Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Correctly Spelled Words Marked as Misspelled in Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are experiencing an issue where Word underlines correctly spelled words with a red squiggly line, incorrectly indicating a spelling error.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Reviewing spelling and grammar in a document, especially after typing or copying and pasting text from other sources.
Observed behavior: Correctly spelled words are marked with red underlines as misspelled due to incorrect character-level language attributes or conflicting third-party add-ins.

Before you start

Check if the red underline appears on newly typed text or only on text pasted from other sources, as pasted text often carries hidden formatting.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Proofing Language Settings

Fix the character-level language attribute that often changes incorrectly when copying and pasting text.

Language settings in Word are applied at the character level. When you copy text from the web or another document, it may bring along a different language code, causing your local spell checker to mark correctly spelled English words as errors.

Select the affected text

Press Cmd + A on your Mac keyboard to highlight all the text in your document.

Open Language settings

Navigate to the Review tab on the top ribbon and click on the Language button.

Apply the correct proofing language

Click 'Language' and then select 'Set Proofing Language...'. Choose your preferred language from the list, ensure 'Do not check spelling or grammar' is unchecked, and click OK.

Tip: If you want this language setting to apply to all future documents, click the 'Default' button before clicking OK.

Solution 2

Disable Conflicting Add-ins

Third-party proofing tools like Grammarly can sometimes interfere with Word's native spell checker.

Solution 3

Update Word and Restart macOS

Outdated software versions or system glitches can cause erratic spell check behavior in Microsoft Word.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for Reliable Spell Checking and Formatting

If Microsoft Word continues to struggle with spell check errors, underlying language settings, or add-in conflicts, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative with robust and reliable built-in proofing tools.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite on your Mac or PC.
2. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx file directly; formatting is fully preserved.
3. Use Spell Check: Navigate to the Review tab and click Spell Check to accurately review your document without conflicting language tags.

Free and lightweight alternative to Microsoft OfficeSeamlessly open, edit, and save Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsAccurate built-in spell check without complex character-level language conflictsFamiliar user interface for a smooth and immediate transition

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does retyping a word temporarily remove the red underline?

Retyping a word applies the default language setting of your current keyboard to those new characters, overriding the hidden incorrect language formatting of the previous text. However, this only masks the issue rather than fixing the document's underlying language settings.

How do I stop copied text from changing my spell check language?

When pasting text from a website or another document, use the 'Keep Text Only' paste option. This strips away the source's language formatting and forces the pasted text to adopt your document's default proofing language.

Can Grammarly cause Word to mark correct words as misspelled?

Yes, third-party proofing add-ins like Grammarly can sometimes conflict with Word's native spell checker, especially if they are not fully updated to match your current version of Word or macOS. Temporarily disabling the add-in usually resolves the issue.

Office App Problems