How can I access the words list in the dictionary for spelling check?

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Grasshopper - 28 Mar 2007 23:12 GMT

Hi All,

Is there a way that I can access the words list in the dictionary for
spelling check? I want to extracted the words out. Mainly, I need to
see all the names (human names) that are in the list.

- Grasshopper -

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StargateFanFromWork - 28 Mar 2007 23:51 GMT

> Hi All,
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> - Grasshopper -

Hi! Finally, one that I know how to answer <g>.

It's a file on your computer called "CUSTOM.DIC". I didn't know this until
recently, but it's the same file that Outlook uses, which I had known and
have been backing up for years. But Word accesses it, too.

It's buried a few folders deep in your profile's "Application Data" folder,
but a search brings it up easily. You can open it and edit it right then
and there in Notepad and changes take place next time you open Word.

Good luck! :oD

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Grasshopper - 29 Mar 2007 01:26 GMT

Thank you for your help. I am actaully looking for the master
dictionary, not the custom one that was created by user.
Any idea?

- Grasshopper -

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Jay Freedman - 29 Mar 2007 04:56 GMT

>Thank you for your help. I am actaully looking for the master
>dictionary, not the custom one that was created by user.
>Any idea?
>
>- Grasshopper -

The main dictionary is not a list of words as such, and no, there is
no way to extract a list from it. The file is in the folder C:\Program
Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\PROOF, with a name such as
MSSP3EN.LEX (the letters after the 3 indicate the language). It's a
binary file in a proprietary (unpublished) format.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

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Grasshopper - 29 Mar 2007 15:52 GMT

Hi Jay,

Thank you. I saw the files last night. When I tried to open it, it
contains many garbage characters, but the words are there. I think if
I used find and replace to remove those characters, I may have the
list.

Thank you for your info.

- Grasshopper -

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Helmut Weber - 29 Mar 2007 16:45 GMT

Hi Grasshopper,

searching for *.lex results in 29 files, here and now.
The largest is nls302en.lex,
with indeed a lot of words in it,
and which wasn't there in ealier version of Office.
Which versions? I don't know.

It does in no way mean that Jay is wrong.
Files like MSSP3EN.LEX contain some words,
word parts and a rules which produce possible words, like

Bananamother
Bananacheapmother
Bananacheapearlymother

I a very simplyfied way.

I don't dare to recommend a way to extract
the Words from nls302en.lex.
It's not that simple and probably illegal, too.

How MSSP3EN.LEX and nls302en.lex interact, is a secret.
Spelling check knows "Kissinger",
yet it can't be found in MSSP3EN.LEX,
but in nls302en.lex.

There must sources on the web available for free.

Sorry.

Signature

Greetings from Bavaria, Germany

Helmut Weber, MVP WordVBA

Win XP, Office 2003
"red.sys" & Chr$(64) & "t-online.de"

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StargateFanFromWork - 29 Mar 2007 22:10 GMT

> Thank you for your help. I am actaully looking for the master
> dictionary, not the custom one that was created by user.
> Any idea?
>
> - Grasshopper -

Oh, dear. And just when I thought I knew something <lol>. Glad you got it
sorted out.

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Grasshopper - 29 Mar 2007 23:28 GMT

Thank you for all your helps. I will work from the information that
you guys provided.

- Grasshopper -

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