Spell checker for British people and custom dictionary

Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre

1. How do I edit the custom dictionary in Windows Mail? I misspelt
"neighbour" as "nieghbour" and cannot undo it.
2. Is there a BRITISH spell checker for the app? It is becoming very
tedious to have to add words like "favourite", "neighbour", "realise", and
"colour" to the AMERICAN one...

Gary VanderMolen

The custom dictionary can be edited:


Windows Mail does not have a British (UK) dictionary.
If you upgrade to Windows Live Mail, it has an easy fix to add UK spell checking.


--
Gary VanderMolen, MS-MVP (Mail)


"Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre" <Iain Andrew Donald > wrote in message
news:...
> 1. How do I edit the custom dictionary in Windows Mail? I misspelt
> "neighbour" as "nieghbour" and cannot undo it.
> 2. Is there a BRITISH spell checker for the app? It is becoming very
> tedious to have to add words like "favourite", "neighbour", "realise", and
> "colour" to the AMERICAN one...

Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre

Why does Windows Mail not have a British(UK) spell checker? And why should I
be expected to upgrade to LiveMail to enjoy the benefits that millions of
Americans seem to enjoy already with WinMail? To be honest I am starting to
dispair of Microsoft: they seem not not care one hoot for anyone speaking any
form of English but American. I suspect the Canadians, the Australians, and
the Irish feel the same! FireFox here I come...

Also why is there no button in WinMail taking you directly to the custom
dictionary? You can add daft made up words like "wigglyboofbaf" at any time
but in order to remove them you have to do all this (I love the comment at
the end BTW, very ironic!):

1. Open Folder Options.
A) Dot Show hidden files and folders in Folder Options.
NOTE: For how, see OPTION TWO here: How to Hide or Show Hidden Files and
Folders in Vista
B) Click OK, and close Folder Options.

2. Open the Start Menu.
3. In the white line (Start Search) area, type notepad and press Enter.
4. In Notepad, click on File on the menu bar. (See screenshot below)

File.jpg

5. Click on Open. (See screenshot below)
6. Click on the drop down menu arrow to the right of Text Documents (*.txt)
and change it to All Files (*.*) instead in the bottom right corner of the
Open window.
7. Navigate to: C:\Users\(your username)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail
NOTE: AppData is a hidden system file. To unhide it, see (Step 1) :How to
Hide or Show Hidden Files and Folders in Vista
A) Click on the UserDictionary.lex file to highlight it, then click on Open.

open.jpgText.jpg

8. This will now open the Userdictionay.lex file inside of Notepad from
where you can now add, delete, or edit any word(s) you choose.
(See Example screenshots below)
WARNING: Make sure that there are no blank lines left between the words by
your deletions, additions, or edits.
NOTE: If you did not add any words before in Windows Mail or manually here,
this will be empty.

BEFORE Example
NOTE: Deleted the one boxed in red below.
Before.jpg

AFTER Example
NOTE: Notice not to leave a blank line inbetween the words.
After.jpg

9. When done, click on File in the Notepad menubar and click Save.
10. Don't forget to go back to step 1 and dot Do not show hidden files and
folders instead in Folder Options.


That's it,
Shawn

Gary VanderMolen

I don't work for Microsoft, and it certainly isn't my job to come up with
plausible excuses for why Windows Mail is the way it is.

Incidentally, Windows Live Mail (WLM) has an easy Edit button for its
custom dictionary. It really is a much better program. When you install it,
WLM automatically imports all your WM emails, folders, accounts and
settings.



--
Gary VanderMolen, MS-MVP (Mail)


"Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre" <IainAndrewDonaldMcIntyre@discussions.microsoft.co m> wrote in message
news:265F07B3-D606-4740-9DB4-979C2FA94115@microsoft.com...
> Why does Windows Mail not have a British(UK) spell checker? And why should I
> be expected to upgrade to LiveMail to enjoy the benefits that millions of
> Americans seem to enjoy already with WinMail? To be honest I am starting to
> dispair of Microsoft: they seem not not care one hoot for anyone speaking any
> form of English but American. I suspect the Canadians, the Australians, and
> the Irish feel the same! FireFox here I come...
>
> Also why is there no button in WinMail taking you directly to the custom
> dictionary? You can add daft made up words like "wigglyboofbaf" at any time
> but in order to remove them you have to do all this (I love the comment at
> the end BTW, very ironic!):
>
> 1. Open Folder Options.
> A) Dot Show hidden files and folders in Folder Options.
> NOTE: For how, see OPTION TWO here: How to Hide or Show Hidden Files and
> Folders in Vista
> B) Click OK, and close Folder Options.
>
> 2. Open the Start Menu.
> 3. In the white line (Start Search) area, type notepad and press Enter.
> 4. In Notepad, click on File on the menu bar. (See screenshot below)
>
> File.jpg
>
> 5. Click on Open. (See screenshot below)
> 6. Click on the drop down menu arrow to the right of Text Documents (*.txt)
> and change it to All Files (*.*) instead in the bottom right corner of the
> Open window.
> 7. Navigate to: C:\Users\(your username)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail
> NOTE: AppData is a hidden system file. To unhide it, see (Step 1) :How to
> Hide or Show Hidden Files and Folders in Vista
> A) Click on the UserDictionary.lex file to highlight it, then click on Open.
>
> open.jpgText.jpg
>
> 8. This will now open the Userdictionay.lex file inside of Notepad from
> where you can now add, delete, or edit any word(s) you choose.
> (See Example screenshots below)
> WARNING: Make sure that there are no blank lines left between the words by
> your deletions, additions, or edits.
> NOTE: If you did not add any words before in Windows Mail or manually here,
> this will be empty.
>
> BEFORE Example
> NOTE: Deleted the one boxed in red below.
> Before.jpg
>
> AFTER Example
> NOTE: Notice not to leave a blank line inbetween the words.
> After.jpg
>
> 9. When done, click on File in the Notepad menubar and click Save.
> 10. Don't forget to go back to step 1 and dot Do not show hidden files and
> folders instead in Folder Options.
>
>
> That's it,
> Shawn