Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: Getting Rid of Blue Squiggly Underlines.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 29, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016
Ivan noted that on his PC the text he writes is frequently "marred" by squiggly underlines in blue. Right-clicking gives him options of Ignore Once, Ignore Rule, or Replace Direct Formatting with Style Normal. Ivan wants to turn off the blue squiggly underlines and is wondering how to do it.
Word likes squiggly underlines—the most commonly seen being red (a potential spelling error) and green (a potential grammar error). The latest squiggly underline introduced in Word is blue, which marks formatting inconsistencies. (This type of marking was introduced in Word 2002.) That is why you see the options you do—particularly "Replace Direct Formatting with Style Normal"—when you right-click the underlined word or phrase.
You can turn off this marking by making a configuration change in Word:
Figure 1. The advanced options of the Word Options dialog box.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6053) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Getting Rid of Blue Squiggly Underlines.
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2023-03-03 17:33:11
queenof2day
OMG. Thank you. The entire 300k+ manuscript I just received was ALL blue squiggly lines... I was going blind!
2022-03-09 08:52:48
vkohanek@sbcglobal.net
In the Editing Options section, clear the Mark Formatting Inconsistencies check box. -- WHERE is Mark Formatting Inconsistencies in your image?
https://wordribbon.tips.net/T006053_Getting_Rid_of_Blue_Squiggly_Underlines.html
2021-01-11 02:41:48
Richard Price
@Ali: it's explained in the original article above - "In Word 2010 and later versions display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options".
2021-01-10 18:02:35
Ali
But where is the Word Options box? Cannot find it on Office 365.
2020-12-12 06:06:01
Richard Price
@Peggy Maguire: have you also tried what I posted earlier (2018-11-05) in the comments?
>> if unchecking "Mark formatting inconsistencies" didn't make the blue lines go away, you're probably seeing the same behaviour as I noted in my comment two below yours. Grammar check errors and contextual spelling errors are also marked with blue squiggly lines, and in that respect this Word Tip is out of date. Try going to Word Options -> Proofing and unchecking "Mark grammar errors as you type", and maybe a few more of the options there, if that doesn't work.
For further detail see my 2016-12-02 comment below.
2020-12-11 09:10:07
Peggy Maguire
I found the box but it was already unchecked, and yet I still have the blue lines there.
2019-05-31 08:30:22
Richard Price
@clan kinraithe: it is there (albeit greyed out), 13th checkbox from the top, just under "Keep track of formatting".
I agree about the pop-up though, and I don't like the anomalous behaviour of its 'Close' link, which doesn't change the cursor to a hand-with-pointing-finger like all normal links do.
2019-05-30 22:51:55
clan kinraithe
Your screen shot doesn't actually show an example of the "Mark Formatting Inconsistencies" check box. I presume it must be there some place, but the example would be more clear if the specific box was shown.
Also, you don't need to always put that "subscribe" pop-up in front of the articles whenever I open the webpage, or return to it after looking at something else. If I want to subscribe, I'll find the link. That pop-up, like all pop-ups, is just annoying.
2018-12-04 12:54:11
Ron
Thanks. Got me on the right track. File/Options/PROOFING/"Mark grammer errors as you type"
2018-11-05 03:01:16
Richard Price
@Kris: if unchecking "Mark formatting inconsistencies" didn't make the blue lines go away, you're probably seeing the same behaviour as I noted in my comment two below yours. Grammar check errors and contextual spelling errors are also marked with blue squiggly lines, and in that respect this Word Tip is out of date. Try going to Word Options -> Proofing and unchecking "Mark grammar errors as you type", and maybe a few more of the options there, if that doesn't work.
2018-11-04 13:53:26
Kris
That did NOT work. The blue lines won't go away!! Is there a way to change the rule? I don't want words capitalized. I am showing words and definitions for students and don't want them to think all the words are proper nouns. Who made WORD the grammar nazi???
2016-12-08 14:17:51
CDSalas
You can remove the blue squiggly lines by unchecking the "Mark grammar errors as you type" under the "Proofing" options.
2016-12-02 03:04:10
Richard Price
For me, this tip is only partly correct - yes, if enabled, formatting inconsistencies are marked with a blue squiggly line but so are grammar check errors and contextual spelling errors. I have "Mark grammar errors as you type" turned on and "Mark formatting inconsistencies" turned off, and I see blue lines but never a green line in Word 2013 and 2016, so I think this part of the tip is out of date. See for example http://www.gcflearnfree.org/word2013/checking-spelling-and-grammar/2/ which states "In previous versions of Word, grammar errors were marked with a green line, while contextual spelling errors were marked with a blue line".
@robert wyatt: in my Word 2016 (on Windows 7) the "Mark formatting inconsistencies" check box is a sub-option under the "Keep track of formatting" check box, which is the 11th main option under "Editing options". It is greyed out if "Keep track of formatting" is unchecked.
2016-10-09 14:08:19
robert wyatt
This explanation is hard to follow, at least for people with Windows 10,because it says, "In the Editing Options section, clear the Mark Formatting Inconsistencies check box." But there is no Mark Formatting Inconsistencies. Look as long as you like. It's not in mine, anyway. But if you hit every button, you might get lucky.
2016-09-23 08:21:57
Andre
Thank you very much, it helped!
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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:
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