Checking Spelling and Grammar in Microsoft Excel

Before sharing a workbook, you'll want to make sure it doesn't include any spelling errors. Fortunately, Excel includes a spell check tool you can use to make sure everything in your workbook is spelled correctly.

If you've used the spell check feature in Microsoft Word, just be aware that the spell check tool in Excel, while helpful, is not as powerful. For example, it won't check for grammar issues or check spelling as you type.

To use spell check:

1. From the Review tab, click the Spelling command.

2. The Spelling dialog box will appear. For each spelling error in your worksheet, it will try to offer suggestions for the correct spelling. Choose a suggestion, then click Change to correct the error.

3. A dialog box will appear after reviewing all spelling errors. Click OK to close spell check.

If there are no appropriate suggestions, you can also enter the correct spelling manually.

Ignoring spelling "errors"

Spell check isn't always correct. It will sometimes mark certain words as incorrect even if they're spelled correctly. This often happens with names, which may not be in the dictionary. You can choose not to change a spelling "error" using one of the following three options:

• Ignore Once: This will skip the word without changing it.
• Ignore All: This will skip the word without changing it and also skip all other instances of the word in your worksheet.
• Add: This adds the word to the dictionary so it will never appear as an error again. Make sure the word is spelled correctly before choosing this option.

Challenge!

• Open our practice workbook.
• Click the Challenge worksheet tab in the bottom-left of the workbook.
• Run the spell check to correct any spelling errors in the workbook.
• Correct the words coffe and medum using the suggested spelling.
• Ignore the spelling suggestion for the word Amanecer.
• When you're finished, your worksheet should look like this:

Bonus Step! There is one error spell check didn't catch. Can you spot it? Hint: It's in one of the item descriptions.

FAQs

Does Excel check spelling automatically as I type?

No. Unlike Microsoft Word, Excel does not automatically underline misspelled words in red as you type. You must manually run the Spell Check tool from the Review tab to find errors.

Does Excel check for grammar errors?

No. The standard Spell Check tool in Excel only checks for spelling mistakes. It does not analyze sentence structure or grammar.

What is the keyboard shortcut for Spell Check?

You can quickly launch the Spell Check tool by pressing the F7 key on your keyboard.

How do I stop Excel from marking my name as an error?

When Spell Check flags a correct name, you can click Add to save it to your custom dictionary. Excel will stop marking it as an error in this and future workbooks.

Why is Spell Check not working on protected sheets?

If a worksheet is protected, you cannot make changes to locked cells, so Spell Check may be disabled. You need to unprotect the sheet (Review tab > Unprotect Sheet) before running the check.