How to Fix Incorrect Smart Quotes in Word and Outlook
Question details
The user needs to fix an issue where Word or Outlook inserts the wrong type of curly quotation marks, especially when typing nested quotations.
- Product
- Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Typing text with single or double nested quotations where the application auto-formats the smart quotes incorrectly.
- Observed behavior
- The application inserts incorrectly oriented curly quotes, such as a curly left double quote followed by a curly right single quote, instead of the properly paired quotes for the selected language.
Ensure that your system's keyboard layout and the document's proofing language are matching, as smart quote orientations are strictly determined by the active language settings.
Verify Language and AutoCorrect Settings
Ensure the document is set to the correct proofing language and that the smart quotes feature is enabled properly.
Word and Outlook use language-specific rules to determine the direction and style of curly quotes. If the text language is misidentified, the quotes will face the wrong way.
Select your text, go to the 'Review' tab, click 'Language', and choose 'Set Proofing Language'. Ensure it is set to English (United States) or your preferred dialect.
Navigate to File > Options > Proofing and click the 'AutoCorrect Options' button.
Go to the 'AutoFormat As You Type' tab. Under the 'Replace as you type' section, check the box for 'Straight quotes with smart quotes'.
Switch to the 'AutoCorrect' tab and scroll through the replacement list to ensure there are no manual entries replacing standard quotes with incorrect curly variants. Delete any conflicts.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts for Specific Quotes
When AutoCorrect struggles with complex nested quotations, manually insert the correct curly quotes using special-character shortcuts.
Easily Manage Smart Quotes in WPS Writer
WPS Office offers intuitive and precise AutoCorrect features that accurately apply smart quotes for various languages, ensuring your nested quotations are perfectly formatted without the hassle.
- 1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open a new or existing document.
- 2. Access Settings: Click the 'Menu' button in the top-left corner and select 'Options'.
- 3. Navigate to Edit Options: Select the 'Edit' tab from the left-side panel to view typing settings.
- 4. Enable Smart Quotes: Under 'AutoFormat As You Type', check 'Straight quotes with smart quotes' to ensure precise formatting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my quotation marks look backwards in Word?
This usually happens if the proofing language of the text is incorrectly set, or if an extra space before the quote makes the AutoFormat feature treat it as an ending quote rather than a beginning one.
Can I turn off curly quotes completely in Outlook and Word?
Yes. You can disable them by going to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type, and unchecking the 'Straight quotes with smart quotes' option. Your quotes will then remain straight.
How do I fix smart quotes in a document I already typed?
You can refresh them using Find and Replace. Press Ctrl+H, type a standard quote (") in the 'Find what' box, and type the same quote (") in the 'Replace with' box. Click 'Replace All', and the application will replace them with correctly oriented smart quotes.
