How to Set Microsoft Word for One Space After Colon

Automatically replace characters with AutoCorrect in Word.

Microsoft Word can automatically correct common errors and misspellings while you type, but its AutoCorrect feature can be used to change more than just your mistakes. You can add your own commands and replacements to the AutoCorrect library to take advantage of automatic editing. Use AutoCorrect to its fullest extent by adding corrections that will automatically replace your textual shortcuts with different characters.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Office Word

Instructions

1. Open Word and click the "Microsoft Office Button" to open the menu. Select "Word Options" from the bottom of the menu.

2. Click the "Proofing" tab to locate the AutoCorrect features. Click the "AutoCorrect Options" button to open the AutoCorrect Dialog window.

3. Add an entry to the list of automatic corrections. Type the character or characters you want to automatically replace into the "Replace" text box. To replace a colon with a colon and a space, type ":" into the "Replace" box.

4. Type the replacement characters into the "With" textbox. To replace a colon with a colon and a space, type ": " into the "With" box.

5. Click "Add" to add your correction to the AutoCorrect list. Close all of the preference windows and open a blank document. Test your new entry by typing ":" into the blank document; AutoCorrect will automatically replace the character with its replacement.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use AutoCorrect to add extra characters or remove excess characters. If you wanted to replace a colon and a double space with a colon and a single space, you would enter ": " into the "Replace" box and ": " into the "With" box.

• You can locate the "AutoCorrect Options" dialog in old versions of Word by selecting "AutoCorrect Options" from the "Tools" menu.

References

• Microsoft Office Online: Create or Change Automatic Corrections
• Microsoft Office Online: Where Are the AutoCorrect Options?