Spelling and Grammar Quick Check in Microsoft Word GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > MS Office
Spelling and Grammar Quick Check
Fastest ways to spell check in Microsoft Word
By James Marshall James Marshall Writer James Marshall is a pro journalist who covers technology and computer troubleshooting. He is also skilled with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and other word processors. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 4, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Manual Spelling and Grammar Check Shortcut for Spelling and Grammar Check Use the Spelling and Grammar Button A Caveat About the Spelling and Grammar Checker Rather than scrolling through a Word document to find the grammar and spelling errors that Word tagged, use the built-in spelling and grammar tools to automatically go to each word or passage that Word identifies as incorrect. There are three ways to use the spelling and grammar checker in Word. Instructions in this article apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010. Run the Spelling and Grammar Checker Manually
The spelling and grammar checker in Word flags potential errors so that you can quickly review and correct mistakes, if necessary. In addition, the tool checks words and phrases for clarity and offers suggestions or explanations. Open the Word document you want to check. Go to the Review tab. In the Proofing group, select Check Document. The Editor pane displays the potential errors that Word found. In older versions of Word, a dialog box appears and displays the first error found. Select a suggested correction to make the change in the document. Select Ignore to ignore the suggested correction and continue with the spelling and grammar check. If the potential error occurs more than once, select Ignore Once or Ignore All to ignore a single instance or all instances of the flagged text. Start the Spelling and Grammar Checker With a Shortcut
Press the F7 shortcut key to go to the first mistake in the sentence where the insertion point is currently located. If nothing is tagged in the current sentence, Word goes to the next error. This shortcut opens the spelling and grammar menu (this menu also appears when you right-click on a questionable entry). Make a selection from the menu before you use the shortcut key again. If you don't want to make any edits to the text, move the cursor to the next sentence, then press F7 to go to the next error. Find Errors Quickly With the Spelling and Grammar Button
Another way to move from error to error is to double-click the Spelling and Grammar button on the status bar, it looks like an open book. As with the shortcut key, it takes you through the errors. Unlike the shortcut key, however, you don't have to make a selection or click elsewhere before moving to the next error. Double-click the button again to move to the next error. This method can be unpredictable in terms of the starting point. Position the cursor at the beginning of the document for the best results. A Caveat About Using the Word Spelling and Grammar Checker
The spelling and grammar checker is a valuable feature and catches many errors. But Word doesn't catch every error and mistake. The checker doesn't tag a correctly spelled word that is used incorrectly, and it may not tag it as an error. For example, their, they're, and there are often used incorrectly and Word may not tag these words when spelled correctly. Never rely solely on this feature to ensure that the text in your document is spelled correctly and that the grammar is correct. Always proofread your documents in addition to running a spelling and grammar check. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix It When Outlook Spell Check Is Not Working Is Microsoft Word Free? Yes, It Can Be How to Use Microsoft Word How to Check Spelling in Outlook How to Fix It When Spell Check Is Not Working in Word How to Check Spelling in Gmail The 5 Best Spelling and Grammar Check Apps of 2022 How to Use Google Docs Spell Check How to Change Language in Microsoft Word and Office How to Use Text Boxes in Microsoft Word How to Check for Plagiarism in Google Docs How to Insert a Document in Word How to Insert a Page Break in Word How to Insert a PDF Into Word How to Insert Source Code Into a Word Document How to Remove a Page Break in Word Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies