spell check not working in Word for Mac

First, your cited version of Sequoia is behind on updates. Version15.7.1 is the most recent release. Both are important factors.

If the OS is behind Office may be as well. Confirm that it is at 16.102.2 or later depending on update channel.

Once all is current please provide a more complete description of the problem. Include specific examples. Appropriate suggestions are highly dependent on explicit details.

I'm not sure what com.microsoft...thingy you were referred to but I can assure you that there isn't anything of that type which applies. Also, AutoCorrect & the Spelling & Grammar checking features are related but completely separate.

Hi shona schonning,

Thanks for posting your question on Microsoft Q&A,

I understand that you have met some situation with spell check on Word. Bob has shared some information with you, and I hope that you have solved the problem.

In case, your problem has persisted, you could consider trying some workarounds below:

Confirm macOS language and dictionaries:

• System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources

1. Keep only the input sources you actually use.
2. If you switch between languages (e.g., English and Chinese), be explicit in Tools > Language… inside Word for the passages you want checked.

• System Settings > Language & Region

1. Ensure your Preferred Languages list includes the language you want Word to proof.
2. Restart Word after changes.

Reset Word’s proofing assets:

• Close Microsoft Word completely.
• Hold down the Option key on your keyboard and click the Word icon in your Dock to open it. Keep holding the Option key until a new dialog box appears.
• You will see a message asking if you want to "Reset the spelling and grammar checkers to their default settings?"
• Click Yes.

This clears the internal cache for proofing tools and often resolves the issue immediately.

Update Office & let Microsoft AutoUpdate run:

1. Open any Office app (Word).
2. Help > Check for Updates (opens Microsoft AutoUpdate).
3. Install available updates → Restart Word.
   • Updates frequently include fixes to proofing engines and language packs.

Please let me know if the above troubleshoots can work. If you need further help, please put comment below so we can discuss your case together once again.

Kind regards,

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