I work with a lot of client data. One problem I face while sharing work with others is that there are always some spelling errors in the sheet that I need to correct. In Google Sheets, the spell check option can quickly find and fix spelling errors to make your data error-free while reading. So, anyone needs to spell-check your data using formulas.
Steps to Spell Check in Google Sheets
Spell checking is easy, and you don’t need to follow complex steps. Go to Tools > Spelling > Spell Check to open the Spell Check option.
There are three ways to spell check:
- Selected Cells
- Current Worksheet
- Entire Workbook
As I have mentioned above, to open the Spell Check, you need to select the cells if you want to spell check for some specific cells, go to the Tools Menu, Spelling, and then click the Spell Check.
The moment you click on the option, you will get a dialog box that shows you the value with the wrong spelling, and it will also suggest a correct spelling. In this dialog box, you have three options to use further:
- Change/Change All – When you have a spelling error, you need to click on the change to correct the spelling error in the current cell or Change All to correct the spelling error in the entire selection/Sheet/Workbook.
- Ignore/Ignore All: If you don’t want to correct the spelling mistake, then you can click on the ignore button to ignore the mistake and move to the next mistake, and if you want to ignore that mistake in the entire selection/Range/Workbook, click “Ignore All”.
- Add to Dictionary: Now, when you check for a spelling mistake, even if it is not a mistake, and you want Google Sheets not to consider it a mistake, you add that work to the dictionary.
How to use Add to Dictionary
It helps you save new words it doesn’t recognize. When you type a word that Google Sheets marks as a spelling mistake, you add it to the “Add to Dictionary.” This tells Google Sheets to remember the word so it won’t mark it as a spelling mistake in the future.
As you can see, you can use the “Add to Dictionary” button to correct mistakes. But you can also access the option from the Tools menu if you want to add a new work to it separately.
When you click on it, the dictionary opens, and you can add the word you want Google Sheets to consider a correct word while spell-checking.
Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Spell Check
There is also a keyboard shortcut that you can use to open the spell check dialog box. By default, the keyboard shortcut is not active. So first, you need to activate the shortcut, and then you can use it.
Click “Help” in the menu bar and click on the “Keyboard shortcuts” from the dropdown menu. You’ll see an option in the Keyboard shortcuts panel that says “Enable compatible spreadsheet shortcuts” at the bottom. Activate it.
And then, you can use the F7 key to open the spell check dialog box.
But sometimes, Spell Check Doesn’t Work
If Google Sheets is not checking a spelling you know is wrong, reopen the sheet or try clearing your browser’s cache. Also, check your internet connection, as Google Sheets requires an active connection to perform spell checks. You can also go to “File” > “Spreadsheet settings” and see if the language is correct.
Can I Install an Add-In to Spell Check?
Yes, you can install an add-in to spell check. There’s an add-in called “Scribens” that you can install from Extensions > Add-On > Get Add-Ons. But after checking some of the reviews, I found that it no longer works.
That’s why I won’t recommend that you use this add-on.