How to Spell Check in Excel

You can look for spelling mistakes within a single cell, several cells, an entire worksheets, multiple worksheets or even the entire workbook of Excel.

The majority of people are aware of Microsoft Word and Powerpoint’s spell-check and AutoCorrect capabilities, but did you know that MS Excel also facilitates the spell-checking capabilities. It’s not as robust and sophisticated as Word’s, however, it offers basic spell-checking capabilities. It lets you check the spelling of words within worksheets’ cells and ensure that your worksheets are error-free.

In contrast to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Excel does not automatically look for grammar errors or examine your spelling while you write (by marking them with red). MS Excel will only notify you of spelling mistakes when you use the spellcheck feature manually. Also, Excel doesn’t check grammar errors.

The majority of the time we don’t pay attention to spelling mistakes in Excel since we typically use formulas and numbers. However, there are times when you have to determine if you’ve made any spelling errors when you created certain reports or datasets which may contain text like column and row labels, or on an entire worksheet. Learn how to conduct spelling checks within a single cell, several cells or an entire worksheet multiple worksheets simultaneously, or even the entire workbook.

How to Perform Spell Check in Excel

It is easy to conduct an examination of spelling in Microsoft Excel by following these steps:

Two ways to use the spell-check function in Excel It is possible to access the feature via the Excel Ribbon or via keystrokes on the keyboard.

Open an Excel spreadsheet that has spelling mistakes and then select any cell. Click on the ‘Review’ tab, then click the ‘Spelling’ icon on the left side of the group for Proofing on the Excel Ribbon.

Alternately, you could use on the keyboard F7 function key to start the Spelling dialog box. If you choose a single cell within Excel, Excel checks for spelling mistakes in the entire current spreadsheet.

In either case, Excel will open up to the Spelling Dialog box. Excel will begin to check spelling mistakes in your worksheet , and will offer suggestions to correct the spelling.

Within the Spelling dialog, select one of the suggestions from the Box’ and then press the ‘Change’ button to correct the spelling that the term. Once the spelling is fixed, it will move onto the next error. The box will only be displayed in cells that contain misspelled words. In this case, we’ll select the word ‘Probability’ as the first from the list of suggestions to replace the misspelled word ‘Propability Click on the Change button.

After all spelling errors have been fixed, Excel will show you the ‘Spellcheck complete. It’s good to go and will show the message. Select OK in the box prompting you to proceed.

Excel will display an Spelling Dialog box if there are any errors discovered within the spreadsheet. If there was no error, Excel will show you the same message above.

If the spell-check feature isn’t working (i.e the button ‘Spelling’ on the Review tab is grayed out. ) It’s likely because your spreadsheet is secured. Unprotect your worksheet prior to making sure you’ve checked for spelling errors.

Different Options of Spelling Dialog Box

Before we can do spell checks for worksheets, cells as well as multiple worksheets or even the entire workbook, we must understand the various options available in the Spelling dialog box, and how to modify the options. It is important to select the correct option when you need to correct spelling mistakes.

Here are a few of the functions you’ll find within your Spelling Dialog box

• Do not ignore Once Ignore OnceWhen spell check comes across an error that it flags as an error but it is in fact appropriate for your needs Click the “Ignore Once button to ignore the current error suggestion. E.g. Names, Addresses, etc.
• Ignore all Select this option if you would like to remove all instances of misspelled words , and keep the original spellings. For instance, if you have identical names repeated several times, this option will remove all the words, without altering the spelling and will save you time.
• Include in Dictionary – If Excel considers the word in question as an error, however it’s a valid word that you frequently use and often, you may include the misspelled word in the Microsoft Excel dictionary, as long as it is correctly used. The word will be added into the MS dictionary and won’t be identified as an error later on in any workbook, as well as in different Microsoft Products.
• Change If a spelling check error is found, Excel will show you an array of possible words. Choose any of these suggested words , then press this link to substitute the currently chosen misspelled word with the correct spelling.
• Modify All This option will replace every instance of misspelled words and the one currently in use by a suggested alternative.
• AutoCorrect By selecting this option, you will allow Excel rectify the misspelled word automatically using the suggestion you choose. Additionally, it will include the word in the autocorrect list. This means that if you type the same misspelled word again in the near future, Excel will automatically convert it to the suggestion you have selected.
• Language of the dictionary You can alter your Excel dictionary language by using this drop-down.
• Options The button will lead you to Excel Options where you can look over or alter the default spelling check settings to suit your needs.
• Reverse Last – Use this link to reverse your previous step.

