Word 2013 underlines possible spelling mistakes with red squiggles and grammar issues with blue or green lines as you type. That’s helpful most of the time, but it’s distracting when you’re writing code, names, technical terms or text in another language. You can turn spell check off for everything, for one document, or for just a selected passage. This guide covers each option in Word 2013, and the steps are the same in Word 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365.
Quick Answer
Click File > Options > Proofing, then uncheck Check spelling as you type (and Mark grammar errors as you type if you like). Click OK.
Turn Off Spell Check for All Documents
- Open Word 2013 and click File.
- Click Options at the bottom of the left column.
- Click Proofing.
- Under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word, uncheck Check spelling as you type.
- Optionally uncheck Mark grammar errors as you type and Check grammar with spelling.
- Click OK.
The red underlines disappear. You can still run a manual check any time with Review > Spelling & Grammar or by pressing F7.
Turn Off Spell Check for One Document Only
- Open the document and go to File > Options > Proofing.
- Under Exceptions for, make sure the current document is selected.
- Check Hide spelling errors in this document only and, if you want, Hide grammar errors in this document only.
- Click OK.
The setting is saved with that document, so the squiggles stay hidden when others open it too.
Turn Off Spell Check for Selected Text
This is ideal for code snippets, lists of names or foreign-language passages:
- Select the text.
- Click Review > Language > Set Proofing Language.
- Check Do not check spelling or grammar and click OK.
To apply it to a style (such as a Code style), modify the style and set its language option the same way.
Other Ways to Deal With Red Underlines
- Add to Dictionary: right-click a correctly spelled word and choose Add to Dictionary so Word stops flagging it everywhere.
- Ignore All: right-click and choose Ignore All to ignore that word in the current document.
- Set the right language: if Word flags correct words in another language, select the text and set its proofing language to that language.
- Turn off AutoCorrect changes (a different feature) in File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options.
Turn Spell Check Back On
Go to File > Options > Proofing and check Check spelling as you type again. For a selection, set the proofing language and uncheck Do not check spelling or grammar. To recheck text you previously ignored, click Recheck Document on the Proofing page.
For email, see turning off spell check in Outlook 2013.
If Word flags British spellings, see changing Word to UK English.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off spell check in Word affect Outlook or Excel?
No. The “as you type” setting is per app. Outlook has its own setting under File > Options > Mail > Spelling and Autocorrect.
Why does spell check still show in one document?
Check whether the text has a proofing language set to Do not check, or whether the document’s exception settings differ.
Will spell check still work when I print?
Squiggly underlines never print, whether spell check is on or off.
Summary
- File > Options > Proofing.
- Uncheck Check spelling as you type.
- Use Hide spelling errors in this document only for one file.
- Use Set Proofing Language > Do not check spelling or grammar for selected text.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.