Spell check is built into Word, but where you find it depends on which version you're using

Microsoft Word includes spell check as a standard feature, and it runs automatically as you type. The way you access it varies slightly between Word on Windows, Word on Mac, and Word Online. In most versions, you'll see red squiggly lines under words Word doesn't recognize — those are potential spelling errors. You can right-click any underlined word to see suggestions, or you can open the full spell check tool to review your entire document at once.

The spell check feature catches misspelled words, but it won't catch words that are spelled correctly but used in the wrong context — like "their" instead of "there". For that kind of error, you may need to use Word's grammar check, which is a separate tool that often runs alongside spell check.

Key Takeaways

  • Red squiggly lines under words indicate potential spelling errors; right-click any underlined word to see corrections Word suggests.
  • In Word on Windows, open the full spell check tool by pressing Ctrl+Shift+7 or going to the Review tab and clicking Spelling.
  • In Word on Mac, use Command+; (semicolon) to open spell check, or go to Tools in the menu bar.
  • Word Online's spell check is automatic and shows errors as you type, but you access suggestions by right-clicking underlined words rather than opening a separate tool.
  • You can add words to Word's dictionary so it stops flagging them as errors, which is useful for proper names or technical terms you use often.

Finding spell check in Word on Windows

If you're using Word on a Windows computer, the fastest way to check your entire document is to press Ctrl+Shift+7. This opens the Editor pane on the right side of your screen, which shows spelling errors, grammar issues, and other writing suggestions all in one place.

Alternatively, you can go to the Review tab at the top of Word, then click the Spelling button (it looks like a checkmark with an "A"). This opens the same Editor pane. As you work through errors, Word highlights each one in your document and offers corrections you can accept or skip.

If you see a red squiggly line under a word as you type, you can right-click it immediately to see suggestions without opening the full spell check tool. This is faster if you only want to fix a few words rather than review the whole document.

Finding spell check in Word on Mac

On a Mac, press Command+; (the semicolon key) to open spell check. This is the keyboard shortcut for the Editor pane, just like Ctrl+Shift+7 on Windows. Word will scan your document and display any spelling or grammar issues in the pane on the right.

You can also access spell check through the menu: click Tools in the top menu bar, then select Spelling or Editor depending on your Word version. The exact wording varies between older and newer versions of Word for Mac, but both routes lead to the same spell check interface.

Like Windows, you can right-click any red squiggly line to see suggestions immediately without opening the full tool. This works the same way on Mac as it does on Windows.

Using spell check in Word Online

Word Online (the browser version you access through Office.com or OneDrive) runs spell check automatically as you type. You won't see a separate spell check button or tool to open — instead, Word flags potential errors with red underlines as you work.

To fix an error in Word Online, right-click the underlined word and select a correction from the menu that appears. If you want to ignore the suggestion or add the word to your dictionary, those options appear in the same menu. Word Online doesn't have a full Editor pane like the desktop versions, so reviewing your document means going through it word by word as you spot the underlines.

Understanding what spell check catches and misses

Spell check catches words that don't match any word in Word's dictionary. This includes obvious typos like "teh" instead of "the", but it also flags less common words, proper names, and technical terms that aren't in the standard dictionary. You can add any of these to your personal dictionary so Word stops flagging them.

Spell check does not catch words that are spelled correctly but used in the wrong place. For example, "I went to the store to by milk" has a spelling error (by instead of buy), but spell check might miss it because "by" is a real word. This is where grammar check comes in — it's designed to catch those kinds of mistakes, though it's not perfect either.

If you want spell check to be more or less strict, you can adjust its settings. In Word on Windows, go to File > Options > Proofing to see choices like whether to flag repeated words or words in all capitals.

Adding words to your dictionary

When spell check flags a word you know is correct — like a company name, a person's name, or a technical term — you can add it to your dictionary. Right-click the underlined word and select Add to Dictionary. After that, Word won't flag that word again in any of your documents.

Be careful with this option: if you add a misspelled word by accident, you'll need to remove it from your dictionary later. In Word on Windows, go to File > Options > Proofing > Custom Dictionaries to manage words you've added. On Mac, the path is Word > Preferences > Spelling.

Spell check versus grammar check

Spell check and grammar check are two separate tools that often work together. Spell check looks for misspelled words. Grammar check looks for sentence structure problems, punctuation errors, and word choice issues. In Word on Windows and Mac, both appear in the Editor pane when you open it, so you see spelling and grammar suggestions at the same time.

You can turn grammar check on or off independently of spell check if you want only spelling corrections. In Word on Windows, go to File > Options > Proofing and uncheck Check grammar. On Mac, go to Word > Preferences > Spelling. Spell check will continue to run even if you disable grammar check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is spell check underlining a word I know is spelled correctly?

Word's dictionary doesn't include every word in English, especially proper names, technical terms, and less common words. If you use the word regularly, add it to your dictionary by right-clicking it and selecting Add to Dictionary. After that, Word won't flag it again.

Can I turn off spell check if I don't want it?

Yes. In Word on Windows, go to File > Options > Proofing and uncheck "Check spelling as you type". On Mac, go to Word > Preferences > Spelling and uncheck the same option. The red squiggly lines will disappear, though you can still open the Editor pane manually to check your document later.

Does spell check work the same way in all versions of Word?

The basic feature works the same way, but the location of buttons and menu options varies. Word on Windows uses the Review tab, Word on Mac uses the Tools menu, and Word Online relies on right-clicking underlined words. The keyboard shortcuts also differ between versions.

What's the difference between spell check and the Editor pane?

Spell check is the feature that finds errors. The Editor pane is the window where you see all the errors at once and can accept or skip corrections. You can use spell check without opening the Editor pane by right-clicking individual words, or you can open the pane to review your whole document in one pass.