Customizing the Settings of Excel Spell Check

If you wish to alter the default settings for the Spell checker in Excel Click “Options” in the Spelling dialog box, or click the File tab and then click ‘Options.

On the tab for proofing in Excel Options, under the Proofing tab Excel Options, you will see the default settings for the Spell check, which you can modify to suit your requirements and needs.

Excel does not recognize words written in Upper Case (HEETHEN), text that includes numbers (Rage123) IP/file addresses or internet code and are not considered to be an error. Additionally, it flags repetition of words for errors. E.g If you write “Say hello to to my little friend” It will flag the extra “to” in error. You can turn off or enable these options at any time you’d like to.

If you wish to edit or add your Excel Dictionary, Click the “Custom Dictionaries” option.

To edit the words listed within the Custom Dictionaries, select the ‘CUSTOM.DIC Under Dictionary List and click the Edit Word List …’ option.

Input the word you wish to include in your dictionary into the ‘Word(s) in the field ‘:’ and then click Add. If you wish to remove the word you have already added out of the dictionary, choose one word, then select ‘Delete’ or ‘Delete all’ to eliminate all words. After that, click “OK” twice to close each dialog.

Additionally, any words that is added to the custom dictionary is not considered an error in the different Microsoft products. If you add an item to the custom dictionary using Excel the word is not considered to be an issue in Word as well as Powerpoint and reverse.

If you wish to alter your AutoCorrect settings, simply click AutoCorrect Options tab within Excel Options.

You can alter your AutoCorrect setting.

While typing, you might frequently misspell words multiple times on your worksheet. It is possible to correct these errors by adding the terms to the AutoCorrect list. This method, Excel will automatically correct these words as you write.

For this to be done, type in the misspelled word into the ‘Replace’ section . Then, choose the proper word from the list below, or type it into the “With” section. After that, click “OK” to apply.

Spell Check a Single Cell/Text in Excel

Excel lets you check one cell (Word) to check spelling mistakes.

To verify the spelling of a single cell within the Excel document, simply select the cell, double-click it, or hit F2 and enter into edit mode. Be sure to enter the edit mode of the cell. If you’re in the edit mode, you’ll see be able to see the cursor on the text in the cell, and you will see ‘Edit” on the bar located at the lower left corner of Excel. Excel window (as as shown below).

Click the ‘Spelling’ tab in the Review tab, or press F7.

If Excel detects any spelling mistakes, it will show the suggestions box, or it will display a message with the words “The spelling check is complete”.

Choose the correct word, and then click ‘Change’ change the spelling. After that, click OK within the Spell check box to complete the.

Spell Check Multiple Cells/Words in Single Worksheet

If you wish to spell-check multiple cells it is possible to do so by selecting the cells you want to spell check and then using the Spelling dialog box. This is a great option if you wish to exclude the column for address or name to avoid errors since addresses and names are typically marked as spelling mistakes.

Then, choose the ranges, cells, or rows or columns you wish to verify spelling. If you want to select adjacent cells, you just drag the mouse or Shift + Arrow keys to select the cells.

If you wish to select cells that are not adjacent (cells that aren’t adjacent to one another) You can use the hold and press key , and select the cells you would like to select. When you’ve got a huge number of cells to choose then hold and release Shift + F8 then click on the number of cells you would like to select. After that, press Shift + F8 to switch off this mode of selection.

After you have selected the cells, go to the tab ‘Review’ and choose ‘Spelling’ from the Ribbon, or press F7.

It will display the Spelling Dialog box for spelling will pop up with suggestions for replacing the word that is misspelled first (if Excel found any) within the cell or in the range.

