How to Stop Underlining Spelling Mistakes in Google Slides

Are those red squiggly lines in Google Slides driving you crazy? We’ve all been there — you’re designing a beautiful presentation, but Google Slides keeps underlining every unfamiliar word, name, or technical term with a glaring red line.

If you want your slides to look clean and distraction-free, don’t worry — in this guide, we’ll show you how to stop underlining spelling mistakes in Google Slides step by step.

Whether you’re working on a school project, professional deck, or creative presentation, you’ll learn exactly how to disable spell-check underlines and keep your slides clutter-free.

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What Are the Red Underlines in Google Slides?

The red underlines you see in Google Slides are part of Google’s spell-check feature.

Whenever you type a word that Google doesn’t recognize, it marks it as a potential spelling mistake. This can be helpful when writing reports or essays, but in design-focused tools like Slides, it can be annoying — especially when using proper names, brand terms, or foreign words.

Examples of Words Commonly Underlined:

• Names: Waheed, Aaliyah, Ronaldo

• Technical terms: APIs, Firebase, ReactJS

• Acronyms or abbreviations: OKRs, KPI, UI/UX

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Why Disable Spell Check in Google Slides?

You might want to turn off the underlines for several reasons:

• Cleaner visuals – Red lines distract from your slide layout and text alignment.

• Focus on design – You can concentrate on formatting, not editing.

• Professional look – Avoid underlines showing during presentations or screenshots.

• Custom terms – If you use niche vocabulary, Slides may mark it as incorrect unnecessarily.

Note: Disabling spell check won’t delete text or change formatting — it only hides those red underlines.

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How to Stop Underlining Spelling Mistakes in Google Slides (Step-by-Step)

Let’s go through the exact steps to disable those red spell-check underlines.

Step 1: Open Your Google Slides Presentation

Start by going to Google Slides and opening the presentation where you see the red underlines.

Step 2: Click on the “Tools” Menu

At the top of the page, click Tools in the main menu bar.
This is where you’ll find options for spell checking, word count, and other utilities.

Step 3: Select “Spelling”

From the dropdown list, hover over Spelling.
You’ll see additional options such as:

• Spelling suggestions

• Check spelling

• Personal dictionary

Step 4: Uncheck “Show spelling suggestions”

Click Show spelling suggestions to turn it off.
Once unchecked, the red underlines under your words will disappear instantly.

And that’s it — you’ve successfully turned off underlining spelling mistakes in Google Slides!

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Quick Summary Table

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Alternative Method: Use Chrome Settings (if you still see underlines)

Sometimes, Google Chrome’s browser spell checker is what’s marking words — not Slides itself.
If the red lines remain even after disabling spell check in Slides, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Chrome Settings

Click the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner of Chrome → select Settings.

Step 2: Go to “Languages”

In the sidebar, click Languages.
Then look for Spell check under “Languages and input.”

Step 3: Turn Off Spell Check

Toggle Spell Check off completely, or disable it for specific languages.

Now, return to your Google Slides — the underlines should be gone for good.

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How to Turn Spell Check Back On in Google Slides

If you ever want to re-enable spelling suggestions:

1. Go to Tools → Spelling → Show spelling suggestions.

2. Click it again so a check mark appears.

3. The red underlines will reappear for misspelled words.

This is useful when you’re finalizing a presentation and want to double-check your spelling before sharing.

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Understanding the Difference Between “Check Spelling” and “Show Spelling Suggestions”

So, when you turn off “Show spelling suggestions”, you’re simply hiding the red underlines — you can still manually run a spell check later if needed.

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Bonus: How to Add Words to Your Google Dictionary

If you frequently use certain words (like brand names or technical terms) that Google marks as incorrect, you can add them to your personal dictionary instead of disabling spell check entirely.

Steps:

1. Click Tools → Spelling → Personal dictionary.

2. Enter the word(s) you want Google to ignore.

3. Click Add.

4. Click OK or Save.

Now, those words will no longer be underlined in any Google app (Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc.) when logged into your account.

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How to Temporarily Hide Red Underlines

If you don’t want to permanently disable spell check but just hide it while designing:

• Zoom out: The lines become less noticeable.

• Switch to presentation mode: Underlines disappear during slideshow view.

