How to disable spell check systemwide?

I've just done a clean install of Yosemite, and in practically all of my apps I'm noticing those red underlines whenever I've "misspelled" something (or, more accurately, used an unrecognized name, technical term, piece of code, etc.). I have been disabling it app by app, although even then it doesn't always work - for example, when doing Google searches in Chrome it still shows up, even though I've disabled "check spelling while typing."


I've also gone to System Preferences/Keyboard/Text and unchecked "Correct spelling automatically," but this still doesn't seem to do anything.


Has something gone wrong on my system? And is there any more reliable way to completely disable this unwanted "feature?"

MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Oct 18, 2014 3:33 PM

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9 replies

Nov 11, 2015 9:48 AM in response to JussiMacShow

I've used this great fix in the past, but now I've installed El Capitan the red lines are back and when I try to rename Applespell I get an error message, "No such file or directory". I can see AppleSpell sitting there in /System/Library/Services/ but I can't rename it.


Please, can anyone update this fix, for El Capitan? I really hate those red squiggly lines. Thanks for any advice.

Nov 11, 2015 12:58 PM in response to dunlace

I've done a bit more research and discovered that Apple has made it impossible for even the administrator to change any System files in El Capitan. Which means that until Apple make an option for users to disable AppleSpell entirely, which I want, it looks as if we're stuck with those red squiggles, however much we may hate them. Surely I can't be the only one who hates them like poison and wants them gone?

Nov 13, 2015 5:26 AM in response to ramparts

I also got this issue after upgrading to El Capitan (all apps were providing a greyed-out setting in Edit -> Spelling & Grammar -> Correct Spelling automatically).


In your System Preferences, select Keyboard. Then in the Keyboard pane, select the second tab "Text". On the top right side, you now can disable "Correct spelling automatically" checkbox. Then your apps will go back to their specific settings regarding the auto-correct option.

May 20, 2016 12:14 PM in response to ramparts

It's not a permanent fix, but I made a keyboard shortcut that turns it off so that whenever I open Notes, Stickies, Scrivener, Pages, etcetera, I can turn it off quickly without having to open the menu. (And if—for whatever reason—I want to turn it back on, it's right there.)


Go to System Preferences/Keyboard/Shortcuts/App Shortcuts and hit the + sign.

Leave the application as "All Applications" and call the menu title "Check Spelling While Typing." The shortcut can be whatever you want. I used ⌃⌥⌘Space as it's simple and I don't think there are any other shortcuts using it.


That said, they really should fix this. It's so aggravating.

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How to disable spell check systemwide?

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