SmallBizResource Blog -- Software

Straighten Out Those Curly Quotes

Posted by Gayle Kesten Thursday, Jan 31, 2008, 01:12 PM ET

Anyone who publishes to the Web knows the mess Microsoft Word's curly quotes create.

Curly quotes are one of those lovely default settings you can tear your (straight, wavy or, yes, curly) hair out trying to locate, at least in the 2007 version of Word.

Here's how to fix it once and for all, courtesy of Microsoft.

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options. (The button is the colorful icon in the upper lefthand corner of a Word document. The Word Options button is at the bottom right of the dialog box. I didn't see it at first.)

2. Click Proofing, and then click AutoCorrect Options.

3. In the AutoCorrect dialog box, do the following:

--> Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and under Replace as you type, select or clear the "Straight quotes" with “smart quotes” check box.

--> Click the AutoFormat tab, and under Replace, select or clear the "Straight quotes" with “smart quotes” check box. (Yes, you are doing it twice.)

This video also walks you through the steps. I found it helpful.

Software