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spell check for excel 2008 - not working

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cmdp...@officeformac.com

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Dec 20, 2009, 2:55:01 PM12/20/09
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Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel I am using excel 2008. I can not use spell check. I get the following message, "The word does not exist in the custom dictionary. The word contains invalid characters."

When I go to tools>I select language and it is English. I am not in a custom dictionary - or if I am I do not know how to get out of it. Any advise would be appreciated.
CMD

John McGhie

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Dec 30, 2009, 8:08:55 PM12/30/09
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The Custom Dictionary for all Office applications is created and maintained
in Word. Check in the Word Help and delete your custom dictionary.

Then follow the instructions in the Word help to create a new one, and all
should be well.


On 21/12/09 6:55 AM, in article 59baf...@webcrossing.JaKIaxP2ac0,
"cmdp...@officeformac.com" <cmdp...@officeformac.com> wrote:

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:jo...@mcghie.name


cmdp...@officeformac.com

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Jan 5, 2010, 8:56:14 AM1/5/10
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Thanks for your response. The forum was down for a few days otherwise I would have thanked you sooner. I went ahead and deleted the custom dictionary in word. Then created a new one in word. Still, I can not spell check in excel. If I do not add the custom dictionary to word or when I do, in either case, spell check in excel tells me the custom dictionary message.

For some reason I can not override this. Any other ideas?

Happy New Year,
Cheryl

John McGhie

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Jan 12, 2010, 2:39:30 AM1/12/10
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This can be a very irritating error to track down.

There are 29 versions of "English", each is an individual "language" (that's
what controls which dictionary to use). Which one are you using?

For most English-language users, the custom dictionary should be set to "no
language" so it works with all flavours of English. If the custom
dictionary has a language specified, you must then create and maintain a
separate custom dictionary for every kind of English you expect to have sent
to you. It's a lot: use "no language".

Excel picks up the language it is using from the Operating System on
startup. Check which Language you are specifying in your System
Preferences.

The spelling checker has had various bugs fixed since 2008 went on sale.
Make sure both OS X and Office have all the latest updates applied.

Hope this helps


On 6/01/10 12:56 AM, in article 59baf...@webcrossing.JaKIaxP2ac0,
"cmdp...@officeformac.com" <cmdp...@officeformac.com> wrote:

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

cmdp...@officeformac.com

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Jan 12, 2010, 7:57:55 AM1/12/10
to
Hi John,
thanks again for your thorough response. I changed my language to English in the system preferences - I didn't realize that I had so many other languages checked. I also changed my language to standard in the word preferences and double checked to see if I have the most recent version of excel (I get updates automatically, but checked anyway) Still, the spell check in excel refers to a custom spelling dictionary (that I have no idea where it is lodged in my system). It is definitely frustrating. I use excel often, but since I can not check the spelling, I am going to try the mac version of excel - numbers. I'll see if that program has a spelling glitch.

Thanks again for your time,
Cheryl

gerardcastles

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Jun 1, 2010, 5:54:34 AM6/1/10
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I'm in exactly the same boat - driving me bonkers. I update automatically and dictionary not working properly in word and not at all in Excel. HElp!

cmdphot wrote:

Hi John, <br>thanks again for your thorough response.
12-Jan-10

Hi John, <br>
thanks again for your thorough response. I changed my language to English in the system preferences - I did not realize that I had so many other languages checked. I also changed my language to standard in the word preferences and double checked to see if I have the most recent version of excel (I get updates automatically, but checked anyway) Still, the spell check in excel refers to a custom spelling dictionary (that I have no idea where it is lodged in my system). It is definitely frustrating. I use excel often, but since I can not check the spelling, I am going to try the mac version of excel - numbers. I will see if that program has a spelling glitch. <br><br>Thanks again for your time, <br>
Cheryl

Previous Posts In This Thread:

On Sunday, December 20, 2009 2:55 PM
cmdphot wrote:

spell check for excel 2008 - not working


Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I am using excel 2008. I can not use spell check. I get the following message, &quot;The word does not exist in the custom dictionary. The word contains invalid characters.&quot; <br><br>When I go to tools>I select language and it is English. I am not in a custom dictionary - or if I am I do not know how to get out of it. Any advise would be appreciated. <br>
CMD

On Wednesday, December 30, 2009 8:08 PM
John McGhie wrote:

The Custom Dictionary for all Office applications is created and maintainedin
The Custom Dictionary for all Office applications is created and maintained
in Word. Check in the Word Help and delete your custom dictionary.

Then follow the instructions in the Word help to create a new one, and all
should be well.


On 21/12/09 6:55 AM, in article 59baf...@webcrossing.JaKIaxP2ac0,


--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum

matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:jo...@mcghie.name

On Tuesday, January 05, 2010 8:56 AM
cmdphot wrote:

Thanks for your response.
Thanks for your response. The forum was down for a few days otherwise I would have thanked you sooner. I went ahead and deleted the custom dictionary in word. Then created a new one in word. Still, I can not spell check in excel. If I do not add the custom dictionary to word or when I do, in either case, spell check in excel tells me the custom dictionary message. <br><br>For some reason I can not override this. Any other ideas? <br><br>Happy New Year, <br>
Cheryl

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 2:39 AM
John McGhie wrote:

This can be a very irritating error to track down.
This can be a very irritating error to track down.

There are 29 versions of "English", each is an individual "language" (that is


what controls which dictionary to use). Which one are you using?

For most English-language users, the custom dictionary should be set to "no
language" so it works with all flavours of English. If the custom
dictionary has a language specified, you must then create and maintain a
separate custom dictionary for every kind of English you expect to have sent

to you. it is a lot: use "no language".

Excel picks up the language it is using from the Operating System on
startup. Check which Language you are specifying in your System
Preferences.

The spelling checker has had various bugs fixed since 2008 went on sale.
Make sure both OS X and Office have all the latest updates applied.

Hope this helps


On 6/01/10 12:56 AM, in article 59baf...@webcrossing.JaKIaxP2ac0,

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:jo...@mcghie.name

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 7:57 AM
cmdphot wrote:

Hi John, <br>thanks again for your thorough response.
Hi John, <br>
thanks again for your thorough response. I changed my language to English in the system preferences - I did not realize that I had so many other languages checked. I also changed my language to standard in the word preferences and double checked to see if I have the most recent version of excel (I get updates automatically, but checked anyway) Still, the spell check in excel refers to a custom spelling dictionary (that I have no idea where it is lodged in my system). It is definitely frustrating. I use excel often, but since I can not check the spelling, I am going to try the mac version of excel - numbers. I will see if that program has a spelling glitch. <br><br>Thanks again for your time, <br>
Cheryl


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John_McGhie_[MVP]@officeformac.com

unread,
Jun 2, 2010, 6:32:32 AM6/2/10
to
Did you follow my suggestion?


On 1/06/10 7:54 PM, in article 20106155434...@yahoo.co.uk, "<Gerard
Castles>" <> wrote:

--

Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:jo...@mcghie.name


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