Spell Check in Excel (A Complete Guide)

In this article, you will learn how to enable and disable spell check in Excel, as well as troubleshoot any issues related to the feature in Excel.

Spelling mistakes in data are a frequent problem for Excel users because they can cause misunderstandings and inaccuracies. However, Excel has a robust feature called Spell Check that can help find and fix such mistakes. With Excel’s built-in spell-check functionality, you can minimize these errors and keep accurate data in your spreadsheets.

Additionally, you will learn how to use Excel’s spelling and grammar checker to find and correct errors. Whether you’re writing a financial report, a project plan, or a presentation, our instructions will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to ensure your content is error-free.

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How to Check Spelling and Grammar in Excel

Here, we will demonstrate 4 easy methods to check spelling and grammar in Excel.

1. Using the Spelling Command to Check Spelling

Excel command dialog box is a powerful tool with a lot of functionality. We can use this tool in various circumstances to check spelling and grammar.

Check Spelling Mistakes for Single Cell

The spelling and grammar tools are going to be used here for a single cell.

We have the misspelled word in the left column in the range of cells B5:B8.
To check spelling, go to the Review tab > Spelling.
Then a dialog box will appear with a suggestion box. Select the appropriate word and then click on Change.
If you think that the suggestion is not appropriate, then you can click the Ignore Once option.
After choosing the word, a message box will appear. Click OK to complete the spelling check procedure.

Checking a Range of Cells

For only a range of cells, we are going to use the spell and grammar check tool.

We have the misspelled words in the left column in the range of cells B5:B8.
To check spelling, go to the Review tab > Spelling.
Then a dialog box will appear with a suggestion box. Select the appropriate word and then click on Change.
After choosing the word, a message box will appear. Click OK to complete the spelling check procedure.

Spell Check Inside Formula

We sometimes have words with spelling mistakes inside the formula. You need to select and check the spelling inside of that formula manually.

Select the cell and double-click on the cell to enter editor mode.
In the editor mode, select the text portion outside the functions.
Then go to the Review tab > Spelling. Press Enter after this to replace the text with the corrected spelling.
Click OK when the message box appears. Repeat the same process for the rest of the words.

Check Specific Worksheets for Spelling Mistakes

This method demonstrates how to check the entire sheet for spelling errors.

To check all the misspellings in a single worksheet, first, click on the select all icon on left most corner of the sheet.
Then go to the Review tab > Spelling.
Then a dialog box will appear with a suggestion box. Select the appropriate word and then click on Change.

Check Entire Workbook for Spelling Mistakes

In this method, you can check the whole workbook for any kind of spelling mistake.

Right-click on any sheet name on the workbook, and then click on Select All Sheets.

This will select all of the existing sheets in the workbook.
After this, go to Review > Spelling.

Then a dialog box will open with a suggestion box. Select the appropriate word and then click on Change.
And it will show this type of replacement for every single one of the misspelled words in the workbook.

2. Applying Keyboard Shortcut to Check Spelling

Using a keyboard shortcut can quickly check spelling and grammar in Excel.

We have the Misspelled word in the left column in the range of cells B5:B8.
Then press the keyboard shortcut, F7 to bring up the Spelling English dialog box.
Then a dialog box will appear with a suggestion box. Select the appropriate word and then click on Change.
After choosing the word, a message box will show. Click OK to complete the spelling check procedure.

3. Embedding VBA Code to Spell Check in Excel

Using a small VBA macro can make the process of checking spelling and grammar hassle-free.

First, go to the Developer tab and click on Visual Basic. If you don’t have that, you have to enable the Developer tab. Or You can also press ‘Alt+F11’ for opening the Visual Basic Editor.

To insert a module for the code, go to the Insert tab on the VBA editor. Afterward, click on Module from the drop-down.

Now select the module. Then write down the following code in it.

Sub Spell_Grammar_Highlight()
Dim X As Integer
X = 0
For Each cll In ActiveSheet.UsedRange
If Not Application.CheckSpelling(Word:=cll.Text) Then
cll.Interior.Color = RGB(255, 255, 0)
X = X + 1
End If
Next cll
If X > 0 Then
MsgBox X & " cells with spelling and grammar Mistakes are Identified and Highlighted "
Else
MsgBox "All Good, No Corrections Needed."
End If
End Sub

Next, save the code. Afterward, close the Visual Basic window. After that, press Alt+F8.
When the Macro dialogue box opens, select the following Macro name. Click on Run.

After clicking Run, you can see that the cells with misspelled words are now highlighted with yellow color. Click OK after this.

