Most word-processing programs provide tools to check spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style. Used with an awareness of their limitations, these tools can significantly reduce the effort required to edit a document.

Spelling checkers have two primary limitations. First, they can’t identify words that are spelled correctly but misused — such as to/two/too, their/they’re/there, and advice/advise. Second, spelling checkers are ineffective when they run into a word they don’t recognize, such as proper names, technical and scientific terms, and unusual words. To compound this problem, spelling checkers often suggest replacement words. If you accept suggestions uncritically, you might end up with a paper full of incorrect words and misspelled names.

The main limitation of grammar, punctuation, and style checkers is inaccurate advice. Although much of the advice they offer is sound, a significant proportion is not. If you are confident about your knowledge of grammar, punctuation, and style, you can use the grammar- and style-checking tools in your word-processing program to identify potential problem areas in your document. These tools can point out problems you might have overlooked, such as a subject-verb agreement problem that occurred when you revised a sentence. However, if you don’t have a strong knowledge of grammar, punctuation, and style, you can easily be misled by inaccurate advice.

If you have any doubts about advice from your word-processing program’s spelling checker, consult an up-to-date dictionary. If you have concerns about the suggestions you receive from the grammar-, punctuation-, and style-checking tools, consult a good grammar handbook.