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.
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.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!
Need to change the information that Word stores about you? Here's how to find the info.
Discover MoreDon't like the way that the ribbons are arranged? Getting them changed can be more of a challenge than you may want to ...
Discover MoreWord allows you to specify the unit of measurement you would like used in dialog boxes throughout the program. It can get ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
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!
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2017 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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: 
Comments