The Red Squiggly Distraction
Like almost every modern word processor, Google Docs features a robust, built-in spell checker. As you type, the application constantly analyzes your words against its internal dictionary. When it detects a word it doesn’t recognize—a typo, a rare technical term, or a highly specific proper noun—it immediately highlights the perceived error by drawing a jagged red line underneath it. This real-time feedback is designed to help you catch mistakes before you finalize a document.
However, real-time spell checking is often the enemy of creative flow. If you are drafting a fantasy novel filled with invented names, writing complex code snippets within a document, or transcribing a medical report packed with specialized jargon, your screen will quickly become covered in aggressive red lines. These visual alerts are incredibly distracting and can interrupt your train of thought, forcing you to stop and “Add to dictionary” every few seconds just to clear the screen. If you prefer to write uninterrupted and perform a dedicated proofreading pass only after you have finished drafting, you need to turn off the automatic underlining.
How to Stop the Red Spell Check Lines
You can hide the automatic error indicators via the Tools menu.
- Open your document in Google Docs.
- Look at the top toolbar and click on the Tools menu.
- Hover your mouse over the first option, Spelling and grammar, to expand the secondary menu.
- In the secondary menu, look for the option labelled Show spelling suggestions. It will likely have a checkmark next to it, indicating it is currently active.
- Click on Show spelling suggestions to toggle it off (removing the checkmark).
The jagged red lines will instantly vanish from your document. You can now write freely without visual interruptions. (Note: When you are finally ready to proofread, you can manually run a check by going back to Tools > Spelling and grammar > Spelling and grammar check).