How to Fix Spell Check Not Working in Word

O problema

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 aparece to be completely disabled or not functioning properly.

Correção rápida

Ative spell check immediately:

1. Vá para Arquivo > Opções
2. Clique Proofing in the left sidebar
3. Verifique the box: “Verifique spelling as you type”
4. Clique OK to save

If this doesn’t work, proceed to the Solução passo a passo below.

Solução passo a passo

Step 1: Verify Spell Verifique is Atived

1. Open your Word document
2. Clique Arquivo in the ribbon
3. Selecione Options from the left menu
4. Clique Proofing in the Options dialog
5. Procure the “Spelling” section
6. Certifique-se “Verifique spelling as you type” is checked
7. Also check “Mark grammar errors as you type” if you want grammar checking
8. Clique 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. Clique Revisar tab in the ribbon
2. Clique Language in the Proofing group
3. Selecione Set Proofing Language
4. Choose your correct language (usually English for English documents)
5. Verifique the box: “Do not check spelling or grammar” should be UNCHECKED
6. Clique OK

Step 3: Limpe Spell Verifique Erros and Reset

Sometimes Word caches spell check issues:

1. In your document, select all text (Ctrl+A)
2. Vá para Revisar > 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: Desative Conflicting Add-ins

Add-ins can interfere with spell check functionality:

1. Clique Arquivo > Opções
2. Clique Trust Center at the bottom
3. Clique Trust Center Settings
4. Clique Desatived Items
5. Procure any disabled add-ins related to spell check or proofing
6. Selecione any disabled items and click Ative
7. Reinicie Word

Step 5: Verifique AutoCorrect Settings

Sometimes AutoCorrect settings interfere with spell check:

1. Vá para Arquivo > Opções > Proofing
2. Clique 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. Clique OK

Por que isso acontece

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

Como evitar

1. Verifique 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 - Atualizes 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. Desative “Do not check spelling or grammar” for sections - This setting can accidentally be applied to entire documents

Ainda não funciona? Soluções alternativas

Tente these additional troubleshooting steps:

1. Close and reopen Word - Sometimes a simple restart resolves spell check issues
2. Repair Office - Vá para 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 - Copie 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. Verifique for document protection - If the document is protected, spell check may be disabled. Vá para Revisar > Protect Document to check
6. Atualize your dictionary - Vá para Arquivo > Opções > Proofing > Custom Dictionaries and verify your dictionary files are accessible
7. Desative Grammar checking - Sometimes grammar checking interferes. Tente disabling it in Proofing options and enabling only spelling

Pontos-chave

• Spell check must be explicitly enabled in Arquivo > Opções > 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
• Reinicieing 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