The Red Squiggle Distraction
Windows 10 features a built-in spell checker that operates across many native applications, such as the Mail app, Microsoft Edge, and various UWP (Universal Windows Platform) store apps. Similar to Microsoft Word, this feature is controlled by a setting called “Highlight misspelled words I type.” When enabled, the operating system continuously scans your text against its internal dictionary and places a jagged red underline beneath any word it does not recognize.
While this is helpful for catching basic typos in an email, it can be incredibly visually distracting in other contexts. If you are typing a lot of industry-specific jargon, foreign names, acronyms, or lines of code into a native Windows application, the spell checker will aggressively flag almost every word as an error, turning your screen into a sea of red lines. For users who prefer a clean, uninterrupted interface or who rely on third-party, specialized spell-checking software (like Grammarly) instead of the basic Windows dictionary, this native highlighting is unnecessary and should be disabled.
How to Stop Windows from Highlighting Typos
You can turn off the red underlines via the Windows Typing settings.
- Click the Start button and select the Settings gear icon (or press
Windows Key + I). - In the Settings window, click on Devices.
- In the left-hand navigation pane, select Typing.
- Look for the top section titled Spelling.
- Locate the toggle switch for Highlight misspelled words.
- Toggle the switch to the Off position.
- (Optional) You may also want to turn off the “Autocorrect misspelled words” toggle located just above it to completely disable the native spelling engine.
The jagged red lines will instantly disappear from all native Windows applications. You can now type complex jargon and acronyms without the operating system constantly flagging your text as incorrect.