Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Spell-Checking in a Protected Worksheet.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 7, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Craig has a protected Excel worksheet in which he would like to spell-check a specific cell. The problem, of course, is that the spell-checker cannot be run on a protected worksheet. So, the process of doing the desired spell-checking is to unprotect the worksheet, do the check, and then again protect the worksheet.
In order to have the macro complete these steps, you must know the password used to protect the worksheet. The following simple example assumes that the password is "mypass."
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
Sub SpellCheckCell1()
With ActiveSheet
.Unprotect ("mypass")
.Range("A15").CheckSpelling
.Protect ("mypass")
End With
End Sub
You'll obviously need to change the password used in the macro to the one appropriate for your worksheet. You'll also need to change the cell being checked; this macro checks cell A15. If you would rather have the macro check whatever cell is selected when the macro is run, then you can change it in this manner:
Sub SpellCheckCell2()
With ActiveSheet
.Unprotect ("mypass")
Selection.CheckSpelling
.Protect ("mypass")
End With
End Sub
Regardless of which macro you use, you can assign it to a shortcut key or a toolbar button in order to make it easy to run. (How you do these assignments has been discussed in other ExcelTips issues.)
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3144) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Spell-Checking in a Protected Worksheet.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
Excel's spell-checker normally checks uppercase words for spelling. If your worksheet contains a lot of acronyms, you ...
Discover MoreWhen Excel does a spell-check of the information in a worksheet, you may want it to ignore words that contain numbers. ...
Discover MoreWhen you check the spelling of worksheet data, you may want to spell checker to either ignore or check Internet addresses ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments