Word.Tips.Net Welcome toWord.Tips.Net

Helpful Links

Tips.Net Home
WordTips Home

Ask a Word Question
Make a Comment

Tips.Net Store

WordTips FAQ
WordTips Premium

Learn Access Now
Free Printable Forms

Beauty Tips
Car Tips
Cleaning Tips
College Tips
Cooking Tips
Excel2007 Tips
ExcelTips
Family Tips
Gardening Tips
Health Tips
Home Tips
Legal Tips
Money Tips
Organizing Tips
Pest Tips
Pet Tips
Wedding Tips
Word2007 Tips
WordTips

Advertise on the
WordTips Site

Newest Tips

Arranging Document Windows

Specifying a Backup Location

Controlling Chart Gridlines

Merging Table Cells

Collapsing and Expanding Subdocuments

Zooming With the Keyboard

Initiating a New Search

 

Hiding Spelling Errors

Summary: When you are typing in a document, Word normally checks your spelling in the background, marking possible spelling errors as you go. If the markings bother you, here's how you can turn them off. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007.)

Word includes a feature that checks up on the spelling and grammar in your document as you type. You've seen the results—the red and green squiggly underlines that mark spelling and grammar errors that you may want to create.

For some people, the red underlines that denote spelling problems can be distracting, since their appearance can break your concentration as you are composing your document. Perhaps you would rather do your spell checking as a discrete phase of document development at a later time. If you find the red squiggly underlines distracting, you can turn them off. Simply follow these steps if you are using a version of Word prior to Word 2007:

  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Word displays the Options dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Spelling & Grammar tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
  3. Make sure the Hide Spelling Errors in This Document check box is selected.
  4. Click on OK.

If you are using Word 2007 then the steps are a bit different:

  1. Click the Office button and then click Word Options. Word displays the Word Options dialog box.
  2. At the left side of the dialog box, click Proofing. (Click here to see a related figure.)
  3. At the bottom of the dialog box, make sure the Hide Spelling Errors in This Document Only check box is selected.
  4. Click on OK.

Any existing red squiggly underlines should disappear. In order to check your spelling you will now explicitly need to start the spell checker.

Tip #905 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Find and Replace Almost Anything! An invaluable resource for learning how to harness the full power of Word's search and replace capabilities. You'll discover everything you need in order to master all the intricacies of finding and replacing elements of your document, including the super-powerful "wildcard searches" available in Word.
 
Check out WordTips: Find and Replace today!