Why Is Spelling Check Not Working In Word? | Fix Proofing

You type a sentence you know is wrong. No red underline. No blue suggestion. No gentle nudge from Word. That’s the moment spelling check stops feeling like a feature and starts feeling like a risk.

The good news: most spell check failures come from a small set of settings that quietly flip during copy/paste, template changes, language shifts, add-ins, or updates. Once you find the switch that moved, spell check usually comes back right away.

This walkthrough starts with fast, high-payoff checks, then moves into the deeper fixes that solve stubborn cases on Windows, Mac, and Word for the web.

Fast Checks That Restore Spell Check In Under Two Minutes

Start here. These are the fixes that most often bring back red underlines without touching your Office install.

Run A Manual Proofing Pass First

Even when real-time underlines disappear, manual checking can still work. That tells you Word’s proofing engine is running, and the issue sits in a setting tied to live marking.

• On Windows: press F7.
• On Mac: go to Tools > Spelling and Grammar.
• In Word for the web: open Editor from the ribbon.

If the manual check finds mistakes, you’re close. Move to the next steps and bring back on-screen marking.

Turn On Live Spelling And Grammar Marks

It’s easy to switch these off during a focus session, then forget they were changed.

• Windows: File > Options > Proofing > tick Check spelling as you type.
• Mac: Word > Settings > Spelling & Grammar > tick Check spelling as you type.

After switching it on, type a fresh misspelling in a new line. If the underline returns, you’re done.

Check If The Document Is Set To Hide Errors

Word can hide spelling and grammar marks for one file only. This pops up a lot with shared templates or files that were edited with proofing turned off.

• Windows: File > Options > Proofing > under Exceptions for, clear options that hide errors for this document.
• Mac: look for similar per-document toggles in Spelling & Grammar settings.

Then close the file and reopen it. Per-document exceptions often refresh on reopen.

Make Sure The Text Isn’t Marked “Do Not Check”

This one is sneaky. A paste from another document can bring a “skip proofing” flag along with formatting.

1. Select the problem text. If you’re not sure where the flag starts, press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Command + A (Mac) to select all.
2. Open the language dialog:
   • Windows: Review > Language > Set Proofing Language
   • Mac: Tools > Language
3. Clear Do not check spelling or grammar.

Type one wrong word after that change. If the underline appears, the “skip proofing” flag was the whole problem.

Why Is Spelling Check Not Working In Word? The Usual Causes

When spell check stops, it’s rarely “broken.” It’s usually blocked by one of these patterns:

• Live proofing is off, so Word only checks when you run a manual pass.
• The wrong proofing language is set, so Word uses a dictionary that doesn’t match your text.
• The document is exempt, so Word hides marks in that file only.
• Parts of the text are flagged to skip checks, often after copy/paste or style changes.
• An add-in is interfering, most often a grammar tool, dictation tool, or template manager.
• The Normal template or settings are corrupted, so proofing settings don’t stick.

Next, you’ll pin down which one applies to your file, then fix it in a way that lasts.

Pinpoint The Issue With A Simple Three-Test Routine

These three tests tell you where the failure lives: the document, your Word profile, or the Office install.

Test 1: Try A Brand-New Blank Document

Create a new file and type: “Ths sentnce has a typo.” If the red underline appears in the new file, your install is fine and the issue sits in the original document’s settings.

Test 2: Copy Only Plain Text Into The New Document

Paste the same paragraph using “Keep Text Only” or paste into Notepad first, then paste into Word. If spell check works on the plain-text version, formatting or a style in the original file is carrying a skip-proofing flag.

Test 3: Toggle Editor Panel Once

If you’re on Microsoft 365, open the Editor pane and run a pass once. This refresh can kick proofing back into view in files where marks stopped showing.

If you want Microsoft’s own steps for running Editor and proofing checks, use this page: “Check grammar, spelling, and more in Word”.

Common Fixes And What Each One Changes

Use this table as a quick match-up. Find the symptom that fits what you see, then apply the linked fix section below.

What You See	Likely Cause	What To Do
No red underlines anywhere	Live spelling marks turned off	Turn on “Check spelling as you type”
Manual check finds errors, live marks stay off	Live grammar/spelling toggles off	Enable live proofing, restart Word
Only one document has no underlines	Per-document exception set	Clear “hide errors in this document” options
Only part of the document won’t underline	Text flagged “Do not check”	Clear the skip-proofing flag for the selection
Words in a different language never underline	Proofing language mismatch	Set proofing language for the selection
Underlines vanish after enabling an add-in	Add-in conflict	Start Word in Safe Mode, disable add-ins
Settings revert every time you reopen Word	Template or profile issue	Reset Normal template, repair Office if needed
Spell check works in Word for web, not desktop	Desktop install/config issue	Update Word, run Office repair

Fix Language Mismatch And Missing Proofing Tools

Language settings cause a lot of “spell check is dead” reports, even when Word is working fine. If your text is tagged as a language you don’t have proofing tools for, Word may stop marking words the way you expect.

