spell-check

American  

[spel-chek] / ˈspɛlˌtʃɛk /

verb (used with object)

1. to process (a document) with a spell checker; check the spelling of.

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noun

1. a check for misspellings by using a spell checker.

Usage

What does spell-check mean? Spell-check is computer software that identifies and corrects spelling errors in digital documents and messages. It’s also a noun and verb for the act of checking for misspellings.

Etymology

Origin of spell-check

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

I can confirm it takes even Arnold Schwarzenegger a full two seconds to spell-check his own name, before he looks up and smiles: "Yes."

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2023

We take editing tools such as spell-check and autocomplete and predictive texting for granted.

From Scientific American • Sep. 29, 2023

And his conversational prose style, which can impart the treacherous delusion that you, reader, might also become a famous novelist if you simply typed up 100 percent of your internal monologue and hit spell-check.

From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2022

Ironically, what explanation has been used far more often since the advent of spell-check?

From Washington Post • Nov. 9, 2017

But good old spell-check doesn’t always come through.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner