Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Word Spell Check Underlining Parts of Words

Huma Ashraf Ch Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to fix an issue where the spell checker underlines individual characters or parts of words instead of the entire word, leading to inaccurate spelling suggestions.

How to Fix Word Spell Check Underlining Parts of Words

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing a document that contains text copied and pasted from other sources, such as external documents or websites.
Observed behavior: The spell checker only underlines portions of a word. This happens because the text contains mixed proofing languages or hidden formatting tags within the same word.

Before you start

Before proceeding, turn on the 'Show/Hide ¶' feature in your Home tab to reveal any hidden spaces or zero-width characters that might be splitting your words apart.

Solution 1Recommended

Apply a Consistent Proofing Language to the Entire Document

Resetting the proofing language for all text usually fixes fragmented spell checking caused by copied text.

When text is copied from websites or other documents, it often carries over hidden language tags. By selecting the entire document and forcing a single language, you can unify the spell checker's behavior.

Select All Text

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

Open Language Settings

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

Adjust Checkboxes

In the dialog box, ensure that 'Do not check spelling or grammar' is unchecked. Also, uncheck 'Detect language automatically' to prevent Word from changing languages on its own.

Select Target Language

Select your preferred language (e.g., English) from the list and click 'OK' to apply the changes.

Apply a Consistent Proofing Language to the Entire Document

Language Reset Complete: Re-run the spell check by pressing F7. The red squiggly lines should now correctly identify whole words instead of fragments.

Solution 2

Clear Formatting from Copied Text

If changing the language doesn't work, clearing the formatting will remove any hidden styles or language tags carried over from the source.

Fix Fragmented Spell Check Underlines in WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers a robust and user-friendly spell check tool. If you are dealing with messy copied text and broken underlines, you can easily uniform the language and formatting settings in WPS Office to achieve a clean, error-free document.

1. Open Your Document in WPS: Launch WPS Writer and open the document experiencing the fragmented spell check issue.
2. Select All Content: Press 'Ctrl + A' to select all the text within the document.
3. Access Spell Check Settings: Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the top ribbon, click the drop-down arrow under 'Spell Check', and choose 'Set Language'.
4. Apply the Correct Language: Choose your primary language from the list, click 'Set as Default' if you want this applied to future documents, and press 'OK'.

Perfectly compatible with Microsoft Word formats (.docx, .doc)Smart, built-in spell checker that intelligently handles pasted textEasy tools to clear formatting and unify proofing languagesLightweight software that runs smoothly on any device

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does spell check only underline half a word?

This happens when a single word contains mixed proofing languages or hidden formatting tags. It is most commonly caused by copying and pasting text from websites, PDFs, or other formatted documents where individual letters may carry different metadata.

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

When pasting text into your document, right-click and choose the 'Keep Text Only' paste option. This strips out the source formatting and language tags, forcing the newly pasted text to adopt your document's current language settings.

Does 'Detect language automatically' cause spelling issues?

Yes. If your document includes technical terms, foreign names, or diverse phrasing, the automatic detection might switch the proofing language mid-sentence or even mid-word. Disabling this feature ensures a consistent spell check experience throughout your entire document.

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