Editing Text 2

Lesson 7: Bulleted Lists & Custom Dictionary

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In Lesson 7, we will continue editing text in Microsoft Word by walking through how to create a bulleted list, add a word to your custom spelling dictionary, and put a closing on a letter. We will demonstrate using the Bullets button to format a customer list, how to insert additional items into the list, and how to handle unrecognized words, including adding them to the custom dictionary for future use. Finally, we will discuss how to add a closing and signature to your document.

Navigation

Prev: Lesson 06
Next: Lesson 08

Keywords

TechHelp Word, bulleted list, add to custom dictionary, Word spelling suggestions, create list in Word, bulleted list in Word, edit dictionary Word, stop spelling error, add word to dictionary, custom words Word, business letter closing, Word spell check

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Intro

Transcript

In lesson 7, we are going to continue editing text. We are going to learn how to create a bulleted list, add a word to our custom spelling dictionary, and we are going to put a closing on our letter.

Continuing on with our document, I am going to enter in a new paragraph tab. We have many satisfied customers in the Western New York area. I am going to put a list of customers here.

There are many ways of creating lists in Word. I am going to pick one of my favorites, the bulleted list. I am going to come up here in the Paragraph group and find this button right here. It says Bullets. I am going to click on that. And that puts a little circle over here. That is called a bullet.

I am going to put a list of customers:

XYZ Corporation.
Enter. Notice how I get another bullet.
One, two, three company. Enter.
Elemental P Wholesale. Enter.
And Smith Agency. Enter.

Now, when you are done with your bulleted list, just press Enter another time. That will stop the bulleted list and put your cursor at the next line.

If you decide you forgot someone and want to add them to that list, just simply click in front of where you want them to go. For example, let's say I want to add them after One, two, three company. I will just click here and then press Enter and type in the next company name. How about Borkowitz Shipping?

Now notice again that Microsoft Word does not recognize the word Borkowitz. So let's right-click on it. Notice how we have no spelling suggestions. Word has nothing to recommend.

So we have a couple of different options. We can ignore that word so we do not see it anymore. We can ignore all instances of that word, so nowhere else in this document will the word Borkowitz generate an error. Or we can add the word to our custom dictionary.

This is handy for words you are going to use on a regular basis. Let's say the name of your company. If you add it to your custom dictionary, then Word will never again bother you within this spelling for that word.

Now let's say Borkowitz Shipping is one of my regular customers and I use their name a lot. I will click on Add to Dictionary and now I have added Borkowitz to my custom dictionary. So any time in the future, if I type the word Borkowitz in any other document, Word will not bother me telling you that it is spelled incorrectly.

This is also good for things like industry-specific terms. I know in the computer industry there are a lot of acronyms. You can add things like that to your custom dictionary so Word stops bothering you and telling you that they are spelled wrong.

Now, let's go ahead and put a closing on our letter. I am going to press Enter here so I have some extra space after my bulleted list. I will start typing the last paragraph:

If you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to give me a call. I look forward to hearing from you.

Enter, cordially, comma, enter. I will leave some space for a signature, enter, and then my name, Richard Rost. Enter.

Quiz

Q1. What is the primary purpose of using a bulleted list in Microsoft Word?
A. To list items in an easy-to-read format
B. To sort data alphabetically
C. To highlight grammar issues
D. To make the text italic

Q2. How do you stop creating a bulleted list after typing your last item?
A. Click the Save button
B. Press Enter one more time
C. Press the Tab key
D. Click on the Spelling button

Q3. What should you do if you want to add an item in the middle of an existing bulleted list?
A. Highlight the whole list and retype it
B. Click where you want, press Enter, and type the new item
C. Start a new list below the existing one
D. Delete the previous item and rewrite the list

Q4. What can you do if Microsoft Word marks a company name as a spelling error with no suggestions?
A. Only ignore it for this document
B. Ignore all instances of the word
C. Add it to the custom dictionary
D. All of the above

Q5. Why would you add a word to your custom dictionary in Word?
A. So Word never marks it as a spelling error again
B. So it prints the word in red
C. So it makes suggestions for replacing it
D. So it turns the word into a hyperlink

Q6. What is a suitable use for the custom dictionary feature in Word?
A. Saving favorite fonts
B. Adding industry-specific terms and acronyms
C. Creating templates
D. Formatting paragraphs

Q7. Where can you find the Bullets button to start a bulleted list?
A. In the References tab
B. In the Review group
C. In the Paragraph group on the ribbon
D. In the Insert tab

Q8. After the bulleted list, what is the next step the instructor demonstrates?
A. Inserting a chart
B. Adding a closing to a letter
C. Creating a table
D. Changing text color

Q9. When typing a closing in a letter in Word, what is the typical order given in the tutorial?
A. Salutation, bulleted list, closing, name
B. Closing, signature space, name
C. Name, bulleted list, closing
D. Closing, bulleted list, name

Answers: 1-A; 2-B; 3-B; 4-D; 5-A; 6-B; 7-C; 8-B; 9-B

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Word Learning Zone is all about continuing to edit text in Microsoft Word. In this lesson, I show you how to create a bulleted list, add unfamiliar words to your custom spelling dictionary, and finish your letter with a proper closing.

