Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

Spell check in Microsoft Word and other Word Processing apps is a powerful feature. With spell check, you don’t have to worry too about making small grammatical and typographical errors, because the program will point them out for you in real-time as you type.

But sometimes, the spell check feature in word processors stops working for various reasons, mostly to do with your Settings.

So, in this article, I will show you 4 ways you can fix the problem on a Windows 10 PC. The first 2 solutions work for the Word app in general, while the last 2 work for a particular Word document.

I will be using Microsoft Word 2016 in this tutorial, but everything applies to Word 2010, 2013, 2019, and some other versions.

How to Fix Spell Check Not Working in Word with Language Settings

If you are writing in English and your Word app language is set to French or Spanish, then spell check might not work.

The steps below takes you through how to select the right language:

Step 1: Click on File in the menu bar and select Options.

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

Step 2: Head over to the Language tab.

Step 3: Under “Office authoring language and proofing”, select your preferred language and click Ok.

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

If your preferred language is not available in the list, click on “Add a language” and look for your language.

How to Fix Spell Check Not Working in Word by Turning off Disabling Add-ins

Firstly, you need to test if an add-in is preventing spell-check from working.

To do this, hold CTRL and open your Word app. If spell check isn't working, then an add-in might be the culprit.

To disable an add-in, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click on the File tab in the menu bar and select Options.

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

Step 2: Select add-in on the left.

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

Step 3: Left-click on the add-in you want to remove and click “Go”.

Step 4: Check the add-in, then click “Remove”.

Do this for the individual add-ins you have and cross-check if spell check is working after each one. This way you'll know which add-in is the culprit.

How to Fix Spell Check Not Working in Word by Turning off the Hide Spelling Error and Hide Grammar Error

Step 1: Make sure you have the Word document open where spell check is not working.

Step 2: Click on the File tab and select Options.

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

Step 4: Select Proofing.

Step 5: Uncheck both “Hide spelling error in this document only” and “Hide grammar error in this document only”, then select “Ok”.

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

How to Fix Spell Check Not Working in Word by Turning on Check Spelling as you Type

Step 1: Make sure the file is opened.

Step 2: Click on the File tab in the menu bar and select Options.

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

Step 3: Select Proofing.

Step 4: Make sure “Check "spelling as you type" is checked under “When Correcting Spelling and Grammar in Word”, then click Ok.

Why do you need to perform spell checking in the document that you are working on?

Final Thoughts

Spell check is a cool feature of Word that speeds up your productivity. And now you know how to fix it if it fails.

You can also apply these fixes to other Windows OS versions as Word works the same way in them.



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How to use spell check in Microsoft Word to eliminate typos and grammatical errors

Spell check in Word is a useful built-in tool to proof your writing, it and can be adjusted in several ways. Canberk Sezer/Getty Images

  • You can spell check in Microsoft Word by using its built-in spelling and grammar checker. 
  • If enabled, it will automatically underline spelling and grammatical errors.
  • You can also open the Spelling & Grammar dialog box to manually check all of the spelling and grammar issues in a document at once.
  • The latest version of Microsoft 365 adds a new Editor pane to Word for enhanced spelling and grammar checking. 

Microsoft Word's ability to check spelling and grammar can be a professional lifesaver, informing you about embarrassing errors before you share the document with others.

Word can perform in-line spell checks automatically, but if you prefer to disable the feature or want a more comprehensive view, it's possible to check spelling and grammar manually across a document as well. 

How to check spelling and grammar in Word with the Editor pane

If you are using Microsoft 365, you may see a different way to manually check for spelling and grammar. Instead of the "Spelling & Grammar" button in the Review ribbon, there's a new "Editor" button. This opens the Editor pane on the right side of the screen. You will see a summary at the top of the screen, so you know how many suggested changes remain, along with details for spelling and grammar below. 

The new Editor pane offers more detailed spelling and grammar controls. Dave Johnson/Insider

Click "Spelling" and you'll see the word in the context of the surrounding text with suggested changes. The editor also provides brief definitions for these suggestions to make it easier to choose the best option. You can also choose other traditional options like "Ignore" or "Add to dictionary."

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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What is the use of checking spelling and grammar in a word document?

Check spelling and grammar all at once If Word finds a potential error, the Spelling & Grammar dialog box will open, spelling errors will be shown as red text, and grammatical errors will be shown as green text. To fix an error, do one of the following: Type the correction in the box and then click Change.

Why is it important to look at commonly misspelled words when there's spell check?

Being familiar with the most common errors will help you find (and fix) them during the writing and proofreading stage. Sometimes, a writer just doesn't know how to spell the word she wants to use. This may be because the word is technical jargon or comes from a language other than her own.

What is a spell checker in a word processing How does it work?

The spell checker works by comparing every word typed with thousands of correctly spelled words and then uses algorithms to determine the correct spellings. If a word (e.g., a name) is spelled correctly, you can add it to the program's exceptions list so it's not flagged as misspelled.

What is the use of spell check feature in writer?

In software, a spell checker (or spelling checker or spell check) is a software feature that checks for misspellings in a text.