout aids
      1. Rulers
      2. Align and distribute objects using rulers
      3. Measure objects using the Measure tool
  4. Add content
    1. Text
      1. Add text to frames
      2. Threading text
      3. South-East Asian Scripts
      4. Arabic and Hebrew features in InDesign
      5. Create type on a path
      6. Bullets and numbering
      7. Insert MathML to create math expressions
      8. Glyphs and special characters
      9. Text composition
      10. Text variables
      11. Generate QR codes
      12. Edit text
      13. Align text
      14. Wrap text around objects
      15. Anchored objects
      16. Linked content
      17. Format paragraphs
      18. Format characters
    2. Typography
      1. Using fonts in InDesign
      2. Kerning and tracking
      3. Scale and skew type
      4. Apply color effects to type
    3. Format text
      1. Format text
      2. Auto Style text
      3. Work with Style Packs
      4. Tabs and indents
    4. Review text
      1. Track and review changes
      2. Add editorial notes in InDesign
      3. Import PDF comments
    5. Spell check and language dictionaries
      1. Check spelling, autocorrect, and dynamic spelling
      2. Create, add, and manage dictionaries and words
      3. Change dictionary preferences
      4. Duden dictionary
    6. Add references
      1. Create a table of contents
      2. Footnotes
      3. Create an index
      4. Endnotes
      5. Captions
    7. Styles
      1. Paragraph and character styles
      2. Map, export, and manage styles
      3. Object styles
      4. Drop caps and nested styles
      5. Work with styles
      6. Leading
    8. Tables
      1. Format tables
      2. Create tables
      3. Table and Cell styles
      4. Select and edit tables
      5. Table strokes and fills
    9. Interactivity
      1. Hyperlinks
      2. Dynamic PDF documents
      3. Bookmarks
      4. Buttons
      5. Forms
      6. Animation
      7. Cross-references
      8. Structure PDFs
      9. Page transitions
      10. Movies and sounds
    10. Graphics
      1. Understand paths and shapes
      2. Draw with the Pencil tool
      3. Draw with the Pen tool
      4. Apply line (stroke) settings 
      5. Compound paths and shapes
      6. Edit paths
      7. Clipping paths
      8. Change corner appearance
      9. Frames and objects
      10. Align and distribute objects
      11. Linked and embedded graphics
      12. Integrate AEM assets
    11. Color and transparency
      1. Apply color
      2. Use colors from imported graphics
      3. Work with swatches
      4. Mix inks
      5. Tints
      6. Understand spot and process colors
      7. Blend colors
      8. Gradients
      9. Flatten transparent artwork
      10. Add transparency effects
  5. Find and replace
    1. Find and replace text
    2. Find and replace fonts
    3. Find and replace glyphs
    4. Find and replace using GREP expressions and queries
    5. Find and replace objects
    6. Find and replace colors
    7. Search options to find and replace
  6. Share
    1. Save and access cloud documents
    2. Organize, manage, and share cloud documents
    3. View and manage versions in cloud documents
    4. Common questions about InDesign cloud documents
    5. InCopy on the web (Beta)
    6. Share and collaborate        
    7. Share for Review
    8. Review a shared InDesign document
    9. Manage feedback
    10. Invite to edit
  7. Export, import, and publish
    1. Place, export, and publish
      1. Publish online
      2. Publish online dashboard
      3. Copy, insert graphics
      4. Export to Adobe Express
      5. Export content for EPUB
      6. Adobe PDF options
      7. Export to HTML5
      8. Export content to HTML (Legacy)
      9. Export to Adobe PDF
      10. Export to JPEG or PNG format
      11. Import SVG files
      12. Supported File Formats
      13. Export and import User Settings
    2. Printing
      1. Print booklets
      2. Printer's marks and bleeds
      3. Print documents
      4. Inks, separation, and screen frequency
      5. Overprinting
      6. Create PostScript and EPS files
      7. Preflight files before handoff
      8. Print thumbnails and oversized documents
      9. Prepare PDFs for service providers
      10. Prepare to print separations
  8. Extend InDesign
    1. Automation
      1. Data merge
      2. Plug-ins
      3. Capture extension in InDesign
      4. Scripting
  9. Troubleshooting
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash on launch
    4. Preference folder read-only issue
    5. Troubleshoot file issues
    6. Unable to export InDesign file to PDF
    7. InDesign document recovery

Learn how to check spelling, autocorrect text while typing, use dynamic spellings, and set spelling preferences.

You can spell-check selected text, a story, a document, or all open documents, highlighting misspelled words, duplicates, and capitalization errors. You can use dynamic spelling to underline potential mistakes as you type.

In spell-check, the assigned language's dictionary is utilized, with an option to easily add new words.

Check spelling

  1. Select Edit > Spelling > Check Spelling.

    Spell-checking begins.

  2. Select any of the following from the Search dropdown to change the search range:

    • All Documents: Searched all open documents.
    • Document: Searches the selected document.
    • Story: Searches the selected frame, including text in other threaded text frames and overset text.
    • To End of Story: Searches from the selection point to the end of the story.
    • Selection: Searches only selected text. This option is available only if the text is selected.

  3. Select Start.

  4. Select a word from the Suggested Corrections section or type the correct word in the Change To field and then select Change or Change All to replace the highlighted word.

    Select Skip or Ignore All to continue without changing the highlighted word.

Autocorrect text as you type

InDesign can correct capitalization errors and common typing mistakes while you type. Create a list of commonly misspelled words and associate them with the correct spelling to start Autocorrect.

  1. Select Edit > Preferences > Autocorrect (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Autocorrect (macOS).

  2. Select Enable Autocorrect.

    Select Autocorrect Capitalization Errors to correct capitalization errors. You don’t need to add the capitalized words to the list of autocorrections.

  3. Select the language from the Language dropdown.

  4. Select Add, type the Misspelled Word and the Correction, and select OK to add a word you commonly misspell.

To start auto-correcting text for a specific section or document, select Edit > Spelling > Autocorrect.

Use dynamic spelling

You can correct spelling errors by using the context menu with Dynamic Spelling. Potentially misspelled words are underlined based on the dictionary of the text language. If you type text in different languages, select the text and assign the correct language.

  1. Select Edit > Spelling > Dynamic Spelling.

    Potentially misspelled words are underlined in your document.

  2. Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (macOS) the underlined word to select the correct suggestion.

Set spelling preferences

  1. Select Edit > Preferences > Spelling (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Spelling (macOS).

  2. Check any or all of the following:

    • Misspelled Words: Find words that don't appear in the language dictionary.

    • Repeated Words: Find repeated words.

    • Uncapitalized Words: Find words (such as country names) that appear in the dictionary only as capitalized words.

    • Uncapitalized Sentences: Find uncapitalized words following periods, exclamation points, and question marks.

  3. Select Enable Dynamic Spelling to underline potentially misspelled words while you type.

  4. Specify the underline color of Misspelled Words, Repeated Words, Uncapitalized Words, and Uncapitalized Sentences.

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