Word Spell Check Not Working? 10 Fixes

When Word spell check not working is the issue, the cause is almost never a broken dictionary; it is usually a setting. Check File → Options → Proofing first, then make sure the text is not marked Do not check spelling or grammar and is set to the right proofing language. Those three fixes solve most cases, and the rest of this guide covers the other seven, from add-ins to repairing Office.

Why Is Word Spell Check Not Working?

Spell check in Word stops working when proofing has been switched off for the app, for one document, or for a block of text, or when Word is checking the text against the wrong language. Less often, an add-in or a damaged Office installation is to blame.

The table below maps each symptom to the fix that matches it, so you can jump straight to the right one.

How Do I Turn Spell Check Back On in Word?

Turn it back on in File → Options → Proofing by ticking Check spelling as you type. Microsoft's spellcheck troubleshooting article notes that with this option off, errors only appear when you open the Editor pane, so it can look as if checking has stopped entirely.

Fix 1: Check spelling as you type

1. Select File → Options (you may need to select More… first).
2. Select Proofing.
3. Under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word, tick Check spelling as you type and Mark grammar errors as you type.
4. Select OK.

Fix 2: Clear the exceptions for this document

Word can hide spelling errors in a single file while working normally everywhere else. In File → Options → Proofing, scroll to Exceptions for, make sure the current document is selected, and clear Hide spelling errors in this document only and Hide grammar errors in this document only.

Why Does Word Only Check Part of My Document?

Word only checks part of a document when some of the text is formatted with Do not check spelling or grammar or with a different language. This often happens with text pasted from emails, websites or other documents, because the language formatting travels with the pasted text.

Fix 3: Clear "Do not check spelling or grammar"

1. Press Ctrl + A to select the whole document.
2. Select Review → Language → Set Proofing Language.
3. Clear the Do not check spelling or grammar check box.
4. Select OK, then run Review → Spelling & Grammar to recheck.

Fix 4: Set the correct proofing language

If correctly spelled words are flagged, Word may be checking them against the wrong dictionary, for example English (United Kingdom) instead of English (United States). Select the text, open Set Proofing Language, pick the right language and select Set As Default if you want new documents to use it too. This changes the default in the Normal template, which is the file every new blank document is based on.

Fix 5: Review automatic language detection

The Detect language automatically option in the same dialog helps in multilingual documents but can misidentify words that look the same in two languages. Microsoft's guide to checking spelling in multiple languages suggests typing more text in the intended language, or clearing the box if Word keeps guessing wrong.

What If My Language Isn't Available for Spell Check?

If your language does not appear above the double line in the Set Proofing Language list, Word does not have proofing tools for it enabled yet.

Fix 6: Add the language and its proofing tools

1. Select File → Options → Language.
2. Under Office authoring languages and proofing, select Add a language.
3. Choose the language and install it. If Word shows that proofing is not available, follow the link to download the proofing tools.
4. Restart Word and set the proofing language again.

Fix 7: Clean the custom dictionary

If a particular misspelling is never flagged, someone may have selected Add to Dictionary for it. Open File → Options → Proofing → Custom Dictionaries, select the dictionary, choose Edit Word List and delete the wrong entry.

How Do I Fix Spell Check If the Settings Are Correct?

If every setting is right and spell checking still fails across all documents, the problem is in the Word installation or something loading into it.

Fix 8: Test in Office Safe Mode

Press Win + R, type winword /safe and press Enter. Office Safe Mode starts Word without add-ins. If spell check works here, disable add-ins one by one under File → Options → Add-ins, choosing COM Add-ins in the Manage box and selecting Go.

Fix 9: Repair Office

1. Right-click Start and select Installed apps.
2. Find your Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 entry, select the three dots and choose Modify.
3. Choose Quick Repair first. If that does not help, run Online Repair, which reinstalls Office files.

Microsoft's repair an Office application page notes that the repair covers the whole suite, not just Word.

Fix 10: Update Office

Select File → Account → Update Options → Update Now to install the latest fixes. If you run Office 2016 or 2019, there are no more fixes to install: support for both ended on 14 October 2025, and Office 2021 followed on 13 October 2026. Our Office end of support dates table lists every version.

A Common Mistake We See

Users often try to fix spell check by reinstalling Office, when the real cause is a single document setting or pasted text marked as "do not check". The fix takes seconds once you know where to look, so work through fixes 1 to 3 before anything drastic.

Shared documents need one extra check. Before sending a file to a client, run a final spelling pass and clear any leftover edits; our guide to removing tracked changes in Word covers that second half of final proofreading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my spell checker not working on Word?

The most common reasons are that Check spelling as you type is switched off, the document is set to hide spelling errors, or the text is marked Do not check spelling or grammar. Check File, Options, Proofing first, then the Set Proofing Language dialog on the Review tab.

Why does Word not underline misspelled words?

Red underlines only appear when Check spelling as you type is enabled and the current document is not listed as an exception. If underlines appear in other files but not this one, scroll to Exceptions for in the Proofing options and clear both hide-errors check boxes for the document.

Why is spell check not working on pasted text?

Pasted text keeps its original language formatting, which can include Do not check spelling or grammar or a different language. Select the pasted text, open Review, Language, Set Proofing Language, choose your language and clear the do not check box. Pasting with Keep Text Only also helps.

How do I reset spell check in Word?

There is no single reset button. Turn on Check spelling as you type, clear document exceptions, then select the whole document and clear Do not check spelling or grammar. Finally, in Proofing options, select Recheck Document to clear previously ignored words and check the file again from the start.

Does repairing Office delete my documents?

No. Quick Repair and Online Repair replace Office program files, not your documents. Your Word files, templates and custom dictionary stay where they are. Online Repair takes longer because it reinstalls Office, and you may need to sign in again afterwards, but your saved work is not affected.

Does spell check work in Office 2021 after end of support?

Yes. Proofing tools in Office 2021 keep working after its support ended on 13 October 2026, because end of support stops updates rather than disabling features. However, any bugs or security issues found from now on will not be fixed, so upgrading to a supported version is sensible.

Conclusion

Word spell check not working is usually a settings problem, and fixes 1 to 5 solve most cases in under a minute. If your Office version is out of support, consider moving to Office 2024 Professional Plus or browse our full Microsoft Office collection; our Office 2024 installation guide walks you through setup.

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