This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Cuireadh an snáithe seo sa chartlann. Cuir ceist nua má tá cabhair uait.

Windows 10 Firefox 75.0 | Spellcheck not working despite enabling in settings + language pack installed

  • 2 fhreagra
  • 1 leis an bhfadhb seo
  • 9 views
  • Freagra is déanaí ó i7howlrunner

more options

Good Evening,

Many thanks in advance to anybody who may be of assistance in providing steps towards a resolution.

Essentially with Firefox 75.0 on Windows 10 64 bit, Firefox seems to have a completely dysfunctional spell checker.

This is despite the spell check option for “check my spelling” being enabled in settings and a dictionary being installed.

The advanced options also on “spellcheckDefault pref” has selected Boolean as opposed to Number or String, for whatever difference this would make.

Additionally in other browsers on the same system, screenshot provided Chromium Edge Beta, spellchecker does work as expected.

Is this a Windows 10 wide issue, since on my work P.C [also Windows 10 64 bit] – this version running Firefox E.S.R - I experience the same issues with spell check despite, like on my home machine, having spell check enabled in settings and a dictionary installed.

Many thanks for any assistance which may be given.

EDIT: 28/04/2020, 17:30 GMT: Title changed to reflect what actually was installed | Original Question: "Windows 10 Firefox 75.0 | Spellcheck not working despite enabling in settings + Dictionary installed" - Dictionary not actually installed at time of asking.


____________________________________________________________________ Screenshots included [all on home machine]:

  • Firefox version
  • Lack of Firefox spell check functionality in practice [Bing Search Translate Box]
  • Chromium Edge Beta spell check functionality present [Bing Search Translate Box]
  • Advanced Settings – relating to spellcheck preferences
  • Settings for enabling spell check
  • Dictionary settings
Good Evening, Many thanks in advance to anybody who may be of assistance in providing steps towards a resolution. Essentially with Firefox 75.0 on Windows 10 64 bit, Firefox seems to have a completely dysfunctional spell checker. This is despite the spell check option for “check my spelling” being enabled in settings and a dictionary being installed. The advanced options also on “spellcheckDefault pref” has selected Boolean as opposed to Number or String, for whatever difference this would make. Additionally in other browsers on the same system, screenshot provided Chromium Edge Beta, spellchecker does work as expected. Is this a Windows 10 wide issue, since on my work P.C [also Windows 10 64 bit] – this version running Firefox E.S.R - I experience the same issues with spell check despite, like on my home machine, having spell check enabled in settings and a dictionary installed. Many thanks for any assistance which may be given. EDIT: 28/04/2020, 17:30 GMT: Title changed to reflect what actually was installed | Original Question: "Windows 10 Firefox 75.0 | Spellcheck not working despite enabling in settings + Dictionary installed" - Dictionary not actually installed at time of asking. ____________________________________________________________________ Screenshots included [all on home machine]: * Firefox version * Lack of Firefox spell check functionality in practice [Bing Search Translate Box] * Chromium Edge Beta spell check functionality present [Bing Search Translate Box] * Advanced Settings – relating to spellcheck preferences * Settings for enabling spell check * Dictionary settings
Attached screenshots

Athraithe ag i7howlrunner ar

Réiteach roghnaithe

Neither of the two settings in "Options/Preferences -> General -> Languages" apply to the spell check dictionary. The former deals with the language used in the user interface (string translations) and the latter is about sending a header to website for the preferred language.

You can see which dictionary is selected if you right-click in a text area and open the Languages sub menu. At least one dictionary should be installed and have a check mark to indicate that it is selected.

  • open the "Add Dictionaries" link to install a dictionary if you do not have one.

The spelling checker is enabled if [X] "Check Spelling" in the right-click context menu has a checkmark.

You can enable or disable spell checking globally:

  • Options/Preferences -> General: Language and Appearance: "Check your spelling as you type"

You can look here for dictionaries:

Note that for spell check you need a dictionary. A language pack provides string translations for the user interface.

The layout.spellcheckDefault pref should be a Number pref and not a Boolean. You can check on the about:config page that layout.spellcheckDefault is set to 1 (multi-line) or 2 (single-line).

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (2)

more options

Réiteach Roghnaithe

Neither of the two settings in "Options/Preferences -> General -> Languages" apply to the spell check dictionary. The former deals with the language used in the user interface (string translations) and the latter is about sending a header to website for the preferred language.

You can see which dictionary is selected if you right-click in a text area and open the Languages sub menu. At least one dictionary should be installed and have a check mark to indicate that it is selected.

  • open the "Add Dictionaries" link to install a dictionary if you do not have one.

The spelling checker is enabled if [X] "Check Spelling" in the right-click context menu has a checkmark.

You can enable or disable spell checking globally:

  • Options/Preferences -> General: Language and Appearance: "Check your spelling as you type"

You can look here for dictionaries:

Note that for spell check you need a dictionary. A language pack provides string translations for the user interface.

The layout.spellcheckDefault pref should be a Number pref and not a Boolean. You can check on the about:config page that layout.spellcheckDefault is set to 1 (multi-line) or 2 (single-line).

more options

Good Afternoon,

Great news is that the fix has worked on both my home machine and the work P.C with Firefox E.S.R.

As contributor cor-el helpfully pointed out, there is a difference between a language pack [which had been installed] and a dictionary, which actually was not - despite the title.

Obviously I was quite as accurate on this as I may have been.

With the Marco-Pinto British English Dictionary installed, everything is fully resolved and working as expected. Also altered the Advanced Settings section, so that layout.spellcheckDefault pref is now Number, instead of Boolean as before.

Many thanks for helping on this.

Athraithe ag i7howlrunner ar