5 Fixes for Spell Check Not Working in Microsoft Outlook for Windows

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Check Spelling and Autocorrect Settings

The first thing you should do is ensure that spell check is enabled and configured correctly in Outlook. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:Open the Outlook app on your PC and click theFilemenu in the top-left corner.

Step 2:SelectOptionsfrom the left sidebar.

Step 3:Switch to theMailtab and tick the checkbox that readsAlways check spelling before sending. Then, clear theIgnore original message text in reply or forwardcheckbox.

Step 4:Click theSpelling and Autocorrectbutton.

Step 5:Tick theCheck spelling as you typeandMark grammar errors as you typeboxes. Then, clickOK.

Fix 2: Check the Proofing Language

If the spell check is not working even after you turn it on, you may have set the wrong proofing language. Here’s how you can change that.

Step 1:Open Microsoft Outlook and click theNew Emailbutton.

Step 2:Under theReviewtab, selectLanguage > Set Proofing Language.

Step 3:Choose your preferred language from the list, and click theSet As Defaultbutton.

Step 4:Uncheck theDo not check spelling or grammarbox. Then, clickOK.

Fix 3: Run Spell Check Manually

Another thing you can do is run a spell check manually in Outlook. For that, compose an email as you normally would and intentionally type in a few misspelled words. Then, switch to theReviewtab and click theSpelling and Grammaroption at the top.

If Outlook’s spell check does not work even when you run it manually, a third-party add-in orcorrupted filesmay be responsible for the issue.

Fix 4: Open Outlook in Safe Mode

An outdated or buggy third-party add-in can cause certain features, like spell check, to stop working in Outlook. To check for this possibility, you can open Outlook in Safe Mode.

Press and hold theCtrlkey on your keyboard and double-click the Outlook shortcut. ClickYeswhen the confirmation prompt appears. If the spell check feature works as expected while Outlook is in safe mode, you should disable all the add-ins and re-enable them one at a time.

Step 1:In the Outlook app, go toFile > Options.

Step 2:In the Outlook Options window, switch to theAdd-instab. Click the drop-down menu next to Manage and selectCOM Add-ins. Then, click theGobutton next to it.

Step 3:Uncheck the boxes to disable add-ins and clickOK.

Restart the Outlook app after this and enable your add-ins one by one until the problem occurs again. After you find the problematic add-in, consider updating or removing it.

Fix 5: Run the Office Repair Tool

Running the Office repair tool is an effective way to fix issues with Office apps like Outlook. The tool can automatically scan yourOffice apps for installation issuesor corrupted files and fix them. Here’s how to run it.

Step 1:Right-click on theStart iconand selectInstalled appsfrom the list.

Step 2:Scroll down to locate the Microsoft Office suite on the list. Click thethree-dot menu iconnext to it and selectModify.

Step 3:SelectOnline Repairand click onRepair.

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Last updated on 04 July, 2024

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