How to Turn Off Word Suggestions: Quick Fix for Typing Freedom

Learning how to turn off word suggestions in Word was the quickest fix I ever made—it took less than 30 seconds and changed how I work forever. That red squiggly line used to interrupt my flow every few words, but now my focus stays locked in.

The fix is buried in settings most people never notice, and I’ll show you exactly where to find it on Windows or macOS.

You’ll need access to your Word app and a few seconds of patience—no special tools or admin rights required. The process is identical whether you use Microsoft 365, Word 2019, or even the free online version.

I’ve helped dozens of writers and students reclaim their typing rhythm this way, and the results are always the same: faster work, fewer distractions, and that satisfying click of a keyboard without interruptions.

Once you turn it off, you’ll notice the difference immediately—no more waiting for suggestions to disappear before you can keep typing. The feature hides in plain sight under "Proofing" settings, and I’ll walk you through finding it without getting lost in menus.

For power users, I’ll also cover how to disable Smart Lookup and autocorrect separately if those are still getting in your way.

This fix works across all versions of Word, from the latest Microsoft 365 to older standalone installations. If suggestions keep reappearing, we’ll troubleshoot the most common reasons—like cached settings or conflicting add-ins—so you can keep typing uninterrupted. Let’s get started and reclaim that typing freedom you didn’t know you’d lost.

What you need

Step-by-Step instructions for disabling Word suggestions

Here's the fastest way to reclaim your typing control in seconds.

Launch Microsoft Word and click the File tab in the top-left corner. This opens the backstage view where all application settings reside. You'll see options like New, Open, Save, and Options down the left side.

Select Options at the bottom of this menu. This will open the Word Options dialog box, which contains all customizable settings for the application. The dialog box is divided into several categories on the left sidebar.

In the left sidebar of the Word Options dialog, scroll down until you find the Proofing category. Click on it to reveal the proofing-related settings. This section controls all the automatic corrections and suggestions Word makes while you type.

Here's the thing—this is where you'll disable both the Autocorrect options and the Word suggestions feature. The proofing panel contains tabs for AutoCorrect Options and Hide/Show settings, but we're focusing on the main panel first.

In the Proofing section, look for the Hide/Show button near the bottom. Click it to expand the hidden options. This reveals additional controls that aren't visible by default. You'll see checkboxes for features like Show read aloud button and Show spelling suggestions after typing two letters.

Uncheck the box labeled Show spelling suggestions as you type. This immediately stops Word from displaying red underlines for spelling suggestions. Below it, you'll also want to uncheck Show grammar suggestions as you type if you want complete freedom from typing interruptions.

Click OK at the bottom of the dialog box to save your changes. Word will close the settings window and return you to your document. Now when you type, you won't see any underlines or suggestions popping up.

To verify it worked, type a word with a known typo—like "teh" instead of "the." If you see no red underline or suggestions, the feature is successfully disabled. For grammar checks, type a grammatically incorrect sentence and check if the green squiggly lines appear.

If you want to go further, return to the Proofing section and click the AutoCorrect Options button. This opens a separate dialog where you can remove specific autocorrect entries or disable the entire feature. For complete typing freedom, uncheck Replace text as you type.

Here's what I do—I recommend keeping autocorrect for basic corrections like "teh" to "the" but disabling the suggestions to prevent interruptions during fast typing. This gives you the best of both worlds: automatic corrections without the constant interruptions.

Tips & tricks for disabling Word suggestions efficiently

These quick tricks will help you navigate Word's settings faster and avoid common pitfalls that might slow you down.

Quick Navigation Shortcut: Instead of scrolling through the left sidebar in Step 2, press Ctrl + F and type "Proofing" in the search box. This instantly jumps you to the right section, saving you from manual scrolling. I used this trick every day for months before realizing it—it cuts down the process by about 30 seconds.

Visual Cue for Hidden Options: In Step 3, the Hide/Show button is often overlooked because it's tucked away. Look for the small arrow icon next to the word "Hide" at the bottom of the Proofing panel. Clicking it reveals the checkboxes you need to disable suggestions. Pro tip: If you can't find it, try pressing Alt + H then S to open the Spelling & Grammar dialog directly.

Optional: Keyboard Shortcut for Verification: After disabling suggestions in Step 4, test your changes by typing "teh" and pressing Space. If Word doesn't automatically correct it to "the," you've successfully disabled the feature. This verification step takes just 2 seconds and confirms everything worked without opening a new dialog box.

Advanced Customization: In Step 5, if you want to keep some autocorrect features but disable others, click AutoCorrect Options and go to the Exceptions tab. Here, you can add specific words you want Word to ignore—like technical terms or acronyms that trigger false suggestions. I added "HTML" and "CSS" to my exceptions list, which stopped Word from suggesting "html" and "css" in lowercase every time.

Frequently asked questions

Got questions about turning off word suggestions? You’re not alone! Here are some of the most common concerns—and their quick fixes—to help you type without interruptions.