Microsoft has finally introduced spell check and autocorrect features to its venerable Notepad text editor, a staple of the Windows operating system for over four decades.
This update significantly enhances the minimalist text editor, which has remained largely unchanged since its inception.
First released in 1983 as part of MS-DOS, Notepad predates the Windows operating system itself and has been included in every version of Windows since 1985. Despite its longevity, Notepad has always been known for its simplicity and lack of advanced features.
However, Microsoft announced back in April that it would be adding spell check and autocorrect functionalities, initially rolling them out to Windows Insiders. As of today, these features are available to all Windows 11 users.
New Features With Windows 11 Notepad
The new spell-check feature in Notepad works similarly to those found in more sophisticated word processors. Misspelled words are underlined with a squiggly red line, and users can right-click on them to see suggestions for the correct spelling.
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Additionally, an autocorrect option is available, which automatically fixes common typing errors as the user types. Users can also choose to ignore flagged misspellings for an entire document or add custom words to the built-in dictionary.
One of the key aspects of this update is its flexibility. While spell check and autocorrect are enabled by default, users who prefer Notepad’s traditional minimalist experience can easily toggle these features off in the settings menu.
Furthermore, spell check is automatically disabled for certain file types commonly associated with coding, such as .txt and .md files, to avoid unnecessary interruptions.
This update is part of a broader trend of enhancements to Notepad that have been introduced with Windows 11. Recent updates have included a dark theme, autosave functionality, AI integration with Copilot, and the addition of tabs. Despite these improvements, Notepad has retained its core identity as a fast, lightweight text editor ideal for quick note-taking and simple text editing tasks.
The introduction of these new features to Notepad comes in the wake of Microsoft’s decision to retire WordPad, another long-standing text editing program that has been part of Windows for at least 30 years.
Unlike Notepad, WordPad offered more advanced word processing capabilities but will be phased out later this year. This move underscores Microsoft’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing Notepad as a key utility within the Windows ecosystem[5][6].
The addition of spell check and autocorrect to Notepad is a significant milestone in the program’s history, bringing it in line with modern user expectations while preserving its essential simplicity.
The introduction of spell check and autocorrect to Notepad has been met with a generally positive response. Users appreciate the added functionality while also noting areas for potential improvement.
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