Want Windows to finish your…? And start them? Find out here how to use predictive text replacement for Windows 10 to type faster with autocorrect (using keyboard shortcuts to boot).
First, the Ancient Egyptian Word for Donkey
The Ancient Egyptian word for donkey was what we should expect it to be in any language, “e-ha.” (The hieroglyph using the wooden column is interesting in its own right.)
Now, onomatopoetic words are not only fun, but they also offer an effective shortcut from what you hear to what should be in your head. How about a shortcut from what you hear in your head to what should be on the screen?
How to Use Predictive Text Replacement on Windows
Time needed: 3 minutes
To enter words swiftly with smart and contextual text suggestions in Windows 11 (and Windows 10):
- Enable predictive text input. (See below.)
- Type at least one character to start a sentence.
Something from nothing: Hitting Space for a whitespace character also usually generates a suggestion.
- Wait for the text suggestions to appear above or, if space does not suffice, below what you have typed so far.
- Choose from the selection with the mouse, tap or continue typing to improve suggestions.
Windows autocorrect keyboard shortcuts: To choose from predictive text suggestions using the keyboard:
1. Press the up key (↑)—even when the suggestions appear below the line of text.
2. Optionally, use the right (→) and left (←) keys to highlight the desired selection.
3. Press Space or Enter to enter the suggestion followed by a whitespace character; typing any other character or punctuation mark will enter that character or mark and generate a new suggestion.
How to Enable Predictive Text Replacement on Windows
To turn on predictive text and autocorrect in Windows 11 and Windows 10:
- Open the Start menu in Windows.
- Launch the Settings app from All apps.
Windows 10: Select Settings from the start menu. (You may only see the gear icon.)
Windows keyboard shortcut: You can also press Windows I to open Windows settings. - Open the Time & language section.
Windows 10: Go to the Devices category. - Now select the Typing section.
- Turn on Show text suggestions when typing on the physical keyboard.
Windows 10: Enable Show text suggestions as I type under Hardware keyboard.
Optional: Turn on Autocorrect misspelled words as I type as well to have Windows replace misspellings with the most likely correct alternative automatically. - Windows 10: Enable Show text suggestions as I type on the software keyboard as well for virtual keyboard predictive text.
Recommended: Also enable Show text predictions based on the recognized languages you’re typing in under Multilingual text prediction. This lets Windows recognize text in different languages without autocorrecting foreign words. - Close the Settings window.
How to Turn Off Autocorrect on Windows
To prevent Windows from ever correcting what you type automatically (which you can still get contextual suggestions and auto-completions):
- Open the Typing settings (see above).
- Disable Autocorrect misspelled words under Spelling.
- Disable Autocorrect misspelled words I type as well under Hardware keyboard.
How to Use Predictive Text Replacement in Windows: FAQ
Can I get more than three suggestions?
No. To get a more suitable suggestion, continue typing.
How can I undo Windows autocorrect?
Press Ctrl Z immediately after the correction.
To get back suggestions, append another character or use Backspace and re-type the last one.
Can I set up my own custom text replacements?
No, not with Windows alone.
Windows will offer predictive text replacement, but you cannot define your own replacements (like text expansion).
To define your own text replacement:
Microsoft Office
Use Office AutoCorrect to set up text expansion in Word, Outlook, OneNote and other Office applications.
Text Expanders
Use a utility that adds custom text replacement to Windows; some of the following tools offer expansive features such as fields, formatting and Windows automation while others provide plain text replacement that are easy to set up and fast to use.
Try Beeftext first for the latter:
(How to use the predictive text replacement keyboard tested with Windows 11 Version 22H2; updated February 2024)