Select the correct suggestion, then click the option to change it or use the AutoCorrect feature to select automatically the correct spelling, and then move onto the following misspelled word.

You can also select “Ignore Once to ignore the suggestion and proceed to the next spelling error.

When the misspelled word is corrected, it will give you options to correct the misspelled words within this same dialogue box. Select the correct option to correct the error. You can also rectify all spelling errors, one by one.

Once all incorrectly spelled words have been corrected You will then be prompted to click’success.

Spell Check the Entire Worksheet

To check the spelling of a whole worksheet using Excel choose any cell on the worksheet you wish to be checked, or click the tab for the worksheet you wish to perform the spell check then click on the option ‘Spelling’ (or hit the keystroke F7) under the tab ‘Review.

Excel will begin to look for mistakes and offer suggestions for correcting the errors.

When you use the spell check it will check for spelling in the selected cell, and continues to the final page. If you choose cell A1, Excel will start checking every cell in the row that is first (from the left side to right) before moving to the next row and examine all cells in the next row (from left to right) before moving into the 3rd row, and the next row and so on.

If, for instance, you choose the A4 option, it’ll simply check all cells in the row 4. (horizontally) and then the rows below it. After examining all cells following the A4 cell, Excel will show you an option box that reads, “Do you want to continue checking at the beginning of the sheet?”. Select ‘Yes’ to continue the spelling check starting at the beginning, as shown below.

Spell-Check Multiple Sheets at Once

In Excel You can also examine spellings of several worksheets. Here’s how:

To verify the spelling of the worksheets with multiple worksheets, press and hold the Ctrl key , and select the tabs for multiple sheets you wish to examine. Start the spelling check by clicking the ‘Spelling’ icon under the tab ‘Review’ or pressing the F7 key.

This will begin the spell-checking process and , one at a time the errors will be displayed within the dialogue box.

Select the appropriate option to correct all errors. A dialog box will appear to inform you of an acknowledgement message.

Spell Check All the Worksheets in a Workbook at Once

If you have a lot of pages of workbooks, you can spell-check the entire book in one go.

To check the spelling of all worksheets within a workbook, click right-click on the worksheet’s tab and select “Select All Sheets’ from the context menu.

This will highlight all worksheets within your workbook. Press F7 and select the ‘Spelling’ option beneath the Review ribbon tab. Once all worksheets have been selected, all the tabs will appear with a white backgrounds, as illustrated below.

Then Excel spell-checks all worksheets within the workbook.

Spell Check Words in a Formula

If you attempt to look up the text which is part of the formula the formula won’t work, and the spell-checker will go through the entire worksheet. It is only possible to examine a text within the formula’s shell when you edit the mode.

If you’d like to verify the spelling of the formula’s words Double-click the cell that contains the formula, or choose the formula’s words within the bar for formulas. Press F7 and press the ‘Spelling’ icon beneath the Review ribbon tab to perform the spell-check.

Highlight Spelling Errors with the Excel VBA Macro

It is also possible to make use of Excel Macro Excel Macro to find and highlight misspelled words on the worksheet currently in use. To do this, you need create a macro using VBA editor. VBA editor. This is how to do it:

Then, open the worksheet where you wish to highlight misspelled words. After that, click the button ‘Visual Basic’ under the tab ‘Developer’ or use the shortcut keys Alt + F11 in order to launch Excel VBA editor. Excel VBA editor.

Within the Microsoft VBA editor, click the menu ‘Insert’ and then select the option ‘Module’.

Copy and paste the code below into the Module editor:

Sub ColorMispelledCells() For Each cl In ActiveSheet.UsedRange If Not Application.CheckSpelling(Word:=cl.Text) Then _ cl.Interior.ColorIndex = 8 Next cl End Sub

After you’ve pasted the code, after you’ve pasted the code, click the Run button on the toolbar, or hit the key ‘F5’ to execute the macro.

After you have execute the macro, you can check your worksheet. All cells that have misspelled words will be highlighted in the following image.

This is all you need to be aware of when it comes to spell-checking in Excel.