How to Exclude Specific Words From Word’s Spell Check Without Adding Them

When you write technical documents, you might need to use product names, code snippets, or industry jargon that Word marks as misspelled. Adding these words to the default dictionary is permanent and affects all future documents. This article explains how to bypass spell check for individual words without modifying the dictionary, using three distinct methods in Word. You will learn to use the Do Not Check Spelling or Grammar exception, the No Proofing language setting, and the Appendices style.

Why Word Flags Certain Words and How to Exclude Them Temporarily

Word uses a main dictionary and a custom dictionary to check spelling. When a word does not appear in either, Word displays a red wavy underline. Adding the word to the custom dictionary makes it pass spell check in every document you open on that computer. That is convenient for common terms, but it is not ideal for one-off technical terms, client-specific acronyms, or code variable names that should not appear in any dictionary.

The methods described here work at the document level or the selection level. They do not change the custom dictionary or the main dictionary. The excluded words will still be flagged if you copy them into a new document, unless you also apply the same exclusion settings there. This is useful for drafts, proposals, or documents that contain sensitive or proprietary terms.

Method 1: Using the Set Proofing Language Dialog

This is the quickest way to exclude one or a few words. You set the proofing language for the selected text to No Proofing, which tells Word to skip spell and grammar checking for that selection.

Method 2: Using the Appendices Style

Word includes a built-in style named Appendices that is designed for content that should not be spell-checked. Applying this style to a paragraph or a block of text removes the red underlines from that area.

Method 3: Creating a Custom Character Style With No Proofing

If you frequently need to exclude the same type of word, such as programming keywords or product names, create a character style that includes the No Proofing setting. Applying that style to any word or phrase will suppress spell check for that instance.

Steps to Exclude Words From Spell Check Using Each Method

Method 1: Set Proofing Language to No Proofing

1. Select the word or phrase
   Highlight the text that you want to exclude from spell check. You can select a single word, multiple words, or an entire paragraph.
2. Open the Language dialog
   Go to the Review tab on the ribbon. In the Language group, click Language and then choose Set Proofing Language from the dropdown menu.
3. Enable No Proofing
   In the Language dialog box, scroll down to the bottom of the list. Check the box labeled Do Not Check Spelling or Grammar. Click OK.
4. Confirm the result
   The red wavy underline disappears from the selected text. The word is not added to any dictionary. It will be flagged again if you copy it into a new document without repeating these steps.

Method 2: Apply the Appendices Style

1. Select the paragraph or block
   Highlight the text that contains the words you want to exclude. This method works best on entire paragraphs or sections.
2. Open the Styles pane
   Click the Home tab. In the Styles group, click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner to open the Styles pane. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S.
3. Apply the Appendices style
   Scroll down in the Styles pane until you see Appendices. Click it. The selected text immediately changes to the Appendices formatting, and all red underlines disappear.
4. Adjust formatting if needed
   The Appendices style may have a different font, size, or spacing than your normal text. You can modify the style after applying it, or use the style only for the sections that contain excluded words.

Method 3: Create a Custom Character Style With No Proofing

1. Open the Create New Style from Formatting dialog
   Click the Home tab. In the Styles group, click the small arrow to open the Styles pane. Click the New Style button at the bottom of the pane (the icon with a plus sign and a star).
2. Name the style
   In the Name field, type a descriptive name like NoProofingChar. Set Style type to Character. This ensures the style can be applied to a portion of a paragraph without changing the paragraph formatting.
3. Set the language to No Proofing
   Click Format in the bottom-left corner of the dialog box. Choose Language from the menu. In the Language dialog, check Do Not Check Spelling or Grammar. Click OK.
4. Save and close
   Click OK in the Create New Style from Formatting dialog. The new style appears in the Styles pane and in the Quick Styles gallery on the Home tab.
5. Apply the style to any word
   Select a word or phrase. Click the NoProofingChar style in the Styles pane or the Quick Styles gallery. The red underline disappears immediately.

Common Mistakes and Limitations When Excluding Words

Excluded Words Are Still Flagged in New Documents

The No Proofing setting is stored in the document, not in the global Word settings. If you copy the excluded word to a new blank document, Word will flag it again. You must reapply the exclusion method in the new document. If you need the exclusion to persist across documents, add the word to the custom dictionary instead.

The Appendices Style Changes Formatting

The built-in Appendices style uses a specific font, size, and spacing that may not match your document theme. After applying the style, you can modify it by right-clicking Appendices in the Styles pane and choosing Modify. Change the formatting to match your normal text, but leave the language setting as No Proofing.

No Proofing Disables Grammar Checking Too

When you set a selection to No Proofing, Word skips both spell check and grammar check for that text. If you want to check grammar but not spelling, you cannot use this method. In that case, add the word to the custom dictionary so it passes spelling while grammar checking remains active.

Applying No Proofing to a Whole Document

If you set the entire document to No Proofing, Word will not check spelling or grammar anywhere. This is rarely the goal. Use the selection-based methods to exclude only the specific words or sections that contain the flagged terms.

Comparison of Exclusion Methods: No Proofing vs Appendices Style vs Custom Style

Item	Set Proofing Language to No Proofing	Apply Appendices Style	Create Custom Character Style
Scope	Any selected text	Entire paragraph or block	Any selected text
Setup time	Instant	Instant	5 minutes once, then instant
Reusability across documents	Must reapply each time	Must reapply each time	Available in all documents if saved in template
Formatting change	None	Changes font, size, and spacing	None (if you base it on default paragraph font)
Best for	One-time exclusion of a few words	Excluding entire sections like code blocks or appendices	Frequent exclusion of the same type of word

Each method keeps the word out of the custom dictionary. The No Proofing language setting and the custom style are the most precise because they affect only the selected text. The Appendices style is faster for large blocks but requires formatting adjustments. Choose the method that matches how often you need to exclude words from spell check in your documents.