How to Fix Word Spell Check Not Working

What Causes This?

Word spell check usually stops working because proofing settings were changed, the wrong editing language is selected, or an add-in is interfering with Word’s normal behavior. In some cases, the document itself has “Do not check spelling or grammar” enabled, so Word skips errors entirely. Corrupted Office settings or damaged program files can also break spell check across all documents.

Common Symptoms

• Red squiggly lines do not appear under misspelled words
• Word says spelling is complete even when obvious mistakes are present
• Spell check works in some documents but not others
• Grammar suggestions are missing along with spelling checks
• Word only stops checking in one language or after installing an add-in

How to Fix It Manually

1. Make sure proofing is enabled in Word

   1. Open Microsoft Word.
   2. Click File > Options > Proofing.
   3. Under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word, make sure these are checked:
      • Check spelling as you type
      • Mark grammar errors as you type
   4. Also make sure Hide spelling errors in this document only is unchecked.
   5. Click OK and test by typing a misspelled word.

2. Check the language and proofing settings for the document

   1. Press Ctrl+A to select all text in the document.
   2. Go to the Review tab.
   3. Click Language > Set Proofing Language.
   4. Choose the correct language, such as English (United States) or your preferred version of English.
   5. Make sure Do not check spelling or grammar is unchecked.
   6. Click OK.

3. Test Word in Safe Mode to rule out add-ins

   1. Close Word completely.
   2. Press Windows key + R to open Run.
   3. Type winword /safe and press Enter.
   4. Open a document and test spell check.
   5. If it works in Safe Mode, disable add-ins:
      • Open Word normally
      • Go to File > Options > Add-ins
      • At the bottom, next to Manage, select COM Add-ins and click Go
      • Uncheck add-ins one at a time, click OK, and restart Word after each change

4. Run the spelling and grammar tool manually

   1. Open your document.
   2. Press F7 or go to Review > Spelling & Grammar.
   3. If Word skips errors immediately, the issue is usually with proofing settings, language selection, or document formatting rather than the checker itself.

5. Repair Microsoft Office

   1. Close all Office apps.
   2. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
   3. Go to Apps > Installed apps.
   4. Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office in the list.
   5. Click the three dots next to it and choose Modify.
   6. Select Quick Repair and follow the prompts.
   7. If spell check still does not work, repeat the process and choose Online Repair.

6. Check for a problem with Normal.dotm

   1. Close Word.
   2. Press Windows key + R.
   3. Enter %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates and press Enter.
   4. Find Normal.dotm and rename it to Normal.old.
   5. Reopen Word. A fresh template will be created automatically.
   6. Test spell check again.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

If you do not want to dig through Word settings, Office repair tools, and add-ins manually, Kudu can help. It can detect common causes of Word spell check problems, identify interfering software or broken settings, and guide you to the right fix faster.

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