It was about time: Microsoft adds the most-requested features by users to Notepad

Better late than never, right? Almost 40 years after its launch, Microsoft has finally added a spell checker and an autocorrect feature to the classic Notepad in Windows 11. The company has quietly started integrating the functions into the application for all users since beginning testing in March.

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The spell checker in Notepad is very similar to that of Word or Edge, underlining misspelled words in red. However, when right-clicking on a misspelled word, the spell check submenu doesn’t automatically expand like in Word, requiring a second click to see the correction suggestions. It’s really curious that Microsoft has not fully adopted the functionality of the Word spell checker, especially because during beta testing, it was possible to instantly select the correction with a single right-click in Notepad.

Microsoft Word first introduced a spell-check feature in 1985, when it was known as Multi-Tool Word. On the other hand, Notepad, initially called Multi-Tool Notepad, was created in 1983 as a simplified version of Word and did not receive this useful feature. Until today.

In Notepad for Windows 11, you can enable or disable the spell checker according to the file type from the Settings menu, which allows you to avoid corrections in files like .md, .lic, or .srt. The spell checker is automatically disabled in log files and other file types associated with code text. Additionally, Microsoft has added the autocorrect feature, which automatically corrects typos when the spell checker is enabled, although this feature can also be disabled in Notepad’s Settings.

With the scheduled removal of WordPad at the end of the year, Microsoft has been gradually adding more features to its Notepad for Windows 11. The application now includes a character counter, dark mode, tabs, and integration with Copilot.

Source: The Verge

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