Office Settings & Configuration

Fix Word Not Saving 'Do Not Check Spelling or Grammar' Setting

Elise Williams Oct 8, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are unable to successfully apply and save the 'Do not check spelling or grammar' option for an entire Word document.

How to Fix Word Not Saving the 'Do Not Check Spelling or Grammar' Setting

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to disable spell check and grammar checks across a full document that contains multiple language settings.
Observed behavior: The 'Do not check spelling or grammar' checkbox clears but fails to save or apply consistently because the selected text contains mixed language formatting.

Before you start

Check if your document contains text in multiple languages, as mixed language formatting often prevents Word from saving document-wide proofing settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Select a Specific Language While Clearing the Checkbox

Assigning a single language to the entire selection forces Word to apply and save the spelling and grammar setting consistently.

When a document has multiple languages applied to different sections, Word struggles to apply a blanket rule for proofing. Selecting one uniform language resolves this conflict.

Select all text

Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to highlight the entire Word document.

Open the Language dialog

Navigate to the Review tab on the ribbon, click on Language, and select Set Proofing Language.

Choose a uniform language

In the dialog box, click to select your primary language (e.g., English) from the list.

Clear the spelling check option

Click the box next to 'Do not check spelling or grammar' until it is completely clear, then click OK to save your changes.

Select a Specific Language While Clearing the Checkbox

Tip: Make sure the checkbox is completely empty, rather than showing a solid square (which indicates mixed settings).

Solution 2

Apply Settings to Smaller Text Sections

If you need to maintain multiple languages, apply the proofing settings section by section instead of document-wide.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the proofing language keep changing automatically in Word?

Word has a feature called 'Detect language automatically' which attempts to guess the language you are typing in. To stop this, go to Review > Language > Set Proofing Language, and uncheck the 'Detect language automatically' box.

Can I permanently disable spell check for all future documents?

Yes. Go to File > Options > Proofing. Under the 'When correcting spelling and grammar in Word' section, uncheck 'Check spelling as you type' and 'Mark grammar errors as you type', then click OK.

What does a solid square in the 'Do not check spelling' box mean?

A solid square indicates a mixed state, meaning some parts of your selected text have the setting enabled while others do not. You must click it until it is completely blank to disable the check for the entire selection.

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