How to Spell Check in Excel

I will always and forever be a fan of Microsoft Excel. Its suite of tools is just as powerful as those offered by the search giant. It honestly comes down to a matter of preference as to which you choose to use on a daily basis.

If you have ever been stuck in an Excel spreadsheet hell as I have (more times than I care to count,) you understand how crucial it is to be sure everything is spelled correctly. Your formulas and data entry are not the only important things to focus on, especially in a business setting. Let’s face it: who is creating massive spreadsheets in any other capacity, anyway?

The cool thing about Microsoft Excel is that it comes with several different ways to be sure the words on your page are not only spelled correctly, but also consist of proper grammar and context.

How to Check Spelling in an Excel Sheet

The first thing to know how to do is to check your actual spelling once you have finished inputting your data. To do this, click within a single cell. At the top of the page, click “Review” and then “Spelling.” By having started in only that single cell, Excel will check the entire worksheet… including your page headers, footers, graphics and any comments!

If you click multiple cells prior to running the spell check, Excel will only check the spelling within those specific cells.

If you wish to spell check the words that appear within a formula bar, you need to highlight only those words, and then run the spell check tool.

How to Check Spelling in Excel as You Type

Using either AutoComplete or AutoCorrect (or both!) can help you with this task.

AutoComplete is turned on by default in Excel. It will help to keep you honest by matching entries in other cells. It does not, however, check individual words in a cell. It also is extremely cool to have on hand when creating formulas!

AutoCorrect, on the other hand, fixes the errors in the text of a formula, within the worksheet controls, boxes and labels. To turn this feature on, click “File” at the top of the page and choose “Options.” Look for the “Proofing” category, click on “AutoCorrect Options” and then choose and correct all of your errors – if there are any found.

Other Excel Tools to Help You Spell Check

If you look near the Spell Checker tool, you will also see a Thesaurus, the Research button and a Translate tool. These can all be especially helpful when you cannot figure out which words to use. I admit it: I use a Thesaurus often when writing.

What other Excel or Microsoft questions can I help you with? What is stumping you today?