How to Stop Microsoft Word from Automatically Replacing Text with Symbols (AutoCorrect)

Microsoft Word possesses an extensive “AutoCorrect” library designed to speed up typing. One of the primary functions of this library is text-to-symbol replacement. If you type a specific sequence of characters, such as (c) or -->, Word will instantly intercept your keystrokes the moment you press the spacebar and replace them with a specialized typographical symbol (like the © copyright symbol or a heavy black arrow ➔).

While this is helpful for rapid document drafting, it is incredibly frustrating for programmers, data entry clerks, or technical writers. If you are writing a tutorial and you explicitly need to display the literal characters (r) to explain a regular expression, having Word forcefully change it into a ® Registered Trademark symbol is disastrous.

You can dive into the Word preferences to completely disable these automated text replacements, forcing the software to respect your exact keystrokes.

How to Stop Word from Replacing Text with Symbols

You must turn off the text replacement feature within the AutoCorrect options.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Click on File in the top-left corner of the ribbon.
3. Click on Options at the bottom of the left sidebar.
4. In the Word Options window, select Proofing from the left-hand navigation pane.
5. Click the AutoCorrect Options… button in the main pane.
6. A new dialog box will open. Ensure you are on the AutoCorrect tab.
7. Look for a master checkbox labeled Replace text as you type.
8. Uncheck this box to disable the entire replacement dictionary.
9. Click OK twice to close both windows and save your changes.

Alternative: Deleting Specific Symbols

If you like the feature but just hate one specific replacement (like the smiley face):

1. Leave “Replace text as you type” checked.
2. Scroll through the dictionary list in that same menu until you find the offending sequence (e.g., :)).
3. Click on the entry to highlight it.
4. Click the Delete button at the bottom of the menu.

Microsoft Word will now cease its typographical interference. If you type (c), the text will remain as exactly three standard characters, allowing you total control over the symbols in your document.