Set The Proofing Language For The Whole Document

1. Select all text (Ctrl + A or Command + A).
2. Open the proofing language dialog from the Review tab (Windows) or Tools menu (Mac).
3. Pick the language you want.
4. Tick Detect language automatically only if your document truly mixes languages line by line.

Microsoft documents the language setup steps here: “Set up or change the languages used to check spelling and grammar”.

Spot A Missing Proofing Tool In One Clue

If Word shows a language name, yet underlines never appear for that language, you may not have its proofing tools installed. That tends to happen after a device swap, a partial Office install, or a language pack change.

A quick workaround: set the selection to a language you know is installed (like English US), run a manual check, then return the selection to the correct language after you add the proofing tools you need.

Stop Add-Ins From Breaking Spell Check

Add-ins can hook into typing, autocorrect, grammar, dictation, and templates. When one hooks poorly, proofing marks can vanish or lag.

Start Word In Safe Mode For A Clean Test

Safe Mode starts Word without most add-ins and customizations. It’s a clean “is it my extras?” test.

• Windows: press Windows + R, type winword /safe, then press Enter.
• Mac: Safe Mode isn’t the same flow. Use add-in toggles and startup items instead.

If spell check works in Safe Mode, an add-in is the likely culprit.

Disable Add-Ins One At A Time

1. Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
2. At the bottom, set Manage to COM Add-ins, then click Go.
3. Untick one add-in, restart Word, then test typing.

Once spell check returns, the last add-in you disabled is the one to update, remove, or replace.

Reset Proofing Settings That Get Stuck

If spell check keeps turning itself off, or settings don’t stick between sessions, reset the pieces Word uses to store defaults.

Rename The Normal Template

The Normal template (Normal.dotm) stores default styles and many Word behaviors. If it’s corrupted, proofing options can act strange.

1. Close Word.
2. Find Normal.dotm:
   • Windows: usually under your user profile AppData templates folder.
   • Mac: usually under your user templates folder.
3. Rename it to Normal.old.dotm.
4. Open Word again. Word will create a fresh Normal.dotm.

Test spell check in a new document. If it works, your prior template was the trouble spot. You can bring back custom styles by copying them from old files into the new template, one set at a time.

Clear A Broken Custom Dictionary Link

Custom dictionaries can get messy after device sync or a profile migration. If you added many terms over time, a broken dictionary path can slow or block suggestions.

• Open proofing settings.
• Open custom dictionaries.
• Set one dictionary as default, then untick any that look duplicated or unused.

Then restart Word and test again.

Repair Paths When Word’s Proofing Engine Is Damaged

If none of the setting fixes work, your Word install may be missing components, or an update left a partial state.

Update Word First

Updates often patch proofing bugs, language packs, and Editor components. Install updates, reboot once, then test spell check again.

Run An Office Repair If Desktop Word Still Won’t Mark Errors

Office repair can restore missing files tied to proofing and Editor.

• Windows: Settings > Apps > Microsoft 365/Office > Modify > run a repair.
• Mac: re-run the Office installer or remove and reinstall Word if repair options aren’t available.

After repair or reinstall, open a blank document and type a fresh typo. Test first in a new file before returning to older documents.

What To Do When Spell Check Fails In Only One File Type

Spell check behavior changes based on the document mode. If you’re seeing issues only in one format, use this table to match the mode to the fix.

Where It Breaks	Why It Happens	Fix That Usually Works
Compatibility Mode (.doc)	Old format features can limit newer proofing	Save as .docx, then retest
Headers, footers, text boxes	Sections can carry different proofing flags	Select the box text, clear “Do not check”
Copied web text	Paste brings hidden language and style flags	Paste as plain text, then reformat
Only tracked changes	Marks can lag until edits are accepted	Run manual check, then accept changes
Word for the web	Editor works, but browser state can lag	Refresh tab, reopen file, rerun Editor
Shared templates	Template can set per-file exceptions	Clear document exceptions, retest

A Clean Fix Sequence You Can Reuse Every Time

If you want a repeatable way to restore spell check without poking randomly, run this order. It’s quick, and it narrows the cause step by step.

1. Test a new blank document with a fresh typo.
2. Turn on “Check spelling as you type” and live grammar marks.
3. Clear per-document exceptions that hide errors.
4. Select all text and clear “Do not check spelling or grammar.”
5. Set proofing language for the entire document.
6. Start Word without add-ins, then disable add-ins one at a time.
7. Rename Normal.dotm and restart Word.
8. Update Word, then run an Office repair if needed.

By the time you reach step 5, most stubborn cases are already fixed. If yours isn’t, steps 6 through 8 usually catch the rest.

Final Checks Before You Trust The Document Again

Once spell check returns, do two quick sanity tests before you send or publish anything:

• Type a deliberate misspelling in a new line and confirm a red underline appears within a second or two.
• Run a manual proofing pass (F7 or Tools > Spelling and Grammar) and confirm Word finds at least that deliberate misspelling.

Then save the file, close Word, reopen, and type one more deliberate typo. If underlines still appear after a restart, the fix is stable.