Spell check tools are more commonly associated with word processing software like Microsoft Word or Google Docs. However, spreadsheets usually contain a lot of text, and finding spelling mistakes can become very tedious when looking through walls of text.

Spell check is not an automatic feature as you’ll often have to enter the text that is not dictionary friendly into spreadsheets, like abbreviations. But, you may need to spell-check your spreadsheet once in a while to iron out some spelling errors. Read on to learn some methods to run a spell check in Google Sheets.

1. The Native Spell Checker in Google Sheets

Google Sheets has a built-in spell checker you can use to tackle the spelling errors in your spreadsheet. It's actually quite useful, and many argue it's even better than Excel's version, adding to the many reasons to make the switch to Google Sheets. Using it is simple and only requires you to perform a few steps.

We created the below sample spreadsheet with some spelling errors to demonstrate the native spell-check tool in Google Sheets.

A screenshot of the Spell Check Sample Data spreadsheet

When you finish spell-checking a shared spreadsheet, you could also consider protecting the Sheets to prevent others from adding new errors.

Here are the steps you need to follow to use the native spell checker in Sheets:

A screenshot showing a sample Spell Check Dialog Box
  1. Select the data you wish to perform a spell check on. There are a few ways you can go about doing this:
    A screenshot of the highlighted sample data
    • To select a single cell, you simply have to click the cell.
    • To select multiple cells, hold Ctrl on your keyboard and click on the cells.
    • To select multiple cells in a row, click and drag your cursor to select the cells.
    • For all cells in the spreadsheet, use the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut.
  2. Click on Tools in the top bar to open the drop-down menu.
    A screenshot showing how to access the Tools menu
  3. Now click on Spelling and then Spell check, which will open a small dialog box in the top right corner of the screen with multiple options.
    A screenshot showing how to access the Spell Check Menu
  4. You can select the options in the dialog box depending on the function you wish to perform. Here is what each does:
    • Change: Clicking this option changes the highlighted incorrect word to the selected word in the suggestion box. Clicking on Change changes the word to “Whole Wheat.” You can click on the small arrow beside the option and click on Change all to apply the changes to all instances of the wrong words.
    • Ignore: Clicking on Ignore simply ignores the suggestion, moving on to the next one. You can also click on the small arrow and then click on Ignore all to ignore all the suggested changes.
    • Add to Dictionary: The spell check is not perfect, and often it can highlight a word that is correct but not in the dictionary. If the spell check highlights a word that you wish to use later on, you can click on Add to Dictionary, so it won’t be flagged by the spell checker in the future. You can also view your dictionary by clicking on the small arrow and View personal dictionary. Here, you can add new words by typing them in the text box and clicking on Add.

2. Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Spell Check

Although accessing the native spell checker isn’t a long process, doing it multiple times can become tedious after a while. Thankfully, Google has a shortcut that you can use to access the spell-check function. However, before you use the shortcut, you will need to activate it in the settings. Here are the steps you need to follow to do so:

  1. Click on Help in the top bar. This opens a drop-down menu that allows you to troubleshoot problems or learn more about Google Sheets.
    A screenshot showing the Help Menu Location
  2. Click on Keyboard shortcuts at the bottom of the drop-down list. This will open a window in the middle of the screen with a list of shortcuts.
    A screenshot showing the Keyboard Shortcuts in the Help Menu
  3. At the bottom of the shortcut dialog window, click on the button beside Enable compatible spreadsheet shortcuts. Then, close the dialog box by clicking on the close button in the top right corner of the box.
    A screenshot showing the location of the Enable Shortcuts Radio Button
  4. To open the native spell checker, all you have to do is press F7 on your keyboard, and the spell checker dialog box will pop up.

3. Using an Add-on to Spell Check in Google Sheets

Although Google’s native spell checker can do the job for most, some may still need a more customizable and accurate option. For this, you can install an add-on in Google Sheets. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Click on Extensions in the top bar on your main Google Sheets page.
    A screenshot showing the Extentions Menu Location
  2. Click on Add-ons in the drop-down menu and click on Get add-ons. This will open a window in the middle of the screen that shows the Google Workspace Marketplace. Here you can look for the extension you wish to install.
    A screenshot showing where the Get Add Ons Menu is
  3. In the search bar, type “Spell check.” The suggestion box should show several add-ons you can install. In this case, we are using the “Spell checker and Grammar checker by Scribens” add-on.
    A Google Workspace Marketplace Screenshot
  4. Click on the add-on’s name in the suggestion box, and it will take you to the add-on’s store page. There, simply click on Install and then on Continue in the confirmation box.
    A screenshot showing how to Install Scribens

Using the Scribens Add-on

Google Sheets should install the add-on within a few seconds. To use it, follow these steps:

  1. Select the cells you wish to perform the spell check on.
  2. Click on Extensions. There, click on Spell checker and Grammar checker by Scribens of the extension and click on Check. For first-time users, you may have to do a short setup.
    A screenshot showing how to use an Installed Addon
  3. Click on your desired suggestion in the blue box to apply it. You can also discard the proposal by clicking on the cross icon in the top right corner of the box.
    A screenshot showing how to use Scribens to Correct Spelling

Choose How You Spell Check in Google Sheets

As you've seen in the above examples, there are several ways to run a spell check in Sheets. You can use the built-in spell-check tool or download a third-party add-on, which can be much easier and more accurate.

Either option is relatively straightforward to use and will save you plenty of time compared to carefully checking your spreadsheets manually.