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Customized spell-check dictionary of optical terms

What is this?

I’m offering free download of a custom dictionary of optical terms to serve as a supplement to the standard Microsoft spell-checker.  Once activated, this custom dictionary will be automatically available to all Microsoft Office programs.

Why bother?

Why should YOU bother?

Doctors and lawyers have specialized dictionaries for their word processors, because they use jargon liberally and the spell-check function requires operator attention for every word that is not in its dictionary.  Those of us in optics and photonics have similar issues – but we usually don’t have personal assistants to do our typing and editing! 

With a trustworthy specialized dictionary, you can look forward to shorter editing sessions, fewer errors, and the information and assistance you need to produce a more professional final product.

When you select ‘Tools, Spelling and Grammar’ during editing, WordÒ will scan the entire document and show you words that are not in the selected dictionaries, asking you what you want to do about them.  This is where you must be very careful.  It is helpful to add frequently used words that are not included in Word’s standard dictionary so that they don’t bog your spell checking.  You can do that by selecting ‘add’ when spell checking, but YOU MUST BE CERTAIN YOU ARE RIGHT.  If you think “friends” is spelled “freinds,” or if “heigth” looks right to you and you add it to your dictionary, those errors will never again be brought to your attention!

If I encounter “praesodymium” or “praseodynium” during spell-check and the spell-check says it’s not in the (Microsoft) dictionary, I may reflexively choose to add it.  That would be a mistake not least because it is spelled wrong that once, but more importantly because my spell-checker would forever after actually suggest that spelling.  Alternatively, had the spell-check confronted me with the choice of ‘praseodymium’ I would have been more likely to think about it.  That will not happen with the default spell-check dictionary, because praseodymium is not in the Microsoft version.  It’s in mine, and I checked the whole dictionary.  It’s correct to the best of my knowledge.  If you find any errors, I’ll fix them – check back for updates.

Why did I bother?

•  I use it

•  I want to be useful

•  I value good writing

•  It’s a way to generate traffic to my site

•   And now you owe me

•   Not really

•  But maybe you’ll remember me.

To activate the custom dictionary:

Note that if you didn’t download this dictionary directly from my website, you may have a copy that has been “improved” by others.  Check for updates.  Please advise me of any errors you may find (in versions downloaded from my website only.)  Suggestions are welcome. 

1. Copy the custom dictionary (filename - Custom Dictionary 2006 test.dic) to your hard disk and note where you saved it.

2.  Open Microsoft WordÒ

3.  Select Tools, Options, Spelling and Grammar, Custom Dictionaries, Add.

4.   Search for the custom dictionary and click on it.

5.  In the Custom Dictionaries dialog box, make sure the check box beside the dictionary's name is selected.
   On the Spelling & Grammar tab, clear the Suggest from main dictionary only check box.

Options, Discussion

This dictionary file reflects American usage.  It is not intended to be exhaustive.  An exhaustive dictionary would include many seldom-used terms that could easily duplicate unintended typographic errors, and would therefore hide more mistakes than it uncovers.  I believe there is a point of optimal usability, and I’ve used my best judgment to aim for it.  You may of course add terms to your own custom dictionary and use that in parallel with mine.

Because acronyms may be misspelled, I’ve included a number of them here.  In order that they not be ignored, you should choose not to “ignore words in capitals” under Tools, Options, Spelling and Editing in Word.

Some words and acronyms specific to optics have been left out because they are also misspellings of much more common words.  I decided to do this so that you would be flagged and could make your own call.

Words requiring capitalization are capitalized in the dictionary file. 

Where commonly accepted practice in optics is in conflict with standard dictionaries, the optical convention is used.  An example is “beamsplitter” instead of “beam-splitter.”

Several proper names of significance in optics are included so that they would not constantly show up as errors.

In Tools, Options, Spelling and Grammar, check that the settings are appropriate to your purpose.  I deselect Check spelling as you type during draft composition, as I find it intrusive and distracting to my thought processes.  However I find this feature useful during final editing.

I like to select Always suggest corrections because it confronts me with the alternatives and makes me think them through. 

If you want to use custom dictionaries you must deselect Suggest from main dictionary only.

If you select Ignore words in UPPERCASE then your favorite acronyms will not be challenged.  Ignoring words in uppercase can speed spell checking, at the risk that misspelled acronyms or uppercase words won’t be checked either.  I’ve included a number of optics-specific acronyms in my dictionary, and you may always add your favorites to your own dictionary.  I suggest that you deselect this option.

If you choose to Ignore words with numbers then SiO2 will pass muster, but so will SiO1.  In a related matter, 633nm will be accepted, and 532nm, and 355nm...  This may appear to be a good idea on the grounds that there are too many wavelengths to add to a dictionary.  In fact it is a bad idea, because proper usage according to SI conventions requires that numerical values and unit symbols must be separated by a space.  I suggest deselecting this feature unless you are working with a parts list.

The choice to Ignore Internet and file addresses is up to you.  If you cut and paste these items from a safe source you can be assured of their accuracy, but if you type them and make a mistake, it will be difficult for your reader to guess the proper “spelling.”

Under Custom dictionary selection, make sure you check ALL that apply.  You may want to create a work dictionary that includes your name and those of your coworkers, your address and mail-stop, company products and concepts.  You may also want to create a personal dictionary that includes your personal associates, nicknames, hobby terms and whatever else is challenged by spell-check with annoying regularity.  I race karts, for example, and that IS the proper spelling.

I like to deselect Check grammar as you type as I find it intrusive and distracting to my thought processes.  I find this feature useful during final editing.

Be sure to deselect Hide grammatical errors in this document if you want grammatical help.

I like to Check grammar with spelling because it’s one less step when I’m proofing. 

I believe that Show readability statistics gives helpful coaching when I pay attention to it, and is unobtrusive to the point of near invisibility when I choose to ignore it.

You should optimize Settings according to your preference.  I like to select Capitalization because this will show “newtonian” and “dwdm” as incorrect and it will suggest “Newtonian” and “DWDM.”  Note that it doesn’t work the other way: while “rms” is in my dictionary in lowercase, Word will accept “RMS” with this option setting in either position.