Gender-Specific Words

For certain types of writing it is proper to use gender-specific words. For instance, the needs of your document may require you to use words such as police officer rather than policeman. Word's grammar checker can draw your attention to the most common gender-specific word uses.

To enable this option, follow these steps:

1. Choose Tools / Options

2. Go to Spelling & Grammar tab / Find the Grammar section

3. Check Grammar as you type box / Check Grammar with spelling box

4. Go to Writing Style column / Select Grammar only
    Click Settings button / Word displays the Grammar Settings dialog box
    Scroll to Style section
    Check Gender-specific words box

5. Click on OK to save options / OK to close dialog box

When you type in the word fireman or mailman, etc in a sentence or paragraph the program will only scan the sentence / paragraph after you click the Enter Key.

Depending on which version of Word you are using, the grammar filter will alert you to spelling and grammatical errors first (if you have any) and then alert you to gender-specific words. At that time the first word fireman will be underlined in green ... right click and select firefighter ... the next word mailman will be highlighted in green ... right click and select mail carrier.
The process will be repeated for every gender specific word used in the sentence or paragraph.

At first, the process seems time consuming. It is not. You will quickly get the benefit of using politically correct words and phrases.
Note: Spelling errors are underlined in red; grammar and gender-specific errors are underlined in green.

Practice this skill: Open Word and type in this sentence:
The mailman and fireman are being honored for bravery. Click Enter key.
Right click over mailman and select mail carrier
Right click over fireman and select firefighter