Disable OneNote Spell Check: A Complete Guide

To disable spell check in OneNote, you need to turn off the “Check spelling as you typeâ€� option in the application’s settings. This guide walks you through the exact steps for Windows, Mac, and web versions, and explains what turning it off does and doesn’t do.

How Spell Check Works in OneNote

OneNote’s spell checker is an automatic, background feature that underlines misspelled words in red as you type. It works across all notebooks, sections, and pages, and it uses the language dictionaries installed with your operating system or Office suite. Unlike Word, OneNote does not have a separate grammar checker, and it does not offer a one-click “Ignore All� for a single session; you must either right-click each word or change the global setting.

The feature is on by default in every version of OneNote, and it applies to both typed text and text you paste from other sources. It also checks spelling in page titles, tags, and search boxes within the app. Turning it off stops the red underlines immediately, but it does not delete any existing corrections or reset your custom dictionary.

Disabling Spell Check in OneNote for Windows (Desktop App)

The desktop version of OneNote (the one that installs with Microsoft 365 or as a standalone app) stores this setting in the application options, not in Windows settings. Follow these steps:

1. Open OneNote and click File in the top-left corner.
2. Click Options at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
3. In the OneNote Options dialog, click Proofing in the left sidebar.
4. Under the “When correcting spelling in OneNote� section, uncheck Check spelling as you type.
5. Click OK to save and close the dialog.

If you want to keep the underlines but stop the right-click suggestions, you can uncheck “Mark grammar errors as you type� (though OneNote doesn’t actually have grammar checking, the option may appear for compatibility). To re-enable, simply re-check the box.

Disabling Spell Check in OneNote for Mac

OneNote for Mac uses the macOS system spell checker, so the setting lives in the app’s preferences. Here’s how to turn it off:

1. Open OneNote and click OneNote in the menu bar (next to the Apple logo).
2. Select Preferences (or press Cmd + ,).
3. Click the Spelling icon at the top of the preferences window.
4. Uncheck Check spelling as you type.
5. Close the preferences window – changes save automatically.

On Mac, this setting is global to OneNote, not per notebook. If you want to check spelling manually later, you can still use Edit → Spelling → Check Spelling from the menu bar, which runs a one-time pass over the current page.

Disabling Spell Check in OneNote for the Web (Office Online)

The browser version of OneNote (available at office.com) does not have its own spell check toggle. Instead, it inherits the browser’s built-in spell checker. To disable it, you must change the browser settings:

• Chrome: Right-click any text field, select Spell check, then uncheck Use spell check (or go to Settings → Languages → Spell check and toggle it off).
• Edge: Go to Settings → Languages → turn off “Check spellingâ€� for the language.
• Firefox: Right-click a text field, uncheck Check Spelling.
• Safari: Go to Safari → Preferences → Spelling and Grammar, then uncheck “Check spelling while typing.â€�

Note that this affects all websites, not just OneNote. If you only want to disable it on OneNote, you can’t do that in the web version – you’d need to use the desktop app instead.

Disabling Spell Check on OneNote Mobile (Android and iOS)

OneNote mobile apps do not have an in-app spell check setting. They rely on the operating system’s keyboard and text input settings. On Android, you can disable the red underlines by changing your keyboard’s spell check (e.g., Gboard: Settings → Text correction → turn off “Spell correction�). On iOS, go to Settings → General → Keyboard and turn off Auto-Correction and Check Spelling – but note this affects all apps on your device, not just OneNote.

If you primarily use OneNote on a phone for quick notes, consider using the desktop version for writing that needs no spell check interference.

What Happens When You Turn It Off (and What Doesn’t Change)

When you disable spell check in OneNote, the red wavy underlines disappear immediately, and OneNote stops flagging misspelled words as you type. However, the feature is not entirely gone:

• You can still run a manual spell check by going to Review → Spelling (Windows) or Edit → Spelling → Check Spelling (Mac).
• Right-clicking a word still shows a “Spellingâ€� submenu with suggestions, but only if you have the “Check spelling as you typeâ€� option enabled. If disabled, the submenu may not appear.
• Your custom dictionary (words you’ve added) remains intact, so words you previously added won’t be flagged if you re-enable the feature.
• Existing red underlines that were already on screen disappear as soon as you turn off the setting – you don’t have to restart OneNote.

One common misconception is that turning off spell check also disables autocorrect (the feature that replaces “teh� with “the�). That is a separate setting. On Windows, you’ll find autocorrect under File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options. On Mac, it’s in Preferences → Spelling → Automatic Spelling Correction. If you want to keep autocorrect but remove red underlines, you can do that – they are independent.

Common Problems and Troubleshooting

Sometimes you turn off spell check but the red underlines persist. Here are the usual causes and fixes:

• You changed the wrong setting. Double-check that you unchecked “Check spelling as you typeâ€� in the Proofing section, not just “Mark grammar errors.â€�
• OneNote is still running an old session. Close and reopen OneNote to force the setting to apply.
• You’re using the web version. The browser’s spell check is separate – disable it in the browser settings as described above.
• You have multiple OneNote apps. The Windows Store version (UWP) and the desktop version are different apps. If you’re using the Store version, the menu path is slightly different: click the three dots (…) → Settings → Options → Proofing.
• Text is in a different language. OneNote checks spelling based on the language of the text. If a paragraph is marked as a different language, it may still show underlines. To change the language, select the text, go to Review → Language (Windows) or Edit → Spelling → Language (Mac), and set it to the correct language or “No proofing.â€�

If none of these work, check if you have a third-party spell check add-in installed that might be overriding the setting.

Alternatives to Fully Disabling Spell Check

If you don’t want to turn off spell check entirely but find it annoying, consider these alternatives:

• Ignore specific words: Right-click a word and select “Add to Dictionaryâ€� to stop it from being flagged in the future.
• Use “No Proofingâ€� on specific paragraphs: Select text, go to Review → Language → Set Proofing Language, and choose “No Proofing.â€� This disables spell check only for that selection.
• Turn off red underlines but keep manual checking: On Windows, uncheck “Check spelling as you typeâ€� but leave the “Check spellingâ€� button in the Review tab enabled. You can still run a manual check when you want.
• Change the color of the underline: This isn’t directly possible in OneNote, but on Windows you can change the system accent color that OneNote uses for underlines – though this is a workaround and not a clean solution.

For most users, the best balance is to keep spell check on but add common technical terms or names to your dictionary, so you get help with real typos without constant false positives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disabling spell check in OneNote affect other Office apps?

No. The setting is specific to OneNote. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint have their own spell check settings, so you’ll need to change them individually if you want to disable the feature across all Office apps.

Why does OneNote keep turning spell check back on?

This usually happens when you update OneNote or when you sign in on a new device. The setting is stored locally, not in the cloud, so it doesn’t sync across devices. After an update, the default may reset. Reapply the setting after major updates.

Can I disable spell check for just one notebook or section?

No, OneNote does not support per-notebook spell check settings. The option is global. However, you can set the proofing language to “No Proofing� for specific paragraphs or pages, which effectively disables spell check for that content.

Will turning off spell check improve performance on large notebooks?

Marginally. Spell check runs in the background, so on very large notebooks with thousands of pages, disabling it can reduce CPU usage and make typing feel slightly more responsive. For most users, the difference is negligible.

How do I re-enable spell check after turning it off?

Follow the same steps and re-check the “Check spelling as you type� box. The red underlines will return immediately, and your custom dictionary is preserved.

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