If a custom dictionary is encoded in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) format, you may not be able to add words containing special characters to it. You can fix this problem by converting the custom dictionary from the ANSI format to Unicode, and then adding the word to the custom dictionary. To convert the custom dictionary from ANSI format to Unicode, follow these steps:
1. Locate the custom dictionary file.
If you are not sure where the file is stored, follow these steps in Office Word 2003:
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Spelling & Grammar tab, click Custom Dictionaries.
3. In the Dictionary list, click the custom dictionary you want to convert. The Full path area below the Dictionary list displays the path to the custom dictionary file.
4. Note the path to the custom dictionary file, and then click Cancel to close each dialog box.
2. Open the custom dictionary file in Notepad and convert it to Unicode.
To do this, follow these steps:
1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Notepad.
2. On the File menu, click Open.
3. In the Files of type box, click All Files.
4. Locate and click the custom dictionary file, and then click Open.
5. On the File menu, click Save As.
6. In the Encoding box, click Unicode, and then click Save.
7. When you receive a message that asks whether you want to replace the existing file, click Yes.
8. Close Notepad.
