Office Settings & Configuration

How to Restore Ignore Suggestion and AutoCorrect Options in Word

Steve K Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to restore the "Ignore Suggestion" and "Add to AutoCorrect" options in the right-click context menu, which are missing or failing to persist across different computers.

How to Restore Ignore Suggestion and AutoCorrect Options in Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Correcting spelling errors or ignoring specific words via the right-click menu, especially in documents containing multiple languages like English and French.
Observed behavior: The "Ignore Suggestion" option is unavailable in the right-click spelling menu, and manual spelling corrections require navigating to Add to AutoCorrect. Furthermore, ignored words still appear as errors when the document is opened on a different computer.

Before you start

Verify whether your document contains multiple languages. Incorrect language tagging is the most common reason Word fails to display appropriate spelling suggestions or AutoCorrect options in the right-click menu.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Character Styles for Specific Proofing Languages

Applying distinct character styles mapped to specific proofing languages ensures that words are checked against the correct dictionary. This is highly recommended for bilingual documents to prevent words from being marked as incorrect on other computers.

When you use 'Ignore All' or add a word to AutoCorrect, those entries are saved locally in your computer's custom dictionary file. They do not travel with the document. By properly tagging the language of the text instead of ignoring errors, the document will proof correctly on any device.

Create a New Character Style

Go to the Home tab, open the Styles pane (or press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S), and click 'New Style' at the bottom. Name the style after the language (e.g., 'French Text') and change the 'Style type' to 'Character'.

Set the Proofing Language

In the Create New Style dialog, click the 'Format' button at the bottom left and select 'Language'. Choose the appropriate language (e.g., French) from the list and click OK.

Assign a Keyboard Shortcut

Click 'Format' again, select 'Shortcut key', and assign a memorable combination (like Alt+F). Click 'Assign' and then close the dialogs.

Apply and Reset Styles

Select the foreign text and press your custom shortcut to apply the new language style. When you need to switch back to your primary language, simply press Ctrl+Spacebar to return to the default underlying character formatting.

Use Character Styles for Specific Proofing Languages

Permanent Fix for Shared Documents: Using language-specific character styles completely eliminates the need to rely on local 'Ignore' and 'AutoCorrect' options, guaranteeing clean spell checks when sharing files with others.

Solution 2

Review Word's AutoCorrect and Proofing Settings

If the Ignore and AutoCorrect options are entirely absent from your right-click menu, your core proofing features may be disabled in the application settings.

WPS Writer Proofing Settings

Manage Spell Check and AutoCorrect Easily in WPS Writer

WPS Writer provides an intuitive and highly effective interface for managing proofing languages, custom dictionaries, and AutoCorrect rules. You can effortlessly switch languages and configure spelling options to ensure your bilingual documents are flawlessly formatted.

1. Open Spell Check Settings: Launch WPS Writer, go to the 'Review' tab on the ribbon, and click on 'Spell Check' to open the proofing pane.
2. Set Proofing Language: Click on the 'Set Language' option in the Review tab to easily designate the correct dictionary for selected text blocks.
3. Customize AutoCorrect: Navigate to Menu > Options > Spell Check to quickly add, remove, or modify your personalized AutoCorrect entries and custom dictionaries.

Built-in multi-language spell check capabilitiesEasily customize and manage AutoCorrect rulesFully compatible with Microsoft Word document formats (.doc, .docx)Free and lightweight alternative to complex office software

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't my 'Ignore All' setting carry over to another computer?

The 'Ignore All' command and your custom AutoCorrect entries are saved in your local dictionary file (such as custom.dic) on your specific computer, not within the document itself. To prevent words from being marked as errors on a different computer, you must assign the correct proofing language to the text.

Why is 'Add to Dictionary' missing from the right-click menu?

This typically happens if a custom dictionary is not selected, is full, or is set to a language that does not match the text you are editing. You can fix this by going to your Proofing options and ensuring your default custom dictionary is active and set to 'All Languages'.

How do I quickly switch proofing languages for a single word?

Select the word and click the language name displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the Word window. Alternatively, you can use the recommended method of creating a custom character style with the specific language and applying it via a keyboard shortcut.

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