How to Use Spell Check and Grammar Check in Word
Word checks your spelling and grammar as you type — but many people only ever fix the obvious red lines. Here's how to use the checker properly, and how to stop it complaining about British spellings.
Quick reference
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| Check the whole document | F7 or Review → Editor / Spelling & Grammar |
| Fix one word | Right-click the underlined word |
| Stop a word being flagged | Right-click → Add to Dictionary |
| Switch to UK English | Review → Language → Set Proofing Language |
1. What the underlines mean
• Red squiggly line — a possible spelling mistake.
• Blue double line — a grammar issue, such as a missing word or wrong verb.
• Purple or gold dotted line — a style suggestion (clarity, conciseness, formality) in Microsoft 365.
• Blue double line — a grammar issue, such as a missing word or wrong verb.
• Purple or gold dotted line — a style suggestion (clarity, conciseness, formality) in Microsoft 365.
2. Fix mistakes as you go
Right-click any underlined word to see suggestions. Click the right one to fix it. You can also choose Ignore Once or Ignore All.
3. Check the whole document
Press F7, or go to Review → Editor (called Spelling & Grammar in some versions). A pane opens on the right and walks you through every issue one by one. Click a suggestion to accept it, or Ignore to skip.
4. Names, brands and jargon
If Word keeps flagging your surname or a company name, right-click it and choose Add to Dictionary. It won't be flagged again in any document.
5. Stop American spellings
If colour, organise or centre are being flagged:
1. Press Ctrl + A to select everything.
2. Review → Language → Set Proofing Language.
3. Choose English (United Kingdom).
4. Click Set As Default so new documents use it too.
5. Click OK.
2. Review → Language → Set Proofing Language.
3. Choose English (United Kingdom).
4. Click Set As Default so new documents use it too.
5. Click OK.
6. Choose what gets checked
Go to File → Options → Proofing to:
• Turn checking as you type on or off.
• Choose whether to check grammar, or grammar and refinements.
• Ignore words in UPPERCASE or with numbers.
• Click Recheck Document to check again words you ignored before.
• Choose whether to check grammar, or grammar and refinements.
• Ignore words in UPPERCASE or with numbers.
• Click Recheck Document to check again words you ignored before.
Troubleshooting
Nothing is being checked. Select all → Review → Language → Set Proofing Language → untick Do not check spelling or grammar.
Spell check can't catch everything. Their/there, form/from and missing words often slip through. Use Read Aloud (Ctrl + Alt + Space) as a final check.
Wrapping up
Right-click to fix as you go, press F7 before you send, and set English (UK) once so Word stops arguing with your spelling.
