The Distracting Squiggly Lines
Google Docs features an active, real-time spelling and grammar checker. As you type, it constantly scans your words against its dictionary and grammatical rulebook. If it detects a misspelled word, it underlines it with a jagged red line. If it detects a grammatical error (like a missing comma or incorrect verb tense), it underlines it with a jagged blue line.
While this is incredibly useful for final proofreading, it can severely disrupt the creative writing process. When you are trying to brainstorm or write a rapid first draft, having your screen constantly flashing red and blue squiggly lines every time you type a character’s unique name, use slang, or structure a complex sentence can break your concentration. You can completely hide these visual indicators while you write.
How to Hide Spelling and Grammar Underlines
You can toggle the visibility of the spelling and grammar checker directly from the Tools menu.
- Open your web browser and navigate to any open document in Google Docs.
- At the top of the screen, click on the Tools menu.
- Hover your mouse over the Spelling and grammar option to reveal a secondary menu.
- You will see two options with checkmarks next to them: Show spelling suggestions and Show grammar suggestions.
- Click on Show spelling suggestions to uncheck it and hide all the red squiggly lines.
- Click the Tools menu again, go back to Spelling and grammar, and click on Show grammar suggestions to uncheck it and hide all the blue squiggly lines.
Your document will now be perfectly clean and free of distracting error indicators, allowing you to write your first draft in peace. When you are finally ready to edit, you can simply repeat the process to turn the indicators back on, or run a manual check via Tools > Spelling and grammar > Spelling and grammar check.