Microsoft Word is one of the most feature-rich and widely used word processors on the market and will undoubtedly remain so for the time being. Still, for all its clever bells and whistles, newspaper editors, college professors, students, writers, and non-professional users have complained in print, and perhaps also quietly, about the inexplicable absence of a much-needed feature. which would be the finishing touch to Microsoft Word: a homonymous corrector. They lament that even a third-party Microsoft Word add-on would be welcome.
For those who don’t know, a homonym is basically one of two or more words that sound the same but have very different meanings. Some examples are would do Y wood, its Y are, Correct Y rite, unique Y drunk, meat Y meet. There are thousands more. You can understand why so many people use the wrong namesake. they are writing what sounds Correct. Websites are loaded with homonymous errors. You’ll also find them in newspapers, resumes, term papers, legal documents, and dozens of other places. Virtually anywhere there is a document, there is a good chance of finding a homonymous error.
If I were to write the following sentence, “Goodbye, a gnu pear of shoos for my ant“, using the latest version of MS Word (version 2007), the program would underline wildebeest Y Forward with a blue wavy line, alerting you that a different word (in this case, a homonym) is preferable. Pretty neat, right? What’s going on bye pear shoosY ant? Although spelled correctly, they are blatant contextual homonymous errors. Unfortunately, Word only partially solves this problem. Hmmmm… Could we use a Microsoft Word add-in here?
Homonymous errors are among the most common errors in typing today. Whether you are a student, a writer, a teacher, a lawyer, or someone who just needs to write a letter, resume, or some other document from time to time, you certainly need to produce documents that are free of grammatical errors. Your life would be so much easier if there was a program, perhaps a Word add-in, that automatically checks for the proper use of each homonym and then, upon request, removes all incorrectly used homonyms, replacing them with the correct homonym based on the context. . Imagine the time you could save, not to mention the added luxury of producing documents completely free of homonymous errors.
Is such a program just wishful thinking or a dream? Not really. There are some serious business people out there who firmly believe that a Microsoft Word add-on is within our grasp. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that such a program already exists!
In the meantime, here are some tips on how you can produce documents without homonymous errors until you can find such a companion program:
1. Bookmark one of the many online sites that offer a free online homonymous dictionary or lists of homonymous definitions
2. Always use a spell checker first. After…
3. Reread your document specifically to find all homonyms
4. Check if you have used the correct homonym by checking the word in your online dictionary
5.. Add to your vocabulary: make it a goal to learn a few new homonyms every week. There are dozens of lists on the Internet.
All of the above may require some extra effort, but if your line of work demands impeccable documents, you’ll agree that the benefits to be gained are well worth the effort.
