Launch Classic Spellcheck

With the introduction of the Editor pane, Word changed the look of Spellcheck. But you can still access the classic Spellcheck interface by adding it to the Quick Access Toolbar! You can see that at the very top of the image above.

Here’s how:

After the first step, the instructions below are the same for both Mac and Windows computers. Follow the steps below or watch the demo video beneath them.

a map "locator pin" styled as the MS Word logo
Learn more about Spellcheck (like importing custom dictionaries) in section 8 of the book. Learn more about customizing ribbons and the QAT in section 33.
  1. Look at the right side of the QAT icons above the ribbons in the Word window:
    [Mac users] Click the little three-dot kabob menu and select More Commands…
    [Windows users] Click the little down arrow and select Customize Toolbars and Menus… (unless you have the latest update, in which case right-click on a blank part of the ribbon)
  2. Click the QAT tab in the window that opens:
    [Mac users] at the top
    [Windows users] on the left edge
  3. Find the function you want to add in the Commands list on the left of the window:
    • Click the field on top of the left side list.
    • Select Commands not in the ribbon from that list.
    • Scroll to find Spelling in that list, then select it.
  4. Click the right arrow between the two lists to move the command to the right-side list.
  5. Click Save or Ok to set these revisions. (If you’re on a Mac, close the Preferences window too.)

Look for the new icon on the QAT. Do you see the ABC✔️? Try it now!


To learn more about Word’s new Editor pane and how to use Spellcheck within that, see this earlier post. Also see the troubleshooting tips below the video demo.

Troubleshooting

(Thanks to everyone who submitted questions using the Q&A field at the bottom of the page!)

The QAT is the very top border of the Word window, above the ribbon. In the image at the top of this post, the spelling icon on the QAT is circled.

There are several functions labelled “spelling” in the list of commands. Be sure to select the one that says only “Spelling” and is found in the list of “Commands not in the ribbon.”

Windows users should follow the Windows directions above. As mentioned, they’ll see a down arrow on the QAT, not a kabob.



Got a gnarly Word problem? Submit your problem and we’ll try to answer it in the Q&A thread.



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