If the flat data is in a spreadsheet, you should be able to import the Excel data without any checking of spelling.

But I haven't used Access for years. I'm a MySQL, Oracle, and MS SQL Server guy.

Always ignore data in a field in an Access table
Some tables in Access contain data that should not be included when checking spelling.

1.While you view the data in a table, query, form, or report, select the field that you want to exclude.
2.On the Data tab, in the Editing group, click Check Spelling.
Keyboard shortcut To display the Spelling dialog box, press F7.

3.Click Ignore Field Name Field

Dude, Access 2007 is sooooo 2007....

I still have a copy of Access '97! If only I had a copy of Win95 to run it on. And a small amount of information that doesn't *really* need to be databased. Good days....

@spyman, don't have any Access wisdom for you, other than possibly making all fiends General fields might help, but are you familiar with the term database normalization? I read a doc on the first, second, and third normal forms which made a lot of sense once you thought about it. If what you have read hasn't covered database normalization, be sure to look it up.

The problem is after I import the data as a flat table I can run a wizard to convert into a relational database. It lets me choose how I want to split the tables but after that, with the wizard, there is a step where it "corrects" possible errors. For each record I have an option, accept the proposed correction or choose "leave as is". The trouble is it flags thousands of records as potential errors. I posted to an Access forum and the advice I received was "don't use the wizard". I am reading a book on access so I guess eventually I figure it out.
I work for a market research company in the media evaluation division. Our programmers and db admin are in the uk, but we have a small team in Australia (two people including me). We are supposed to sell packaged research based on a set formula. Sometime ago I decided that what we do is all wrong and so I completely redesigned our methodology, which I have been producing in Excel (and disregarding our in-house software). This has proven a massive hit with our clients - we have doubled in size in six months. But our English team are not helping so I am managing all the data myself - which is getting very big. Way too big for Excel and this is proving a major headache - so now I have to teach myself about databases until our professionals in the uk get wise.

Sounds like you need Cincom Guru, part of the Cincom Acquire product line. http://acquire.cincom.com

spyman,
This may not be directly on topic, but to the extent that you're learning databases and Access, I highly recommend John Viescas's book "Microsoft Access 2007 Inside Out." Now, full disclosure -- I've never even touched the book. But I used Viescas's earlier book on Access 97 to learn databases originally (though like Draug, I now gravitate to MySQL when I need a database), and it was an incredibly well written and helpful book, teaching both database use and design, and Access quirks.

I assume he hasn't lost his touch, so I think you'd find the book really helpful.

My favorite database for home use in MS SQL Server Express opened up to allowed outside queries, but MySQL runs a close second.