Top 7 Fixes for Spell Check Not Working in Microsoft Teams for Windows

Microsoft Teams’ spell checker helps you avoid mistakes and typos. It underlines misspelled words in red and allows you to correct them from the right-click menu. However, what if the spell check feature stops working on your Windows 10 or 11 PC?

Avoiding spelling mistakes ensures clear and effective messages in Teams. This guide compiles useful tips to get the Microsoft Teams spell check feature working again.

1. Disable and Re-Enable the Spell Check Feature

Disabling and re-enabling the spell check feature can help resolve the issue. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Teams on your PC.

2. Click the three horizontal dots icon at the top-right corner.

3. Select Settings from the menu that appears.

Step 2: In the General tab, clear the ‘Enable spell check’ box.

Step 3: Click the Show hidden icons arrow on the taskbar, right-click on the Teams logo, and select Quit.

Step 4: Reopen Teams, click the three horizontal dots at the top-right, and select Settings.

Step 5: Tick the ‘Enable spell check’ box.

Restart the Teams app and check if the spell check feature works.

2. Select the Appropriate Language in Teams and Windows

Setting different languages in Microsoft Teams and Windows can hinder spell check. To avoid discrepancies, set both the Teams app and Windows to the same language using these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Teams on your PC.

2. Click the three horizontal dots icon at the top-right corner.

3. Select Settings.

Step 2: In the General tab, select your preferred language from the drop-down menu under App language.

Step 3: Close the Teams app. Click the language icon on the taskbar and select the same keyboard layout from the list.

Reopen Teams and try using the spell check feature again.

3. Close and Reopen Microsoft Teams

Apps like Microsoft Teams may encounter issues on Windows, causing features like spell check to stop working. To fix this, close Teams completely and reopen it. Open the Task Manager by pressing Control + Shift + Escape, go to the Processes tab, right-click on Microsoft Teams, and select End task.

Open Teams app and check if the issue persists.

4. Delete the Teams Dictionary File

Microsoft Teams creates and stores a dictionary file on your Windows PC for spell checks. If this file becomes corrupted or inaccessible, the spell check feature in Teams may become unavailable. Deleting the problematic dictionary file will force Teams to recreate it, resolving any issues with spell check.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type the following path in the address bar and press Enter:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams\dictionaries

Step 2: Select the BDIC file and click the Trash icon to delete it.

Restart the Teams app. Type a misspelled word in a chat, right-click on it, and check the spell check feature.

5. Import the Dictionary File From Another App

If deleting the dictionary file from Teams library is ineffective or if it’s already missing, you can import a dictionary file from another app like Chrome. Some users have reported fixing Teams’ spell check issues with this workaround. Give it a try.

Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type the following path in the Open field and press Enter:

%LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data

Step 2: In the File Explorer, find the BDIC file named en-us or similar. Select it and click the copy icon in the toolbar.

Step 3: Type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams\dictionaries in the File Explorer address bar and press Enter.

Step 4: Click the paste icon to paste the file.

Once you complete the steps, Teams should detect and suggest corrections for misspelled words.

6. Clear Microsoft Teams Cache

Outdated or corrupted cache files in the Teams app can cause problems. You can try removing the existing Teams cache files to see if that helps.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams” and hit Enter.

Step 2: In File Explorer, select all files and folders, then click the trash icon to delete them.

7. Update Microsoft Teams

If everything else fails, the problem might lie with the Teams app on your Windows PC. Try updating Microsoft Teams to the latest version to see if that fixes the issue. Open the Teams app, click the three horizontal dots icon at the top-right corner, and select Check for updates. Wait for the Teams app to check and install any updates.

No More Typos

Everyone makes spelling errors while typing. The spell check feature in Teams can help you avoid embarrassment. Hopefully, one of the tips above has enabled the Teams spell check feature on your Windows PC, and you are at ease.