Standardising spelling variations with Find and Replace

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A State column has Vic, VIC and Victoria. What is the aim of using Find and Replace here?

A Change every variation to one agreed value, such as Victoria

B Delete every row that is not spelled Victoria

2. You want to change Vic to Victoria. Which setting should you tick so that cells like Victoria are not changed?

A Match entire cell contents

B Match case only

3. What could happen if you replace Vic with Victoria WITHOUT matching the whole cell?

A Nothing, because Victoria is already correct

B Victoria could become Victoriatoria

4. Which is the better way to standardise Vic, VIC and vic in a column?

A Retype only the first few cells and ignore the rest

B Replace each variation with Victoria, matching the whole cell

5. After replacing, how can you check that no spelling variations are left in the State column?

A Open the filter list and check that each state appears only once

B Look at the first five rows and assume the rest are fine

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Find what: Vic Replace with: Victoria		AFind: Vic. Replace with: Victoria [Replace All]
2Match entire cell contents		BData > Filter, then open the State drop-down list
3After replacing, check with the filter drop-down list that only one version of each category is left		CWith whole-cell matching off, the Vic inside a cell that already says Victoria is replaced too, giving Victoriatoria.
4Replace each variation in turn so Vic. and VIC both become one agreed value		DSwaps the short spelling Vic for the one agreed value Victoria
5Find: Vic Replace with: Victoria (Match entire cell contents is OFF)		EOnly replaces cells that are exactly Vic, so cells already saying Victoria are left alone
6Find: Vic Replace with: Victoria [Replace All] then start counting		FThe result was never checked, so variations such as Vict or Vic with a space could remain and be counted as separate categories.

Definitions

Find and Replace

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

Find what: Vic ____________: Victoria

Find what: Vic Replace with: Victoria Click ___________

Find what: Vic [x] Match ___________ contents

Open the filter drop-down list Each state should appear ____

=_______(B2:B30,"Vic") Counts cells still using the old spelling

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A Find what: Vic

B Replace with: (leave empty)

C Match entire cell: ON

D Click Replace All

Question 2

A Select column C (State)

B Find what: Victoria

C Replace with: Victoria

D Match entire cell: ON

E Click Replace All

Question 3

A Find what: Vic

B Replace with: Victoria

C Match entire cell: OFF

D Click Replace All

Question 4

A Find what: vic

B Replace with: Victoria

C Match entire cell: ON

D Click Find Next

Question 5

A Find what: Vic.

B Replace with: Victoria

C Match entire cell: ON

D Click Replace All

Answer Key

Standardising spelling variations with Find and Replace

Section A: Quick Questions

A — Change every variation to one agreed value, such as Victoria

A — Match entire cell contents

B — Victoria could become Victoriatoria

B — Replace each variation with Victoria, matching the whole cell

A — Open the filter list and check that each state appears only once

Section B: Match the Pairs

Find what: Vic Replace with: Victoria → Swaps the short spelling Vic for the one agreed value Victoria

Match entire cell contents → Only replaces cells that are exactly Vic, so cells already saying Victoria are left alone

After replacing, check with the filter drop-down list that only one version of each category is left → Data > Filter, then open the State drop-down list

Replace each variation in turn so Vic. and VIC both become one agreed value → Find: Vic. Replace with: Victoria [Replace All]

Find: Vic Replace with: Victoria (Match entire cell contents is OFF) → With whole-cell matching off, the Vic inside a cell that already says Victoria is replaced too, giving Victoriatoria.

Find: Vic Replace with: Victoria [Replace All] then start counting → The result was never checked, so variations such as Vict or Vic with a space could remain and be counted as separate categories.

Section C: Definitions

Find and Replace — A spreadsheet tool that swaps every spelling variation of a category, such as Vic or VIC, for one agreed value like Victoria, so each category is counted only once.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Find what: Vic
Replace with: Victoria

Find what: Vic
Replace with: Victoria
Click Replace All

Find what: Vic
[x] Match entire cell contents

Open the filter drop-down list
Each state should appear once

=COUNTIF(B2:B30,"Vic")
Counts cells still using the old spelling

Section E: Spot the Error

B — Leaving Replace with empty deletes the state names. It should be Replace with: Victoria, the one agreed value.

B — Find what must be the spelling variation to remove, such as VIC. Finding Victoria and replacing it with Victoria changes nothing.

C — With match whole cell off, Vic inside Victoria is also replaced, giving Victoriatoria. Turn Match entire cell ON.

D — Find Next only moves to one cell and changes nothing. Click Replace All to fix every variation at once.

A — The extra full stop means the search does not match cells that contain just Vic. It should be Find what: Vic.