Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Configuring Spell Check for Internet Addresses.

Configuring Spell Check for Internet Addresses

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 16, 2024)

It goes without saying that the Internet has taken the world by storm. (You are reading this through your Internet e-mail, right?) While this is a great boon to many people, it can be bothersome to writers. Many spell checkers and grammar checkers don't know quite what to do with Internet addresses, such as URLs and e-mail addresses.

You can instruct the spell check program to ignore anything that looks like an Internet address. To enable this option, follow these steps:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
Click Proofing at the left side of the dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Proofing options for the Word Options dialog box.

Make sure the Ignore Internet and File Addresses check box is selected.
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6039) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Configuring Spell Check for Internet Addresses.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Jumping To a Comment

Got a document with lots of comments in it? You can navigate from comment to comment with ease by using the Go To tab of ...

Discover More

Offering Options in a Macro

It is often helpful to get user input within a macro. Here's a quick way to present some options and get the user's response.

Discover More

Getting Rid of Hard Returns before Endnotes

Are there unexplained (and unwanted) paragraph marks before your endnotes? Here's how to get rid of them so they don't ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Turning Off the Check for Repeated Words

If your work involves the usage of repeated words, you may be interested in configuring Word so it doesn't flag those ...

Discover More

Backing Up Your Custom Dictionaries

When you work with the spelling checker quite a bit, you eventually end up with a sizeable custom dictionary. You might ...

Discover More

Using Older Spelling and Grammar Checking

If you prefer the older spelling and grammar checking process used in Word, then you will find this tip helpful. It only ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is eight minus 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.