Quick answer: In Word for Windows, open File > Options > Proofing and select Check spelling as you type. Choose OK, then type a deliberate misspelling such as teh in a test sentence. If it is still not marked, check the document and selected text for proofing exceptions before changing the app setting again.
Turn on spelling marks in Word for Windows
- Open a document in the desktop Word app. Choose File > Options > Proofing.
- Under the spelling options, select Check spelling as you type. This controls the red underlines that appear while you work. If you also want live grammar marks, select the available grammar-as-you-type setting separately.
- Choose OK. Type a new, obviously misspelled word in a normal paragraph and pause. Right-click a red underline to see suggested corrections.
A one-time review is different from live checking. Press F7 or use Review > Editor to inspect the document now; that command does not by itself turn on underlines while you type. Microsoft documents both the automatic setting and the manual review in its Office spelling guide.
If the box is checked but nothing is underlined
- Check document exceptions. Reopen File > Options > Proofing. Under Exceptions for, select the document you are testing and clear Hide spelling errors in this document only. This exception can hide marks even when automatic checking is on for Word.
- Check the affected text. Select a word or passage that is being skipped. Choose Review > Language > Set Proofing Language. Clear Do not check spelling or grammar, select the language actually used by the passage, and choose OK. If only one paragraph is wrong, change that passage instead of selecting the entire document.
- Confirm the language has proofing tools. In the proofing-language dialog or Office language preferences, check that tools are available for the chosen language. A keyboard input language alone does not provide spelling checks. Our proofing-language guide explains mixed-language documents.
- Try a fresh document. Type the same test word in a new blank file. If the new file shows a red underline but the original does not, inspect the original document’s exception and text-language settings rather than repeatedly changing the global checkbox.
After testing, remove the intentional misspelling. Word can miss a real mistake or flag a correct name, so read the finished document yourself as well.
Turn on live checking in Word for Mac
In desktop Word for Mac, choose Word > Preferences > Spelling & Grammar. Under Spelling, select Check spelling as you type, then close the dialog. The grammar-as-you-type option is separate. Test a misspelling in a paragraph. If one passage is skipped, inspect its assigned proofing language and whether checking was disabled for that text. Microsoft gives the Mac route in the same Office spelling and grammar instructions.
What about Word for the web?
Word for the web does not have the Windows File > Options > Proofing switch. Microsoft says there is no single web setting that turns spell checking on or off for every document. If text was excluded from checking, select the affected text and open Review > Editor > Set Proofing Language. Remove the Don’t check spelling or grammar choice and assign the right language, then check the text again. You can also open Editor to run a review. See Microsoft’s Word for the web instructions.
Run a spell check on the whole document
Live underlines catch mistakes as you type. To review everything at once, run a manual check.
- Click at the start of the document, or select only the text you want to check.
- Press F7, or choose Review > Editor. In Word for Mac and some older versions, choose Review > Spelling & Grammar.
- For each flagged word, pick a suggestion to change it, or choose Ignore Once, Ignore All, or Add to Dictionary.
- Keep going until Word reports that the check is complete.
A manual check reviews the text once. It does not switch on the red underlines, so use the steps above if you want live checking too.
A full check can also show readability statistics if you check the reading level in Word.
Common questions
Why does Editor find an error but no red underline appears?
Editor can run a manual review while live spelling marks are hidden. Check the Windows or Mac automatic setting, then the document-only exception and the language assigned to the skipped text.
How do I turn grammar checking on too?
Use the grammar-as-you-type choice in Word’s Proofing settings on Windows or Spelling & Grammar preferences on Mac. Grammar marks and spelling marks are controlled separately. See our Editor settings guide if you want to adjust suggestion categories.
Can I make Word ignore one correctly spelled name?
Right-click a word Word flags and consider Add to Dictionary if it is a name or term you use consistently. Do not turn off checking for the whole document just to suppress one correct term.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com