Remove Red Underlines in LibreOffice and OpenOffice Writer

In this tutorial you will learn how to remove the red underlines in LibreOffice and OpenOffice Writer document.

Both LibreOffice and OpenOffice have a common feature – the red underline – that appears beneath misspelled words. While this feature can be useful in pinpointing errors, it can also be distracting or misleading at times.

This article will explore methods to remove those red underlines in LibreOffice and OpenOffice Writer for your needs.

Reasons for the red underlines

When using LibreOffice or OpenOffice Writer, you may notice a red underline below some words. This indicates that the built-in dictionary does not recognize the word as correct. While this feature is helpful for identifying spelling errors, it may not always be desirable.

For instance, when working with specialized terminology, names, or non-standard vocabulary, the red underline can be more of a hindrance than a help.

Here’s how you can remove these.

Removing red underlines in LibreOffice or OpenOffice

Adding Words to the Dictionary

The simplest approach to eliminating red underlines is by adding the words in question to the application’s dictionary. This method is particularly effective when dealing with proper nouns, technical terms, or jargon specific to your field. To do this:

1. Right-click on the word with the red underline.
2. From the context menu, select “Add to Dictionary.”
3. The word will now be considered correctly spelled by the software, and the red underline should disappear.

Disabling Automatic Spell Checking

If you find the red underlines intrusive while drafting a document, you can opt to disable automatic spell checking temporarily.

1. From LibreOffice Tools menu, uncheck the option “Automatic spell checking” or press SHIFT+F7 for LibreOffice.
2. Alternatively, select Tools > Options > Language Settings > Writing Aids for both OpenOffice and LibreOffice.
3. Uncheck the box next to “Check spelling as you type.”
4. Click “OK” to confirm your changes.
5. And you should see the red lines are removed from the words in LibreOffice Writer document.

Closing Notes

While the red underline in LibreOffice and OpenOffice Writer is a valuable identifier for finding spelling errors, it might not always align with the specialized vocabulary or linguistic nuances of your content. I hope this article helps you remove them temporarily for your editing needs.