Where to find the spell check setting

Spell check on iPhone is controlled through the keyboard settings, not through individual apps. When you turn it off, it stops working across Messages, Mail, Notes, and any other app that uses the standard iPhone keyboard. The setting takes effect when ready — you do not need to restart your phone or close open apps.

Open Settings on your home screen. Scroll down and tap General. Then tap Keyboard. You will see a list of keyboard options, and near the top is Check Spelling with a toggle switch next to it. Tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will turn gray when spell check is disabled.

Key Takeaways

  • Spell check is turned off in Settings > General > Keyboard, and the change applies to all apps on your phone.
  • When you disable spell check, the red underlines disappear, but autocorrect continues to work unless you turn that off separately.
  • You can turn spell check back on the same way, by toggling the switch back to green.
  • If you want to keep spell check but ignore a specific word, tap the word when it is underlined and select "Learn" to add it to your dictionary.

The difference between spell check and autocorrect

Many people confuse spell check with autocorrect, and they work differently. Spell check is the feature that underlines words in red when it thinks they are misspelled. Autocorrect is the feature that automatically changes what you type — for example, changing "teh" to "the" as you type.

If you turn off spell check, you will no longer see the red underlines, but autocorrect will still change your words. If autocorrect is annoying you instead, you can turn that off separately in the same Keyboard settings menu. Look for Auto-Correction and toggle it off. You can disable one, both, or neither — they are independent settings.

Why you might want spell check off

Spell check is useful for catching typos, but it can get in the way if you type in multiple languages, use technical terms, or write in a style that does not match standard dictionaries. If you are texting in another language, spell check will underline words that are perfectly correct in that language. If you use industry jargon or proper names that are not in the iPhone dictionary, the red lines become visual noise.

Some people also find the constant underlining distracting while they are composing a message. Turning it off gives you a cleaner screen while you type, and you can always proofread before you send. The choice depends on whether you catch your own mistakes reliably or whether the visual reminder is worth the clutter.

Teaching your iPhone new words

If spell check is on but keeps underlining a word you use correctly — a nickname, a brand name, or a technical term — you can add it to your iPhone's dictionary instead of turning spell check off entirely. When you see the word underlined in red, tap and hold it. A menu will appear with options including Learn. Tap Learn, and the word is added to your dictionary. Spell check will no longer underline it.

This approach is useful if you want spell check for most of your typing but have a few words that are not in the standard dictionary. Once you add a word, it stays in your dictionary across all apps and all keyboards on that phone. If you later want to remove a word from your dictionary, there is no direct way to do it through Settings — you would need to reset your keyboard dictionary, which clears all learned words at once.

Resetting your keyboard dictionary

If you have added many words to your dictionary over time and want to start fresh, you can reset it. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary. Tap Reset Dictionary to confirm. This removes all words you have taught your iPhone, but it does not affect spell check or autocorrect settings — those stay as they are.

Be aware that resetting your keyboard dictionary is an all-or-nothing action. You cannot remove individual words — only clear everything and start over. If you have added dozens of words and only want to remove one or two, it is usually easier to just leave them in your dictionary or turn spell check off temporarily while you type those words.

Spell check on different keyboard types

The spell check setting applies to the standard iPhone keyboard, but if you use a third-party keyboard app like Gboard or SwiftKey, those apps have their own spell check settings. Turning off spell check in iPhone Settings will not affect a third-party keyboard — you need to open that app and change its settings separately.

If you use multiple keyboards, check the settings in each one. Some third-party keyboards let you turn spell check on or off per app, which gives you more control than the iPhone default. For example, you might want spell check in Mail but not in Messages. Third-party keyboards can sometimes offer that flexibility, though the exact options vary by app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off spell check affect autocorrect?

No. Spell check and autocorrect are separate settings. You can turn off spell check and keep autocorrect on, or vice versa. They work independently, so disabling one does not change the other.

Can I turn spell check off for just one app?

Not directly. The spell check setting in iPhone Settings applies to all apps that use the standard keyboard. If you need spell check off for only one app, you would have to turn it off globally, or use a third-party keyboard in that app if the app supports it.

What happens to words I have already taught my iPhone?

They stay in your dictionary even if you turn spell check off. If you turn spell check back on later, those words will not be underlined. The learned words are stored separately from the spell check toggle.

Can I undo a word I added to my dictionary?

There is no way to remove individual words. You can only reset your entire keyboard dictionary through Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary. This clears all learned words at once.

Does spell check work the same way on iPad?

Yes. The setting is in the same location: Settings > General > Keyboard > Check Spelling. The behavior is identical on iPad and iPhone.