How to Hide Spelling and Grammar Errors in Word

Some people, even those with the best intentions, may put the wrong spelling or grammar mistakes in their documents. While these errors may be minor, they are obtrusive and downright annoying. You can easily hide spelling and grammar errors in Word without having the setting change affect all of your other papers.

To make the process quicker and easier, continue reading the post below.

Why Do You Hide Spelling and Grammar Errors in Word?

One mistake that’s easy for us to make when we type is an error in our spelling or grammar.

For example, we could spell “you’re” as “your,” “two” as “too,” or “there” as “their.” These mistakes will be corrected as soon as you save your document.

But it can be annoying to see those pesky red words every time your document gets loaded in a text editor.

One of the reasons editors might choose to hide spelling or grammar errors is for aesthetic purposes. Another reason is that it allows for a better workflow.

Edits can be made without needing to remove the error and redo the section. Hide these mistakes to create a clean look for your document.

Automatic Spelling and Grammar Checking

You may not need to conduct a separate check because Microsoft Word checks your document for spelling and grammar issues by default. Colored, wavy lines indicate these mistakes.

  • The red lines denote a misspelled word.
  • The blue lines denote grammatical errors and misused words.

What is a misused word in Microsoft Word?

Misused words are those that have the correct spelling but are used incorrectly in the context of the work. For example, if you’re writing a letter and used Deer Dr. Thomas as the salutation, the Word will indicate deer as a spelling error.

Though Deer is a word by itself and spelled correctly, it is not used in the proper context of the letter. This type of error is also known ad contextual spelling error.

A person sitting in front of a laptop and typing
Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

How To Change the Automatic Spelling and Grammar Check Settings:

Are all the colored lines for spelling and grammar errors on your Word document diverting your focus from writing the content? Here’s how to change the settings to keep the piece look clean as your write.

  • Click the File tab on your document to go to the Backstage view, then click Options.
  • A pop-up window will appear. Select Proofing from the left side of the dialog box. The pop-up window offers multiple options:
  • To prevent Word from automatic spell checking, uncheck the box Check spelling as you type
  • To prevent Word from marking grammar errors, uncheck the box Mark grammar errors as you type.
  • To prevent Word from checking contextual errors, uncheck the box Frequently confused words.

Microsoft Word doesn’t check for sentence fragments or run-on phrases by default. To enable this functionality, go to the dialog box’s Settings and check the box next to Fragments and Run-ons.

You may have turned off the automatic spelling and grammar checks but need to check your document quickly. Just go to the Review tab and click the Spelling & Grammar option.

Steps to Hide Spelling and Grammar Errors in Word

When sharing a document like a resume with someone, it’s best not to let them see the red and blue lines. But turning off the automatic spelling and grammar check only affects the document on your computer.

The error lines will still appear when others view your text. Luckily, Word lets you hide grammatical errors so that the lines won’t appear on any computer. You just need to follow the steps below.

  • Click the File tab on your document to go to the Backstage view, then click Options.
  • A dialog box will show up. Select Proofing from the left side of the dialog box.
  • Under the Exceptions for option, check the box Hide spelling errors in this document only and Hide grammar errors in this document only.
  • Click OK to apply the changes and hide the lines in the document.

To Wrap Up

Spelling mistakes can be a headache to revise. However, there are ways you can find a way to hide the errors in your document while keeping the originality of your work.

The first step is to know why you have to hide or fix the errors. Next, to hide the errors in Word, you need to know about the automatic spelling and grammar checking settings.

You can save time and frustration using Word’s automatic spell and grammar-checking features. Follow the clear steps mentioned in this article to hide spelling and grammar errors in Word documents.

Pam is an expert grammarian with years of experience teaching English, writing and ESL Grammar courses at the university level. She is enamored with all things language and fascinated with how we use words to shape our world.

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