Office for Mac Issues

Fix Word Spell Check Not Working on Mac (Language Settings)

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is unable to get automatic spelling or grammar checking to function in Microsoft Word for Mac, even with the feature enabled.

How to Fix Word Spell Check Not Working on Mac

Product: Microsoft Word for Mac
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Typing or pasting text into a Word document and expecting automatic spelling and grammar error highlighting.
Observed behavior: Spell check and grammar check fail to highlight errors, usually due to incorrect text language assignments or unsupported Mac proofing tools.

Before you start

Ensure that the 'Check spelling as you type' feature is actually enabled by navigating to Word > Preferences > Spelling & Grammar before troubleshooting language specific issues.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify and Change Document Language Settings

Adjust the assigned language of your text, as copied content often carries different language attributes that may lack proofing tools.

Microsoft Word applies proofing tools based on the specific language assigned to the text at the character level. If text is pasted from another document or website, it might be assigned a language that Mac Word does not support for spell checking.

Select all text

Press Command + A on your keyboard to highlight all the text in your current Word document.

Open Language tools

Go to the top menu bar, click on 'Tools', and then select 'Language' from the dropdown menu.

Select the correct language

Choose your primary language (e.g., English) from the provided list of supported dictionaries.

Uncheck ignoring tools

Ensure that the box next to 'Do not check spelling or grammar' is unchecked, then click 'OK' to apply the changes.

Verify and Change Document Language Settings

Proofing Tools Compatibility: Microsoft Word for Mac does not support proofing tools for every language available in the Windows version. If your language isn't supported, spell check will silently fail.

Solution 2

Set Default Language for New Documents

Establish a consistent default language so all future blank documents automatically use the correct dictionary for spell check.

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Try WPS Office for Mac for Seamless Word Processing

If you are experiencing ongoing dictionary limitations, unsupported proofing tools, or spell check issues in Microsoft Word for Mac, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative with robust built-in spell checking out of the box.

1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite for Mac from the official website.
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3. Enjoy automatic spell check: Start typing or editing immediately with automatic spell check and grammar assistance active by default.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does spell check stop working when I paste text from a website?

Pasted text often carries its original HTML formatting, including language attributes. If the source text was tagged with an unsupported language or a 'Do not check spelling' attribute, Word will skip checking that specific block of text.

How do I know if Word for Mac supports spell check for my language?

Microsoft provides a specific list of supported proofing tools for Office for Mac on their support site. Some languages that are fully supported on Windows only have partial or zero proofing support on macOS.

Where is the 'Check spelling as you type' setting located on Mac?

You can find this setting by clicking 'Word' in the top left menu bar, selecting 'Preferences', and then choosing 'Spelling & Grammar'. From there, ensure the box for 'Check spelling as you type' is checked.

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