I'd like to do a find and replace on inverted commas to remove the spaces that precede and proceed them, but find and replace does not seem to be able to differentiate between them and this makes my task impossible.



Is there a way this can be done, so I can remove them automatically? Or is there perhaps another way it can be done?

Cheers

8216 is HTML Entity for ‘LEFT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK
SINGLE TURNED COMMA QUOTATION MARK’.
If you type ‘Alt+8216’ into the Find box, Word will find all ‘left single quotation marks’.

8217 is HTML Entity for ‘RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK
SINGLE COMMA QUOTATION MARK’.
If you type ‘Alt+8217’ into the Find box, Word will find all ‘right single quotation marks’.
HTH
Robert

Using wildcards:
Find = ( )(’)
Replace = \2\1
Find = (‘)( )
Replace = \2\1
ensures the single smart-quotes & spaces are in the correct order.

Alt-0145 = ‘
Alt-0146 = ’

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]