Methods and systems for facilitating the selection of alternates for hand written word. Rules select words user based on operating modes and cursor positions and sequential orderings. User interfaces can also be used to select words and to provide alternates for the selected words having alternates. Words that the recognizer believes correct to a high actual or relative probability may be skipped over in automatic processes, and the display of words that the recognizer is less confident are correct can be modified. The user can adjust such sensitivity settings for determining the probability of correctness.