Starting off, I continue working with our document by inserting a new paragraph. I mention that we have many satisfied customers in Western New York, and I want to add a list of their company names.

There are several methods to create lists in Word, but I prefer using a bulleted list because it is simple and effective. To get started, I go to the Paragraph group and select the Bullets button. This instantly adds a bullet, which is a small circle, at the beginning of the line.

Next, I list out some customer names, such as XYZ Corporation, One, two, three company, Elemental P Wholesale, and Smith Agency. After typing each name, pressing Enter adds another bullet automatically for the next item on the list. When I'm finished adding names, pressing Enter again exits the bulleted list and drops the cursor to a new line.

If you need to add another item to the list later, it's easy. Simply click at the spot where the new entry should go, press Enter, and type in the company name. For example, if I want to include Borkowitz Shipping after One, two, three company, I just add a new line there and type in the name.

Sometimes, Word will highlight names it doesn't recognize, such as Borkowitz, marking them as spelling errors. Right-clicking on the underlined word brings up your options. If Word does not offer spelling suggestions, you can either ignore that word for now, ignore all instances of it throughout the document, or add it to your custom dictionary. Adding words like company names or industry-specific terms to your dictionary is helpful, especially if you'll use them frequently. Once added, Word will not flag that spelling as incorrect in the future.

In my example, since Borkowitz Shipping is a regular customer, I choose to add "Borkowitz" to my custom dictionary. This ensures I won't see spelling errors for that name in the future, in this or in any new document.

To wrap up the letter, I add another paragraph after the bulleted list. I write a closing message, letting the reader know they can reach out with questions or comments, and that I look forward to hearing from them.

For the formal letter closing, I type "Cordially," followed by a comma, and then leave some space for a signature. Lastly, I sign off with my name, Richard Rost.

If you would like to see a complete step-by-step video tutorial covering everything discussed here, visit my website at the link below.

Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Creating a bulleted list in Word
Using the Bullets button in the Paragraph group
Adding items to a bulleted list
Inserting a new bullet in the middle of a list
Right-clicking on unknown words for spelling options
Adding a word to the custom dictionary
Ignoring spelling errors for specific words
Closing a letter with a standard closing and signature

Article

In this lesson, you will learn how to edit text in Microsoft Word by creating a bulleted list, adding a word to your custom spelling dictionary, and writing a closing for a letter. These are useful tools for making your documents clearer, more organized, and professional.

Let's say you are working on a letter and want to include a list of your satisfied customers. First, type your introductory sentence, such as: We have many satisfied customers in the Western New York area.

To create a bulleted list, put your cursor where you want the list to begin. In the Ribbon at the top of Word, look for the Paragraph group and find the button labeled Bullets. Click this button and a bullet symbol will appear at the start of your line. Now you can type your first customer, for example, XYZ Corporation, and then press Enter. Each time you press Enter, a new bullet will appear on the next line, ready for your next customer's name. Continue with entries like One, two, three company, Elemental P Wholesale, and Smith Agency. To end the bulleted list, simply press Enter again on a blank bullet. Word will return to normal text and you can continue with your letter.

If you realize you forgot to add a customer in the middle of your list, simply click your cursor where you want the new name to appear, press Enter, and type the new company name. For instance, if you want to add Borkowitz Shipping after One, two, three company, place your cursor at the end of that line, press Enter, and then type Borkowitz Shipping. Word will automatically add a bullet for this new line.

You may notice that Word marks unfamiliar words with a red underline. For example, Borkowitz might not be in Word's dictionary, so it will be flagged as misspelled. If the word is correct but uncommon or specific to your business, you have several options. You can choose to ignore the spelling error, or click 'Ignore All' to skip every instance of that word in your document. If you use the word often, it is best to add it to your custom dictionary. To do this, right-click on the underlined word and select Add to Dictionary. Now Word will remember the word Borkowitz and will not mark it as a spelling error in any future documents.

This feature is especially helpful for proper names, company names, industry jargon, or acronyms that Word does not recognize by default. By adding these terms to your custom dictionary, you keep documents tidy and avoid having Word flag words you know are spelled correctly.

To finish your letter, you can add a closing after the bulleted list. Press Enter a couple of times to create some space, then type your final paragraph, such as: If you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to give me a call. I look forward to hearing from you.

To add the formal closing, type Cordially, followed by a comma. Press Enter again to leave room for your signature, and then type your name on the next line, for example, Richard Rost.

By using these techniques, you can create clear and professional documents with bulleted lists, manage your custom dictionary for specialized words, and finish your letter with a proper closing. These steps help keep your document organized and polished.