How to Fix Spell Check Not Working in Word

Le problème

Spell check isn’t underlining misspelled words with red squiggly lines in your Word document. You’ve typed obvious errors, but Word isn’t catching them. The spell check feature s’affiche to be completely disabled or not functioning properly.

Solution rapide

Activez spell check immediately:

1. Allez à Fichier > Options
2. Cliquez Proofing in the left sidebar
3. Vérifiez the box: “Vérifiez spelling as you type”
4. Cliquez OK to save

If this doesn’t work, proceed to the Solution étape par étape below.

Solution étape par étape

Step 1: Verify Spell Vérifiez is Activezd

1. Open your Word document
2. Cliquez Fichier in the ribbon
3. Sélectionnez Options from the left menu
4. Cliquez Proofing in the Options dialog
5. Recherchez the “Spelling” section
6. Assurez-vous “Vérifiez spelling as you type” is checked
7. Also check “Mark grammar errors as you type” if you want grammar checking
8. Cliquez OK

Step 2: Set Your Document Language Correctly

Word won’t check spelling if your document language is set to a language you don’t use. To fix this:

1. Cliquez Révision tab in the ribbon
2. Cliquez Language in the Proofing group
3. Sélectionnez Set Proofing Language
4. Choose your correct language (usually English for English documents)
5. Vérifiez the box: “Do not check spelling or grammar” should be UNCHECKED
6. Cliquez OK

Step 3: Effacez Spell Vérifiez Erreurs and Reset

Sometimes Word caches spell check issues:

1. In your document, select all text (Ctrl+A)
2. Allez à Révision > Spelling & Grammar or press F7
3. Let the Spelling checker run through the document
4. Even if it finds no errors, this refreshes the spell check
5. Close the dialog when complete

Step 4: Désactivez Conflicting Add-ins

Add-ins can interfere with spell check functionality:

1. Cliquez Fichier > Options
2. Cliquez Trust Center at the bottom
3. Cliquez Trust Center Settings
4. Cliquez Désactivezd Items
5. Recherchez any disabled add-ins related to spell check or proofing
6. Sélectionnez any disabled items and click Activez
7. Redémarrez Word

Step 5: Vérifiez AutoCorrect Settings

Sometimes AutoCorrect settings interfere with spell check:

1. Allez à Fichier > Options > Proofing
2. Cliquez AutoCorrect Options
3. In the AutoCorrect tab, ensure options like “Replace text as you type” are configured as you prefer
4. In the Exceptions tab, verify no words are listed that should be checked
5. Cliquez OK

Pourquoi cela se produit

Common causes include:

1. Spell check is disabled in settings - The feature must be explicitly enabled in Options
2. Document language is wrong - If set to a foreign language or “No Proofing,” spell check won’t run
3. Add-in conflicts - Third-party grammar or spelling tools can disable Word’s built-in spell check
4. Corrupted document - Rarely, the document itself may need to be recovered
5. Office updates - Sometimes updates reset spell check settings to defaults
6. Multiple proofing tools installed - Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or similar tools can override Word’s spell check

Comment l’éviter

1. Vérifiez your settings regularly - Periodically verify spell check is enabled in Options > Proofing
2. Verify document language - Always set the correct language when starting a new document
3. Keep Office updated - Mettez à jours include proofing tool improvements
4. Manage add-ins carefully - Uninstall or disable add-ins that cause conflicts
5. Create a template with correct settings - If you frequently use specific spell check settings, save them in a template
6. Désactivez “Do not check spelling or grammar” for sections - This setting can accidentally be applied to entire documents

Toujours pas de résultat ? Solutions alternatives

Essayez these additional troubleshooting steps:

1. Close and reopen Word - Sometimes a simple restart resolves spell check issues
2. Repair Office - Allez à Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Microsoft Office > Change > Quick Repair, then try Online Repair if Quick Repair doesn’t work
3. Create a new document - Copiez your text into a brand new Word document and set the language again
4. Use the Spelling & Grammar tool manually - Press F7 to open the Spelling & Grammar dialog even if automatic checking isn’t working
5. Vérifiez for document protection - If the document is protected, spell check may be disabled. Allez à Révision > Protect Document to check
6. Mettez à jour your dictionary - Allez à Fichier > Options > Proofing > Custom Dictionaries and verify your dictionary files are accessible
7. Désactivez Grammar checking - Sometimes grammar checking interferes. Essayez disabling it in Proofing options and enabling only spelling

Points clés

• Spell check must be explicitly enabled in Fichier > Options > Proofing
• Your document language must be set correctly for spell check to work
• Add-ins and third-party tools can disable Word’s spell check feature
• Redémarrezing Word or creating a new document often resolves temporary spell check issues
• Use the Spelling & Grammar tool (F7) to manually check if automatic checking fails