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Stupid Simple Mac Tip #82 – Word Up

Stupid Simple Mac Tip #82 – Word Up

By Tom Lambotte | June 8, 2021

If you’re old enough to remember when Clippy was the most valuable part of Microsoft Word, you’re going to be blown away by what Grammarly can do when integrated with your favorite word processor.

That’s right – the same life-saving, multi-faceted, real-time writing assistant we’ve been discussing is available as an Microsoft Word add-in, making it perfect for attorneys tackling longer briefs, memos, and motions.

Grammarly’s online workspace is fine for drafting shorter messages, and its browser extension is excellent for correcting webmail notes or proofing social media posts…but most attorneys I know still write and store their docs as .DOCS, so Grammarly’s Microsoft app is ideal.

As of December 2020, Grammarly now works seamlessly with Word on Macs as well as Windows machines, just download the installer, follow the setup instructions, then launch Word and complete the process by choosing “Enable Grammarly.”

After that, you’ll find a dedicated tab and button at the top of Word’s home screen:

Click to open, and you’ll have access to the same tools as the web version, with improvements identified by underlined text and suggestion cards in a Grammarly sidebar on the right.

[Note that since Grammarly is a dynamic application, you’ll still need to be online to use it in MS Word…so also remember to disable it within the program when your work requires heightened privacy.]

If you’ve resisted Grammarly because Microsoft Word is your preferred platform for editing, sharing, and uploading to case management software, now you can have the best of both worlds: excellent writing AND great convenience.

Next stop: that novel you’ve been meaning to pen 😉.

There’s one more Grammarly tool that will especially appeal to iOS users on the go, but we’ll get into that next week. For now, grab the Word add-in and watch your writing improve as you enjoy the enlightening advantages of Grammarly’s powerful tools within a comfortable, familiar program.

  • June 8, 2021

About the Author

Tom Lambotte is a legal technology expert, author and the CEO of GlobalMac IT. He helps Mac-using lawyers with super simple technology, security and efficiency strategies that work. He’s on a mission to help attorneys using Apple computers reduce their security risk and get more out of their technology. Get his free 33 Stupid Simple Mac Tips and score some quick wins to boost your productivity.