Hyphenation in Word

[dfksbkdfb]

I have a document that is in need of hyphenation. When I try Page Layout > Hyphenation > Automatic, nothing happens. When I try Page Layout > Hyphenation > Manual, it says "Hyphenation is complete". When I first select all and then try Manual, it says "Word finished checking the selection. Do you want to continue checking the remainder of the document?" and then, when I click 'Yes', it says "Hyphenation is complete".

In short, it is behaving as if there is no hyphenation to be done.

But I know that there is hyphenation to be done, because I can manually hyphenate a single word in need of hyphenation. To do this, I select the word, do Page Layout > Hyphenation > Manual, and click 'Yes'. The fact that this works obviously goes to show that the document is in need of hyphenation. Naturally, however, doing this over and over again, for each word in need of hyphenation, is not a feasible way to hyphenate a document.

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[strongm]

>The fact that this works obviously goes to show that the document is in need of hyphenation

Er ... well, not really. Word does its best to avoid hyphenation by dynamically adjusting letter and word spacing as you type. You actually have to have a fairly extreme scenario before automatic hyphenation actually causes a hyphen to appear (and there is a hyphenation dictionary that tells Word the best place to put the hyphen). Manual hyphenation, on the other hand, basically says "if this word is in the hyphenation zone then put in a hyphen at the point marked even if we could normally adjust spacing to avoid a hyphen" and basically overrides all sophisticated handling Word normally applies (the practical upshot of this is that Word actually inserts an 'optional hyphen' at the point you indicate)

 

[dfksbkdfb]

strongm,

I've read your explanation, but I still don't understand why Manual is saying "Hyphenation is complete". What it ought to do, and what it typically does, is go through the document asking me about words that could use some hyphenation. But what it's doing in this case is nothing.

 

[fumei]

The point is that if it does nothing, then Word has found a way to make no hyphenation required. This does not prevent you from making a manual hyphentation.

But...ummmm, why would you want to?

"asking me about words that could use some hyphenation"

What do you mean "could use"? Basically, Word, if it can, will avoid hyphenation (as would we all).

"I can manually hyphenate a single word in need of hyphenation"

What makes that word "in need of hyphenation"? If Word can adjust kerning so that there is no need for hyphenation, is that not a good thing?

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture