(Legacy) Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro: Using Spell-Check (2024)

This article is based on legacy software.

Spelling can be checked on any text within a PDF document. This means you can spell-check entries you have made in a PDF form before you submit it. You can also spell-check comments you have placed on a draft document. This document provides instructions for running a spell-check and setting spelling preferences.

NOTE: If your PDF file was scanned, spell-check will not work on your main document. It will work only on the Comments section.

Running a Spell-Check

When you are done adding comments or completing a PDF form, it is a good idea to run a spell-check.

1. Open the document you want to spell-check.

   See Also

   What Happened to Spell Check?Turn Chrome spell check on and offAutomatic text correctionFix: Chrome Spellcheck Not Working

2. From the Edit menu, select Check Spelling » In Comments, Fields, & Editable Text...
   OR
   Press [F7].
   The Check Spelling dialog box appears.
   

3. Click Start.
   NOTE: Words not recognized by the spell checker appear highlighted in the Word not found text box.
   Alternative spellings are listed in the Suggestions scroll box.
   

4. Choose the appropriate option:

   Ignore
   Ignores only the current occurrence of the word.

   Ignore All
   Ignores all occurrences of that particular word.

   Add
   Adds the word to the dictionary.

   See Also

   Turn Chrome spell check on and off

   Change
   Changes only the current occurrence of the word to the suggested spelling.

   Change All
   Changes all occurrences of that particular word to the suggested spelling.

5. When you are finished checking your document, click Done.

Setting Spelling Preferences

Adobe Acrobat allows you to set spelling preferences and choose which dictionaries to use in your spell-check.

1. From the Edit menu, select Preferences...
   The Preferences dialog box appears.

2. From the Categories scroll box, select Spelling.

3. To have unrecognized words underlined, under Spelling, select Check spelling while typing.

4. To select the underline color for unrecognized words, under Spelling:
   1. Click Underline Color.
      The Color palette appears.

   2. From the Color palette, select a color.

5. To add a dictionary, from the Dictionaries scroll box:
   1. Select the dictionary you wish to add.

   2. Click Check.
      NOTE: A dictionary is selected when an X appears in the brackets in front of it.

6. To remove a dictionary that Spell-Check uses, from the Dictionaries scroll box:
   1. Select the dictionary you wish to remove.

   2. Click Uncheck.
      NOTE: A dictionary is deselected when an X no longer appears in the brackets in front of it.

7. To change the position of a dictionary, from the Dictionaries scroll box:
   1. Select the dictionary you wish to move.

   2. Click Up or Down as desired.
      NOTE: Vocabulary from dictionaries higher up in the list take priority over dictionaries beneath them.

8. Click OK.