Okay, so we all know about Word’s spell check, right? But did you know it also has an inclusivity checker?
Yep, that’s right. Word can help you use inclusive language, aiming to avoid terms that might be offensive. What does being inclusive actually mean, though?
Basically, it’s about being conscious of words that could show bias related to gender, race, culture, age, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. We all have biases, often without realizing it.
This is where Word’s inclusivity editor, or “woke” checker, comes in handy.
What is the Inclusiveness Editor?
Just like the usual spell and grammar check, this editor flags potentially problematic phrases. When it’s enabled, it doesn’t just highlight these phrases, but also suggests alternatives.
It’s important to know that this tool only suggests alternatives, it doesn’t force changes on you. You decide whether to follow the suggestions or ignore them.
How Does It Work?
The user has complete control over whether to use this feature at all. It’s actually disabled by default and is a bit hidden in the settings. This is probably why many users aren’t even aware that it exists, even though it’s been around for a couple of years now.
Some might think Microsoft keeps this feature hidden on purpose, maybe to avoid upsetting those who see inclusivity as some kind of “toxic” concept, you know, those who often complain that “young people get offended too easily these days”. But that is a topic for another time.
Microsoft states that not all suggestions from the editor will fit every situation or user. Therefore, they’ve decided to give the users complete control over whether to use the tool.
Anyway, you can enable or disable the inclusivity checker anytime. Moreover, you have full control over which kinds of suggestions you’d like to receive.
Currently, the editor checks for the following categories:
- Age Bias
- Cultural Bias
- Ethnic Slurs
- Gender Bias
- Gender-Specific Language
- Racial Bias
- Sexual Orientation Bias
These are all separate categories, allowing you to choose which ones are active at any time.
For example, the editor will flag “whitelist” and “blacklist” suggesting replacements like “allowed list” or “accepted list” due to ethnic bias.
Some other examples include suggesting replacing “postman,” “spokesman,” and “mankind,” due to gender bias. The editor suggests alternatives like “postal worker,” “spokesperson,” and “humankind” or “humanity,” respectively.
Who Can Use the Inclusiveness Editor?
This tool is only available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Sadly, that means that if you have standalone versions of Office 2019 or earlier, or if you’re using the free web version, you don’t have access to this feature.
How to Enable the Inclusiveness Editor?
The setting may be hidden, but it’s quite easy to turn on or off once you know where to look. Let’s go through the steps.
Method 1: Using the ‘Editor’ Option
- Open the Microsoft Word desktop app and click on the ‘Editor’ option on the right side of the Home tab.
- Then, select ‘Settings’ from the menu that appears.
Method 2: Using the ‘File’ Tab
- Go to the ‘File’ tab, and then go to ‘Options’.
- In the “Word Options” dialog box, go to ‘Proofing’ from the pane on the left. You will be at the same settings page you would have reached using the previous method.
- Under the ‘When correcting spelling and grammar in Word’ section, check the ‘Writing Style’ dropdown. Make sure ‘Grammar & Refinements’ is selected. If not, select it.
- Next, click the ‘Settings’ button next to ‘Writing Style’.
- The ‘Grammar Settings’ dialog box will open. Scroll down to ‘Inclusiveness’, and check the boxes next to the categories you want the editor to check. Click ‘OK’ to save.
Now, any non-inclusive language in your document will be highlighted in purple. Right-click to see the alternative suggestions.
To disable the editor, simply uncheck the boxes for ‘Inclusiveness’ in the Grammar Settings dialog.
The inclusiveness editor is a pretty useful tool if you want to ensure that your work is inclusive and free from any bias that could hurt or offend someone. It’s a useful tool to make a positive change.
Microsoft has mentioned that they used native speakers and language experts in over 20 different languages to decide what inclusivity suggestions would be appropriate.