How to Stop Outlook From Changing Words or Adding Corrections

Outlook’s AutoCorrect and autocapitalization features are handy until they silently rewrite what you type—changing “teh� to “the,� capitalizing “iPhone� as “Iphone,� or inserting a smart quote you didn’t ask for. This guide shows you how to turn off the specific corrections that bother you, either for all messages or just for one, and how to undo a change after it happens.

What You’ll Need

• Access to Microsoft Outlook (desktop, web, or mobile—steps differ slightly).
• If you use Outlook desktop, you’ll need permission to change app settings (usually true for a personal account).
• For Outlook on the web, you just need to be signed in to your account.

Step-by-Step

Turn Off AutoCorrect in Outlook Desktop (Windows)

1. Open Outlook and click File in the top-left corner.
2. Click Options at the bottom of the left sidebar.
3. In the Outlook Options window, click Mail in the left pane.
4. Under the Compose messages section, click Spelling and Autocorrect.
5. In the AutoCorrect dialog, you’ll see several tabs. To stop words from being changed, uncheck the boxes for:
   • Replace text as you type – this is the main toggle for word substitutions.
   • Capitalize first letter of sentences – prevents automatic capitalization at sentence starts.
   • Capitalize first letter of table cells – stops capitalization inside table cells.
   • Capitalize names of days – stops automatic capitalization of day names.
   • Correct accidental usage of cAPS LOCK key – stops Outlook from reversing caps when you hit Caps Lock by mistake.
6. If you want to remove a specific replacement (e.g., “teh� → “the�), go to the AutoCorrect tab, type the word in the Replace box, select it from the list, and click Delete.
7. Click OK on all open dialogs to save.

Turn Off AutoCorrect in Outlook for Mac

1. In Outlook, click Outlook in the menu bar and select Preferences.
2. Click Autocorrect.
3. Uncheck the boxes for the corrections you don’t want, such as Replace text as you type or Capitalize first letter of sentences.
4. Close the preferences window—changes save automatically.

Turn Off AutoCorrect in Outlook on the Web (Outlook.com)

1. Go to outlook.com and sign in.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner.
3. Scroll down and click View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the pane.
4. Go to Mail → Compose and reply.
5. Under AutoCorrect, uncheck Automatically correct spelling as I type and Automatically capitalize words as desired.
6. Click Save.

Undo a Single Correction (Without Turning Off AutoCorrect)

1. When Outlook changes a word, immediately press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) to undo the change.
2. Alternatively, hover over the changed word—a small blue underline may appear. Click it and choose Change back to “your word�.

Add a Word to the AutoCorrect Exceptions List

1. In the AutoCorrect dialog (desktop), click the Exceptions button.
2. In the First Letter tab, type a word you don’t want capitalized after a period (e.g., “vs.�).
3. In the INitial CAps tab, add words like “iPhone� that you want to keep in their original case.
4. Click Add for each, then OK.

Common Mistakes

• Turning off “Replace text as you type� but still seeing changes – This toggle only affects word substitutions, not capitalization or smart quotes. You need to uncheck the specific capitalization options as well.
• Forgetting to click “OK� or “Save� – Changes in the desktop version apply only after you click OK on every dialog. In Outlook on the web, you must click Save.
• Editing the wrong account – If you have multiple email accounts in Outlook, AutoCorrect settings apply globally to the app, not per account. In Outlook on the web, settings are per account.
• Deleting a common correction by accident – If you delete “teh� from the list, Outlook will no longer fix it, but it also won’t suggest it. You can always add it back later.

Tips

• Keep AutoCorrect for common typos – Instead of turning it off entirely, remove only the replacements that annoy you. That way you still get “teh� → “the� but not “dont� → “don’t� if you prefer your own style.
• Use the “Exceptions� list for proper nouns – If Outlook keeps capitalizing “eBay� or “iPad,� add them to the exceptions list instead of turning off capitalization entirely.
• Disable smart quotes – If you want straight quotes instead of curly ones, go to AutoCorrect → AutoFormat As You Type and uncheck “Straight quotes� with “smart quotes�.
• Check your keyboard language – Sometimes autocorrect behavior changes when you switch between keyboard layouts. Make sure the correct language is selected in Windows/Mac settings.

Troubleshooting

Outlook Still Changes Words After You Turn Off AutoCorrect

• Check if you’re in “Editor� mode – In Outlook on the web, the “Editor� pane (sometimes called “Microsoft Editor�) may have its own autocorrect settings. Go to Settings → Mail → Compose and reply and look for “Editor� options.
• Clear the AutoCorrect list – If you’ve added a custom replacement that you forgot about, go to AutoCorrect and search the list for the word. Delete it.
• Restart Outlook – Some settings only take effect after a restart. Close and reopen Outlook.
• Update Outlook – Older versions may have bugs. Go to File → Office Account → Update Options → Update Now.

The Undo Shortcut Doesn’t Work

• Make sure you press Ctrl+Z immediately after the change. If you type more words, the undo may revert a different action.
• If you’re on a Mac, use Cmd+Z.

Changes Still Happen in Email Signatures or Templates

• AutoCorrect applies to the message body, but signatures are often stored as HTML. You may need to edit the signature directly in the signature editor and re-add it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off AutoCorrect affect spell check?

No. AutoCorrect is separate from spell check. Turning it off stops automatic replacements, but you’ll still see red squiggly lines for misspelled words.

Can I disable AutoCorrect for only one email?

Yes, but only after the fact. When Outlook makes a change, press Ctrl+Z to undo it. There’s no per-email toggle to disable AutoCorrect before you start typing.

Why does Outlook keep changing “don’t� to “dont�?

That’s likely because you’ve added “dont� to the AutoCorrect list as a replacement for “don’t.� Go to AutoCorrect and delete that entry.

Will these settings carry over to Word or Excel?

No. Outlook’s AutoCorrect settings are separate from other Office apps. You’ll need to adjust them in each program.

How do I turn off AutoCorrect on the Outlook mobile app?

The mobile app uses your phone’s keyboard settings, not Outlook’s. To stop corrections, go to your phone’s keyboard settings (e.g., Gboard or iOS keyboard) and disable autocorrect there.

I turned off everything, but Outlook still capitalizes the first letter of a sentence. Why?

Make sure you uncheck Capitalize first letter of sentences in the AutoCorrect dialog. Also check if your keyboard’s own autocapitalization is on (especially on mobile).

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