Spell Check Does Not Work in Word: Causes, Fixes, and Alternatives

What to do when spell check does not work in Word? Can you fix it on your own, or should you contact customer support? Luckily, it is an easy problem to solve. In this article, we will help you identify the causes and solve this problem. Furthermore, we will teach you how to use Wondershare PDFelement as an alternative.

Part 1. Why Is Word Spell Check Not Working?

Before we introduce the solutions, let us first discuss the causes. Identifying the root of the problem can help ensure this problem will not happen again. This could also give you an idea of how to make the Microsoft Word spell-check feature work again.

The Feature is Disabled

It's easy to accidentally turn off spell check in Word. It could be that during editing, you unchecked the "Check spelling as you type" option. Also, someone could have sent you a document with customized settings that disabled it. To fix this, you'll need to turn the spell check on in Word again.

Language Settings Conflicts

If the spell check does not work in Word, it could be due to language settings. Microsoft Word’s spell checker may fail if the wrong language is selected for the document. Word language spell check needs to match the language of your content to catch errors properly.

Ignored Document Sections

You can make Microsoft Word's spell check feature ignore specific sections of the document. Perhaps you forgot about it, or you misconfigured the settings. Thus, the spell-check feature is not working.

Outdated Software

Product updates not only bring improvements but also remove known bugs. You may be using an older version of Microsoft Word that has a bug related to the spell-check feature. If that's the case, you should update it to the latest version.

Corrupted Files

Let's say there is nothing wrong with your settings, and you are using the latest version of Microsoft Word. In that case, the problem could be the file itself. A corrupted file could cause errors that may prevent features like spell-check from working.

Part 2. How To Make Spell Check on Microsoft Word Work Again

When you have identified the cause of the problem, solving it will be easy. Here are the steps you should take to fix the spell-check feature of Microsoft Word.

Enable Spell Check

The first thing to do is to ensure that the Spell Check feature is activated. Here's how to do that:

1. Click File > Options > Proofing.
2. Check the boxes for "Check spelling as you type" and "Mark grammar errors as you type" options.
3. Click OK.

Check Language Settings:

Once the feature is activated, select the right language, so Microsoft Word knows which dictionary to use.

1. Highlight the problematic text and click Review > Language > Set Proofing Language.
2. Select the correct language for your document.
3. Make sure the “Do not check spelling or grammar” box is not checked.

Update Microsoft Word:

If the spell-check feature is still not working, consider updating your MS Word. Here's how to do that inside the program:

1. Click File > Account > Update Options.
2. Choose Update Now.

Part 3. Pros & Cons of Using Spell Check in Microsoft Word

If you’re using Word, the automatic spell check is a valuable feature for ensuring error-free documents. But like any tool, it has both strengths and weaknesses. Let’s break down the pros and cons:

Although the MS Word spelling checker is convenient, it’s not foolproof. There are times when Word does not spell check correctly, causing mistakes to slip through or prompting unnecessary corrections. If you’re dealing with complex language or highly technical documents, you may find that Word's grammar correction and spell check tools fall short.

That said, you may want to find alternatives.

Part 4. An Easy and Quick Way to Spell Check—Wondershare PDFelement

What if you need to edit a PDF instead of a Word file? You can still open the document using Microsoft Word. However, it may result in formatting issues. Furthermore, Microsoft Word can't open scanned documents.

We recommend using Wondershare PDFelement instead. It is a powerful PDF editing software with advanced features. Like Microsoft Word, Wondershare PDFelement can look for spelling errors.

But it also has something better than the Microsoft Word spell check feature. Wondershare PDFelement has an AI grammar checker! This feature understands context, meaning its suggestions are more accurate.

Part 4.1. How To Use PDFelement’s Spell Checker

PDFelement offers a fast, efficient way to check spelling in your PDFs. Here’s how to use the spell checker:

1. Launch Wondershare PDFelement and open the PDF you want to spell check by clicking Open File or dragging and dropping the document into the program window.

2. Once your document is open, go to the Edit tab to enable editing. This is crucial to run the spell checker, just like you would in Word to check spelling.
3. Click File > Preferences > Enable word spell check. Prompting this will let PDFelement scan the document for any spelling mistakes, similar to how you’d run a spell check in Word.

4. PDFelement will highlight any errors it finds and provide spelling suggestions. Click on the highlighted word to select a correction, or manually input the correct spelling if necessary.

Part 4.2. How To Use PDFelement’s AI Grammar Checker

Wondershare PDFelement has an AI Grammar Checker, which can also look for spelling errors. What makes it better than regular spell-checkers is its ability to understand context. That means its suggestions are more accurate.

Here's how to use this feature:

1. Open the PDF with Wondershare PDFelement.
2. Click the Grammar Check feature on the side toolbar.

3. Select Paragraph Grammar Check.

4. Copy the paragraph that you think may contain spelling errors. Paste it into the input box in the AI Sidebar.
5. Click Check.
6. Read the output and rewrite the text in the PDF to correct any grammar and spelling errors.

Part 4.3. Key Advantages of Using PDFelement

Never ask, "Why is MS Word spell check not working?" again by choosing Wondershare PDFelement to look for spelling errors. Here are the reasons why you should pick this software:

User-Friendly Interface

PDFelement’s layout is clean and easy to navigate. Everything is right where you need it. This creates a pleasant user experience that you will appreciate.

Multi-language Support

For users working on documents in multiple languages, PDFelement offers spell-check support for a wide range of languages. Whether you’re checking spelling in English, French, or Spanish, PDFelement adjusts to your document’s needs.

More Accurate Spell Checking

Wondershare PDFelement has AI features. The AI assistant can understand context a little bit. That said, its spelling and grammar suggestions are more accurate. The tool also provides an in-depth explanation about its suggestions. Thus, you can also use it for learning.

OCR

Unlike other tools that can check for spelling mistakes, Wondershare PDFelement can handle scanned documents. That is because it has an OCR feature, which allows it to convert image text into real text. Its OCR also supports more than 25 languages, so you can use it even if the document is not in English.

All-in-One PDF Solution

Aside from checking spelling, PDFelement allows you to edit, annotate, and convert PDFs. You can easily fix spelling mistakes and perform other edits without needing to use multiple programs.

Conclusion

Encountering the issue where the spell check does not work in Word can be frustrating, but there are several ways to resolve it.

From enabling the feature to adjusting language settings, Microsoft Word provides built-in tools to restore functionality.

However, when working with PDFs or if Word's spell checker remains unreliable, Wondershare PDFelement offers a seamless, user-friendly alternative. PDFelement ensures accurate spelling and grammar checks while providing additional features for editing and managing PDFs. It's a very versatile tool that will give you bang for your bucks.