Windows 11 ffice 365 applications are stuck in a spellchecking loop

Rebecca Beattie 20 Reputation points
2026-07-07T05:59:21.53+00:00

I am stuck in spell checker hell. Despite disabling the spell checker, uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft office applications, and also running auto-repair, the spell checker function keeps popping up and getting stuck in a cycle.

If i follow it to its end, it gets stuck with the 'Spell checker complete' call out, and that wont go away.

I can't open or edit any documents at all without this happening.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Windows
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Answer accepted by question author
Huy-K 13,985 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-07-07T06:29:57.22+00:00

Dear @Rebecca Beattie,

Based on your description, this does not appear to be only a normal spell-check setting issue. It may be related to an Office add-in, document-specific proofing settings, or a problem with Office proofing/language components.

Please try opening Word in Safe Mode first by pressing Windows + R, typing winword /safe, and pressing Enter. If Word opens without the spellchecker loop, please disable COM add-ins from File > Options > Add-ins > Manage: COM Add-ins > Go, then restart Word normally. Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC | Microsoft Support

If the issue continues, please go to File > Options > Proofing and select Recheck Document, then review the Proofing settings and document exceptions. Check spelling and grammar in Office | Microsoft Support. After that, please run an Online Repair from Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft 365/Office > Modify > Online Repair. Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support. If you have any older Office proofing tools or language packs installed, please uninstall them and reinstall the correct Microsoft 365 language pack, as mismatched proofing components can affect Word during spelling or authoring tasks.

If the issue happens only with certain documents, please test with a new blank document or Word for the web, as the affected file may be corrupted.

If the issue persists, I recommend you contacting your IT Admin to raise a support ticket. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can refer it to a specialized team for deeper analysis. Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

In case you do not know who is your IT Admin is, please refer to this article. How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support

I hope the information shared helps point you in the right direction.

As a moderator, I do not have the tools to investigate your specific account directly, as this is a support forum between users. Moderators and collaborators, including external Microsoft employees, may not directly intervene in the functionality of Microsoft products or access internal systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported problems, requests, or ideas. However, I will do my best to guide you as clearly as possible.

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