If you’re a journalist or editor, you know that inclusive language is important. Inclusive language means using language that is inclusive of all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. When you’re writing in Microsoft Word, it’s easy to check for inclusive language. Just go to the “Language” tab and select the “Inclusive Language” option. This will show you a list of words that are either gender-neutral or include both men and women. If you see any words that need to be changed, just click on them and choose the appropriate replacement from the drop-down menu. You can also change the default word choice by clicking on the “Change Default” button. This tool can help make your documents more inclusive and help ensure that everyone who reads them feels included and respected. ..
Microsoft Word can help ensure inclusive language in professional communications by checking your writing for gender bias, age bias, and more. This feature is turned off by default, so if you want to avoid using exclusionary language, here’s how to turn it on.
The inclusive language addition to the grammar checker is only available in the version of Word that comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription. If you’re using a stand-alone version of Office 2019 or an earlier version of Office, you won’t have access to this feature.
Start by opening a Microsoft Word document. From the “Home” tab, click Editor > Settings.
You can also access this menu by opening File > Options, choosing “Proofing,” and then clicking the “Settings” button.
Scroll down to the “Inclusiveness” section, select all of the checkboxes that you want Word to check for in your documents, and click the “OK” button.
Now, when you write anything in Word, the grammar checker will pick up on non-inclusive languages, such as “whitelist” and “blacklist,” and suggest alternatives.
The grammar checking appears to be intended for bias you haven’t thought about rather than the glaringly obvious. For example, some racial slurs are not flagged, presumably because they are known to be offensive. However, the checker does pick up the word “mankind,” with suggestions to change it to “humankind” and “humanity.”
