I recently updated the version of Microsoft Office on my computer and found out that my spell checker no longer works! It usually automatically shows me misspelled words if I type them incorrectly, however nothing was checked after updating.
Even if I ran the spelling checker manually, it would not mark or correct any misspelled words! Annoying! After doing a little research, I found several possible solutions. You may encounter this issue in Word 2007, 2010, 2013, or 2016.
Method 1 – Enable proofing in Word
Since Outlook uses Microsoft Word to check spelling, you should first make sure the spell checker works in Word.
In older versions of Word, click the round Office icon in the upper left corner and select Word Options.
Click Check Spelling and make sure the Check spelling as I type check box is selected under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word.
– /
In newer versions of Office, click File and then Options. You can also check grammar and spelling if you like.
Once you’ve done that, you need to click on Add-ins and then select Disabled Items from the Control drop-down menu at the bottom. Then click the Go button.
Make sure validation is not disabled. If it’s on the list of disabled items, don’t forget to enable it again.
Method 2 – Delete registry key
If this method doesn’t work, you may have to try a different approach. You can do this by deleting a registry key that will not adversely affect Word or your Office programs.
Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER Software Microsoft Office 12.0 Word
Depending on which version of Word you have, it may or may not be 12.0. Delete the entire Word key. When you reopen Word, it recreates all the keys and subsections for you. Also restart Windows after removing the key.
Hope this helps solve the spell check problem. If not, you can go to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER Software Microsoft Shared Tools Proofing Tools 1.0 Override
Just remove the Override key. In regular versions of Office, this key is not needed at all, so it can be safely removed.
The third way – the repair office
If none of this worked for you and Outlook still doesn’t spell check correctly, you can try repairing your installation. You can do this by going to Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, or Programs and Features, clicking Microsoft Office and then clicking Change.
Then select the Repair option and let the program repair the installation. In newer versions of Office, you can choose between quick repairs and online repairs, the latter of which is more comprehensive. The repair may take some time. When finished, be sure to restart your computer.
That’s all! If you still have this problem, please leave a comment here and I’ll try to help! Enjoy!
–