Microsoft Word Spell Checker

You have to make sure that the correct proofing language is applied to text and that no text ranges are formatted with "Do not check grammar or spelling" formatting. See http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/MasterSpellCheck.htm .

Hi Ann, I get how confusing that can be when you’ve already checked the settings. Usually, this happens if the language for the text doesn’t match the proofing language or if “Do not check spelling or grammar” is turned on for the document. Let’s try a couple of quick checks: open Word, select some text, go to Review > Language > Set Proofing Language, and make sure the correct language is selected and the checkbox for “Do not check spelling or grammar” is unchecked. Also, confirm that the spell checker is enabled under File > Options > Proofing. If it still doesn’t work, is this happening in all documents or just one? And are you using Word on Windows, Mac, or online?

If the spell checker in Microsoft Word is not working even though it is turned on, there are several potential causes and solutions you can try:

1. Check Proofing Tools Installation: Ensure that the proofing tools are installed. You can do this by going to the Control Panel and modifying your Microsoft Office installation to include proofing tools.
2. Enable the Speller Add-in: Sometimes the speller add-in may be disabled. To enable it, go to File > Options > Add-Ins, then select Disabled Items from the Manage dropdown and check if the speller is listed. If it is, enable it.
3. Check Language Settings: Make sure the correct language is set for the document and that the "Do not check spelling or grammar" option is not selected. You can set this by selecting the entire document, going to the Review tab, clicking on Language, and then selecting Set Proofing Language.
4. Clear Exceptions: In the Proofing section of the Word Options, ensure that all check boxes in the Exceptions for section are cleared.
5. Registry Check: If the problem persists, there might be an issue in the registry settings. You can check the registry key located at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Proofing Tools\1.0\Override and make necessary adjustments.

Try these methods in order to troubleshoot the issue with the spell checker in Word.