Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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: Fast Spelling Corrections.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 8, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
As you are typing in your document, you may have noticed that some of your words are underlined with a red wavy line. These are words for which Word is questioning your spelling. You can quickly correct your spelling (assuming you agree that it may be incorrect) by right-clicking on the word in question. The resulting Context menu contains spelling suggestions that you can select. Word then replaces the word on which you right-clicked (the incorrect word) with the proper spelling. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. Right-click on a misspelled word to correct it.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (12097) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Fast Spelling Corrections.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
Spell check a document, and Word normally checks several different dictionaries. Here's how to limit the dictionary ...
Discover MoreThe spell-checking tool built into Word allows you to easily add words to a custom dictionary. What happens, though, if ...
Discover MoreLike many things in Word, you can configure the way the spelling checker does its job. If you want to exercise more ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2018-10-09 05:41:49
Richard
I notice in your screenshot (Figure 1) that the list of suggested words also contains an explanation of the meaning of those words using a comma-separated list. This does not happen in my installation of Word 2013. Is it a settable option?
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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