Again, open the visual basic and open a module window. Inside the module editor, enter the following code:

Sub Spelling_Grammar_Check_activesheet()
ActiveSheet.CheckSpelling
End Sub

Next, save the code. Afterward, close the Visual Basic window. After that, press Alt+F8.
When the Macro dialogue box opens, select the following Macro name. Click on Run.

Then a dialog box will appear with a suggestion box. Select the appropriate word and then click on Change.

After all of the words in the range of cells are replaced with the correct word, the final message will be shown.

4. Correcting Spelling and Grammar While Typing

Correcting spelling and grammar while we are still writing can save a lot of time.

To enable spelling and grammar correction while typing, you need to enable the Autocorrect feature through the options.
To do this, first, click on the File on the worksheet.

Clicking on the File will take you to the startup menu in Excel. Then click on Options.

In the Excel Options window, click on AutoCorrect Options from the Proofing.

In the Autocorrect English options window, choose autocorrect options as your wish, and tick mark on them. Click OK after this.

After clicking OK, you will be able to see that your texts are getting autocorrected as you type.

How to Add Words to Custom Dictionary in Excel

Adding new words in the dictionary helps us to reuse the word later in the future.

To add new words to Excel’s default dictionary, click on File in the Excel worksheet top corner.
To open Excel Options, navigate to File > Options.
Click on AutoCorrect Options under Proofing in the Excel Options window.
Then select Custom Dictionary from the menu.

From the Custom Dictionary dialog box, you can see all the dictionaries already in use.
In order to add a new word to the dictionary, click on any dictionary and then click on Add.
Or if you intend to add a whole new dictionary item in Excel, click on the New. Otherwise, click OK.

To add a new word to a dictionary, select that dictionary, and then click on Edit word list.

Additional Grammar Resources in Excel

Additional grammar tools can enrich our writing from a different perspective.

1. Thesaurus

Thesaurus is one of the most used dictionaries and grammar checker tool used worldwide.

To get the meaning of some words, just simply hover over the word.
Go to Review > Thesaurus.
Clicking on Thesaurus will make it show the meaning and parts of speech in the side panel.

2. Translate

Translation tools enable us to use worksheets from any corner of the world.

To get a translation of some word in another language, hover over that word
Go to the Review tab > Translate.
It will open the side panel and show the translated text in another language. You can change the language settings in the side panel.

3. Research

The Research task pane is a very useful tool for conducting various research-related projects. Having a side panel is a quick way of searching for relevant topics.

Opening the Research task pane is quite straightforward.
Simply press Alt and select any cell in the worksheet.
Doing this will automatically open the Research pane on the right side of the sheet.

How to Turn Off Spell Check in Excel

You have to follow 3 quick steps to turn off spell check in Excel.

Find Out the Misspelled Words
Go to the Proofing Option

Select the File Option in the Toolbar > Click on the Options > Select the Proofing Option from the left side of the window > Click on the AutoCorrect Options.

Uncheck the Required Options

After clicking on the AutoCorrect Option, you will find a popup window like the one below. Here, you will find 5 checkboxes. Hence Uncheck all the checkboxes. After that, the Spell Check feature will be turned off.

Spell Check Is Not Working in Excel (Solved)

You can turn on the custom dictionary option if spell check is not working in Excel.

Click on File beside the Home tab > select Options.
Then click as follows: Proofing > Custom Dictionaries. Another dialog box will open up.

In this dialog box, check all the options and press OK.

Things to Remember

You can unprotect the sheet if the spell check is not working in Excel.
Turning Off Spell Check may hamper the content quality of misspelled words or errors. So, you need to be careful about the errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I customize the spell check options in Excel?

Yes, you can customize the spell check options in Excel. In the Excel options, go to “File” > “Options” > “Proofing” and click on the “Custom Dictionaries” button. Here, you can add or remove dictionaries, as well as specify additional options for spell check.

2. What languages are supported by the spell check feature in Excel?

Excel supports a wide range of languages for spell check. You can choose the desired language from the language options in the Excel options under “File” > “Options” > “Proofing“.

3. Can I set Excel to automatically correct common spelling mistakes?

Yes, you can set Excel to automatically correct common spelling mistakes. In the Excel options, go to “File” > “Options” > “Proofing” and click on the “AutoCorrect Options” button. Here, you can define automatic corrections for specific misspelled words.

Conclusion

That’s the end of today’s session. I believe you will be able to do spell check in Excel as of now. With the help of this comprehensive guide, you will be empowered to confidently utilize Spell Check in Excel, mitigating the risk of spelling errors and enhancing the precision of your data.

Spell Check in Excel: Knowledge Hub

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