• Take screenshots or exports: Downloading slides as PDFs or images removes underlines automatically.

This is handy when you’re collaborating with others who still want to keep spell check on.

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How to Disable Spell Check in Other Google Workspace Apps

The process is similar in Docs and Sheets — handy if you want a consistent experience across apps.

In Google Docs:

1. Click Tools → Spelling and grammar.

2. Uncheck Show spelling suggestions and Show grammar suggestions.

In Google Sheets:

1. Click Tools → Spelling → Turn off spelling suggestions (if available).

Pro Tip: Your Google account remembers these settings across sessions, so you only need to do it once.

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Why the Setting Keeps Turning Back On

Some users notice the underlines return after refreshing or reopening Slides.
Here’s why that happens:

• Browser cache resets your settings.

• You switched devices or accounts.

• Chrome updates occasionally re-enable spell check.

• Google Workspace admin settings override user preferences (for business accounts).

How to Fix It:

• Recheck Tools → Spelling → Show spelling suggestions and ensure it’s unchecked.

• Turn off Chrome’s spell checker (as shown earlier).

• Use the same Google account consistently.

• Clear cookies and restart your browser.

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Best Practices for Working Without Spell Check

Once you disable underlines, you’ll need to manually review your text.
Here are some quick tips:

• ✅ Proofread carefully before presenting or sharing.

• ✅ Use the Grammarly Chrome extension (optional) for cleaner text editing.

• ✅ Copy your slide text into Google Docs for a quick spell and grammar check before finalizing.

• ✅ Keep a custom dictionary for brand or technical terms.

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How to Re-Enable Spell Check Before Printing or Sharing

If you’re done designing and ready to finalize:

1. Re-enable Show spelling suggestions (Tools → Spelling).

2. Scan through underlined words to correct typos.

3. Turn the setting back off once you’re finished.

This way, you maintain design focus during creation and correctness during final review.

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Troubleshooting: Spell Check Option Missing?

If the “Show spelling suggestions” option doesn’t appear in your Tools menu:

• Ensure you’re editing, not viewing or presenting.

• Try refreshing Google Slides.

• Switch to another browser (like Chrome).

• Check if your organization’s admin has disabled customization.

• Make sure your internet connection is stable (Google Slides runs online).

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Advantages of Disabling Spell Check in Google Slides

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Potential Drawbacks

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How to Disable Spell Check on Mobile (Google Slides App)

Unfortunately, the Google Slides mobile app (iOS and Android) does not have a direct “Show spelling suggestions” option.
However, you can turn off your device’s keyboard autocorrect or spell check instead.

On iPhone/iPad:

1. Open Settings → General → Keyboard.

2. Turn off Auto-Correction and Check Spelling.

On Android:

1. Go to Settings → System → Languages & input → On-screen keyboard.

2. Tap your keyboard (like Gboard).

3. Go to Text correction → Turn off Spell check.

This prevents underlines while editing in Google Slides mobile.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why does Google Slides underline everything in red?

Because the spell-check feature detects words not found in its dictionary and highlights them as possible errors.

2. Can I disable spell check for one slide only?

No, the setting applies to the entire presentation — but you can re-enable it anytime.

3. Will disabling spelling suggestions affect my other Google files?

Yes, the setting may sync across other Workspace apps like Google Docs and Sheets.

4. Does spell check work offline in Google Slides?

Not fully. Google Slides’ spell check requires an internet connection to access Google’s dictionary.

5. Can I keep spell check on but hide red lines during a presentation?

Yes — underlines don’t appear in Presentation mode or when you export slides as PDFs or images.

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Conclusion

Turning off spelling underlines in Google Slides is simple but powerful — it lets you focus on what matters: design, visuals, and storytelling.

To recap:

1. Go to Tools → Spelling → Show spelling suggestions.

2. Uncheck it to stop red underlines.

3. (Optional) Turn off Chrome’s spell check if underlines persist.

4. Re-enable later for final proofreading.

With this small tweak, your presentations will look cleaner, more professional, and distraction-free.

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Summary — Key Takeaways

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✅ Final Thought

Your slides should showcase your message — not red squiggles.
Now that you know how to stop underlining spelling mistakes in Google Slides, you can design confidently, share proudly, and present professionally without visual distractions.