5 Ways to Fix Spell Check Not Working in Gmail

Quick Tips

• Ensure the automatic spell check feature is enabled in Gmail or try running it manually.
• Make sure Gmail’s spell-check feature supports the language you are writing in.
• Try using Gmail in another browser to determine if the spell check issue is due to a problem with your current browser.

Fix 1: Make Sure Spell Check Is Enabled

This may seem obvious, but it’s worth double-checking that you haven’t accidentally turned off the spell check feature in Gmail. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open your browser and navigate to Gmail.

Step 2: Click the gear-shaped icon in the top right corner and select See all settings.

Step 3: Under the General tab, select the following options: Grammar suggestions on, Spelling suggestions on, and Autocorrect on.

Step 4: Scroll down to click the Save Changes button.

Fix 2: Run Spell Check Manually

Another thing you can do is run the spell check feature manually in Gmail. To do so, open Gmail in your browser, click the Compose button, and type in a few misspelled words. Then, click the three-dot icon at the bottom and select the Check spelling option.

Fix 3: Check if Spell Check Is Available in Your Language

Although Gmail’s spell check feature supports various popular languages like English, Spanish, German, Italian, Hindi, and more, it does not cover every language. You need to make sure that Gmail’s spell-check feature supports the language you are writing in.

Step 1: Open Gmail in your browser, compose a new message, and deliberately type a few misspelled words. Click the three-dot menu at the bottom and select the Check spelling option.

Step 2: Click the down arrow next to Re-check to view a list of supported languages.

Fix 4: Enable Spell Check in Your Browser

If the spell check feature in Gmail is still not working properly, you can try enabling the spell check feature in your browser to see if that resolves the issue.

If you’re using Chrome, type chrome://settings/languages in the URL bar and press Enter. Then, enable the toggle next to Check for spelling errors when you type text on web pages.

For those using Edge, type edge://settings/languages in the address bar at the top and press Enter. Then, enable the toggle next to Enable grammar and spellcheck assistance.

Fix 5: Use Incognito Mode

Gmail’s spell check feature in incognito mode can help you verify whether a third-party browser extension is causing the problem. Click the three-dot menu icon and select New incognito window.

Head over to Gmail, sign in with your account, and try using the spell check feature again. If it works fine, one of your extensions is responsible for the issue. To find it, you will need to disable all the extensions and re-enable them one at a time.

Type chrome://extensions (Chrome) edge://extensions (Edge) in the address bar at the top and press Enter. Turn off the toggles next to the extensions to disable them.

Restart your browser after this and re-enable your extensions one by one. You will need to test Gmail’s spell-check feature after enabling each extension. Once you find the problematic extension, consider removing it.