How to Turn On or Off Spell Check in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word includes a built-in spell checker that helps correct spelling and grammar errors as you type. Here’s how to turn spell check on or off in Microsoft Word.

Like any decent word processor, Microsoft Word has a built-in spell checker. In fact, it is enabled by default. As you type, it will automatically highlight your spelling mistakes with a red squiggly line and grammar mistakes with double blue lines. Apart from this, Word also has an autocorrect feature that automatically fixes common spelling mistakes and grammar issues, such as capitalization.

While these features are helpful, there may be times when you want to turn off Word’s spell check. For example, maybe you’d like to review spelling and grammar manually during editing or use a third-party tool like Grammarly. On the other hand, if you are wondering why Word is not highlighting your spelling and grammar errors, you might have to manually turn on the spell check feature in Word. Thankfully, both these tasks are very easy to do.

In this quick and easy guide, I will show you the steps to turn ON and OFF spelling in Microsoft Word for Windows and Word Online. Let’s get started.

Steps to Turn Off Spell Check in Microsoft Word for Windows

If you don’t want Microsoft Word to highlight spelling and grammar mistakes, follow the steps below. They will guide you through disabling spell check in Word for Windows.

1. Open any Word document (.doc or .docx).
2. Click the “File” tab in the top ribbon menu.
3. Click “Options” on the sidebar.
4. Go to the “Proofing” tab on the sidebar.
5. Uncheck the following options.
   1. Check spelling as you type.
   2. Mark grammar errors as you type.
   3. Frequently confused words.
   4. Check grammar with spelling.
6. Click “OK” to save the changes.
7. Restart the Word application.
8. With that, you’ve disabled spell check in Microsoft Word for Windows.

Note: To disable AutoCorrect in Microsoft, uncheck all the checkboxes under the “When correcting spelling in Microsoft Office programs” section in the “Proofing” tab of Word Options.

Note: Even after disabling the spell check feature, you can still access it whenever you want by adding the spelling and grammar check icon to the quick access toolbar. Once added, clicking the icon highlights all the spelling and grammar mistakes.

Steps to Turn On Spell Check in Microsoft Word for Windows

To make Microsoft Word highlight your spelling and grammar mistakes, follow the steps below to enable spell check.

1. Open any Word document (.doc or .docx).
2. Click the “File” tab in the top ribbon menu.
3. Click “Options” on the sidebar.
4. Go to the “Proofing” tab on the sidebar.
5. Select the following options.
   1. Check spelling as you type.
   2. Mark grammar errors as you type.
   3. Frequently confused words.
   4. Check grammar with spelling.
6. Click “OK” to save the changes.
7. Restart the Word application.
8. With that, you’ve enabled spell check in Microsoft Word for Windows.

Enable or Disable Spell Check in Word Online

Just as with Microsoft Word for Windows, you can also turn spell check on or off in Word Online. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the browser of your choice.
2. Launch Word Online in the browser.
3. Create a new blank document or open an existing one.
4. In the top search bar, type “Editor Settings” and click the option from the search results.
5. Turn ON or OFF the “Spelling” toggle.
6. Turn ON or OFF the “Grammar” toggle.
7. Click “OK” to save the change.
8. With that, you’ve enabled or disabled the spelling and grammar check in Word Online.

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That is all. It is that simple to turn spell check on or off in Word for Windows and Word Online. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.