How to Turn On or Off Highlight Misspelled Words in Windows 11
Managing the built-in spell-checking functionality in Windows 11 takes minimal effort, letting readers toggle the system behavior at will. This utility highlights words you misspell as you type them.
Open Settings and navigate to Time & language, then Typing. Check or uncheck the box next to Highlight misspelled words to enable or disable the feature. This will add or remove red squiggly lines under misspelled words as you type.
Why Use This Feature?
Windows 11 includes a native spell checker. Activating this utility places a red squiggly line beneath unrecognized terms. Catching typos instantly becomes much faster with this active.
What Happens When You Use It?
Enabling this setting adds a red squiggly line underneath any typed word missing from your personal dictionary. Right-clicking the flagged word reveals alternative correction choices.
Option 1Use Settings
Turn On or Off Highlight Misspelled Words in Settings
- Open Settings by pressing
Win+I. - Click Time & language on the left side.
- Click Typing on the right side. (see screenshot below)
Control the feature that highlights misspelled words in Windows 11 directly from the Settings app. Navigate to Typing settings and check or uncheck the box next to ‘Highlight misspelled words’.
- Check the box (on – default) or uncheck the box (off) next to Highlight misspelled words. (see screenshot below)
- You can now close Settings.
Option 2Use Registry
Turn On or Off Highlight Misspelled Words Using Registry
⚠️ Admin privileges required
Turn On Highlight Misspelled Words
This is the default setting:
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TabletTip\1.7" /v EnableSpellchecking /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Turn Off Highlight Misspelled Words
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TabletTip\1.7" /v EnableSpellchecking /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Summary
Windows 11 flags typos by marking misspelled words with a red underline, and the Settings app provides full control over this behavior.
How do I turn off highlight misspelled words?
To disable 'Highlight misspelled words,' navigate to the setting and uncheck the box. This change applies immediately across your system. Once the selection updates, configuration finishes completely.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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