Southern New Hampshire University

Microsoft Editor for Microsoft Word

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With Microsoft Editor, you can improve your resume or writing style with inclusiveness, conciseness, correct spelling, and grammar, and enhance your communication skills.

Note: The setup is a little different depending if you are working offline on a downloaded Word application or if you are working online on your browser. You can refer to either Option 1 (desktop/laptop application) or Option 2 (working online/web) for your preferred method of using Microsoft Word. Running the Editor is the same on both platforms.

Option 1: Setting up Editor on Microsoft Word for Desktop Application

  • Go to the File tab
  • Scroll down to Options on the left dialogue box opens up.
  • The Proof tab will allow you to choose how Editor interacts with your word document.
    • Select "Mark grammar errors as you type."
    • Select "Check to spell as you type."
    • Select  "Check grammar and refinements."  Ensure you take the time to check and mark all that apply from all the different categories from the drop-down menu.
      • Select readability statistics (This is recommended to check for clarity and sentence structure).
      • Select from the dropdown menu og the Grammar Settings the Writing Style Grammar & Refinements. Check mark and select all these options.
editor tool
  • Press "Okay" to close and save your customized settings. 


Option 2:  Set up Word Editor for Microsoft Word Online/Web.  This also requires a manual change to close the Options dialog box.

To confirm what Editor is checking for when you are creating content on the 

web version of Microsoft:

  • Go to the "Review" on the right of the Editor tab on the top toolbar. 
  • Next, press the down arrow. On the dropdown menu, click Editor Settings.
editor settings

In the Editor Settings, Select all that apply from each dialogue box to enable the features:

  • Corrections:
    • Spelling
    •  Grammar 
  • Refinements:
    • Clarity
    • Conciseness 
    • Formality
    • Inclusiveness
    • Punctuation Conventions
    • Resume
    • Sensitive Geopolitical
    • Punctuation
    • Vocabulary

Ensure all the boxes have been checked to get the most out of Editor.

Especially all the boxes in Clarity are checked and enabled.

Lastly, Press "Okay" to set your customized settings, and you will be ready to run the editor to proof your document.

editor setting webversion

How to use the AI Intelligent Writing Assistant "Microsoft Editor"

  1. Open your Word document.
  2. Make sure you are on the Home tab.
  3. On the right-hand side of the ribbon, you will see an Editor tab.
  4. Press on the Editor Icon and the left side pane of your document will auto-populate writing suggestions based on your language settings.
editor tab

Check your document for similarity to online sources

After you have pressed the Editor Tab.

  • In the Editor pane, find "Similarity" and click or tap "Check for similarity to online sources."
    • To review the passages, click or tap Similarities reviewed. It will provide you with options to add citations to your document.
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