How to Check for Similarity in Microsoft Word: Review Matches

How to check similarity in Microsoft Word

Run the check using the path above. When results appear, select Similarities reviewed to inspect the passages and linked sources. Microsoft documents citation insertion and Ignore as review options. Official procedure

If the entry is absent or the check fails, use the troubleshooting section below. This procedure is documentation-based; we have not tested it in a signed-in Word account.

What does the similarity percentage mean?

Microsoft describes a percentage of content matching text found online, alongside passages to review. That measurement does not decide whether attribution is appropriate. Result definition

Our interpretation: a low result does not certify originality, and a match is not sufficient to decide misconduct. Examine what was matched and how it is used.

Illustrative example—not a Word test: imagine the sentence “The garden opens at sunrise” appears in your draft and in a source. In one draft it is clearly quoted and credited; in another it is presented without acknowledgement. The words alone cannot settle the attribution question. This example predicts no score or detection behavior.

What should you do with a match?

The following is our suggested review process, not a Microsoft grading rule. Microsoft’s original feature announcement frames similarity checking as writing-time attribution support; the decisions below remain yours, under your assignment or publication rules. Microsoft’s attribution-focused introduction

For each passage:

Open the source. Read the surrounding text. Check which statement or wording actually overlaps.
Compare meaning and wording. Have you borrowed exact language, an explanation, or only an incidental phrase? Does your sentence preserve qualifications in the source?
Inspect the credit already present. Check whether the reader can tell which material is borrowed and find the source you used.
Record a decision. Make the edit, retain the reviewed text with a reason, or mark the passage unresolved.

What you find	Suggested next action
You need the source’s exact wording	Check that direct quotation is permitted; mark the quoted material appropriately and add or correct the source citation.
You need the idea, not the original wording	Explain the point independently, verify that you kept its meaning, and retain or add credit. Do not use rewriting as a way to avoid attribution.
The passage is already appropriately quoted and credited	Check the citation and relevance. Leave it unchanged if it meets your requirements; do not add duplicate credit simply to respond to a flag.
The overlap seems incidental or common knowledge	Confirm that judgment under your context and rules before deciding no citation is needed. If unsure, ask an instructor or editor.
The linked source cannot be read, or you cannot resolve the overlap	Mark it unresolved. Find verifiable source material or seek help; do not treat the passage as cleared.
The linked page differs from the source you actually used	Verify the relationship before inserting that page as a citation. Record the source you consulted and follow any applicable secondary-citation rules.

These are conditional recommendations, not automatic exemptions. Rewrite and cite can be the same decision. Cite, rewrite and Ignore are not three mutually exclusive outcomes.

Microsoft permits Ignore when you decide a citation is unnecessary. Make that decision after review—not to chase a lower score. We have not verified what Ignore does to the percentage or subsequent checks. Microsoft review options

Before accepting a generated citation, verify the source details and your required style. Word also documents adding the source you used through its separate citation workflow. Microsoft citation documentation

Finish the review, not a score target: account for every reported passage, check your edits against their sources, and keep unresolved items visible. A completed review is your record of decisions, not a certificate of originality.

What does Word actually compare your document against?

The documented scope is online text; Microsoft Learn lists Similarity Checker among experiences that rely on Bing. This does not establish that every Bing result, paper repository, private collection or academic database is checked. Microsoft Learn: Bing-dependent experiences

What a result supports is a list of reported matches for you to investigate. It does not establish who first wrote a passage, exhaustive coverage, or acceptance by your institution. The checked sources do not specify the complete scoring formula or an acceptable percentage. Do not interpret unreported material as verified original work.

What if Similarity is missing?

Microsoft’s usage page lists Microsoft 365 Word and Mac; its feature comparison includes Similarity Checker in the Desktop/Web Editor row. These scope descriptions do not establish availability for every account or identical controls on all clients. Usage-page scope, Desktop/Web comparison.

If you cannot reach or complete the check, troubleshoot a missing or failing Similarity Checker.

Is Word Similarity Checker being retired?

Yes. The updated Microsoft notice gives October 3, 2027 as the retirement date. We checked public reproductions, not a signed-in tenant notice. See the retirement timeline and what changes. Microsoft notice, publicly archived.

What if you need an alternative?

If you need another checking workflow, compare Microsoft Word Similarity Checker alternatives. Keep the same review task: inspect sources and decide how to handle each passage.