Tuesday, 27 October 2020

How to turn off autocorrect on a Windows computer and disable its built-in spell check and highlight tools

Woman sitting on couch working on laptop — Windows' autocorrect and highlight features are built-in to all PCs to help you improve your grammar and spelling, but they might be more of a hindrance than a help.
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You can turn off autocorrect on a Windows computer by toggling off the "Autocorrect misspelled words" and "Highlight misspelled words" features in the "Typing" menu.
To access the "Typing" menu, you'll first need to launch your Windows computer's "Settings" app.
Autocorrect on Windows automatically replaces words it believes have been incorrectly-spelled words in apps designed to work with the tool.
Windows' autocorrect feature also "highlights" or underlines words it doesn't recognize based on the operating system's built-in dictionary.
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Whether you're writing an email in Outlook or searching for a site in Microsoft Edge, Windows' autocorrect tool can be a helpful writing aide.

Best known for underlining words not in the system's dictionary with that scribbly red line, it now also completely replaces misspelled text. This prevents you from making an embarrassing error in your work emails or from slowing down your internet search with incorrect or non-existent terms.

Unfortunately, autocorrect on Windows doesn't work across all your device's apps and can even interfere with third-party grammar and spelling programs. It's also not the most advanced spell check software, meaning you're often left with mistakes in your work or even introduce errors through autocorrect. It can be incredibly frustrating if you aren't writing in English or are using newer words its dictionary doesn't yet recognize.

Luckily, you can turn off autocorrect on Windows to prevent these issues. Here's how to do it.