Getting a List of Spelling Suggestions on my Mac

Hey there! I want to share a cool Mac trick with you. Did you know that you can easily get a list of spelling suggestions on your Mac? It’s super handy when you’re not sure about a word or want to make sure it’s spelled correctly.

So, how can you do this? Well, it’s actually really simple. Just follow these steps:

1. First, open up any application on your Mac that allows you to write or type, like TextEdit or Pages.

2. Once you’re in the application, start typing the word that you’re unsure about. If you misspell it, no worries!

3. Now, here comes the cool part. Right-click on the misspelled word and voila! A list of spelling suggestions will pop up.

4. From the list, choose the correct spelling of the word you intended to use. Simply click on it, and your Mac will automatically replace the misspelled word with the correct one.

Isn’t that awesome? With just a right-click, you can easily find the correct spelling without having to open a dictionary or use an online tool. It’s a real time-saver!

But wait, there’s more! If you want to explore even more spelling options, guess what? You can! Just scroll down to the bottom of the list of suggestions, and at the very end, you’ll find an option that says “Show Spelling and Grammar.” Click on it, and a new window will pop up with a whole bunch of spelling and grammar suggestions for you to explore.

So, there you have it. With this neat trick, you can quickly and effortlessly find the correct spelling of a word on your Mac. Give it a try next time you’re writing a document or composing an important email. Your spelling game will be on point!

I hope you found this tip helpful. Keep exploring the wonders of your Mac, and remember, spell it right!

So, you know how traditional apps like Microsoft Word have spell checkers that only work within the app itself? Well, macOS is a bit different. It has a system-wide spell check feature that works wherever you’re typing. Whether you’re jotting down a quick note in TextEdit, composing an email in Mail, or leaving comments on a website in Safari, you can access the Mac’s spell checker.

But here’s the best part: it’s not just a basic spell check. macOS also provides a list of suggested words when you’re not sure about the spelling of a particular word. Pretty handy, right? Well, let me show you a quick tip on how to use the Mac’s spell checker to see a list of spelling suggestions!

The Default macOS Spell Checker

By default, the Mac’s spell checker tries its best to guess the word you’re trying to type. For example, in the screenshot below, I’ve tried to spell the word “melancholy” (I promise I actually know how to spell that!) in a TextEdit document.

As you can see, your Mac will make its best guess as long as you have both “Edit > Spelling and Grammar > Check Spelling While Typing” and “Edit > Spelling and Grammar > Correct Spelling Automatically” checked for the program you’re using.

If you’re happy with the Mac’s spelling suggestion when you see that little blue-text bubble as shown in my first screenshot above, you can just press the Spacebar to fill in that suggestion and move on to your next word.

Mac Spelling Suggestions

Now, the standard spell checker in macOS is great, but sometimes when you’re way off with your spelling, your Mac might not be able to guess the word correctly. So, instead of just giving you its best guess, you can ask your Mac to offer a list of suggestions. This way, you’re more likely to find the correct spelling you’re looking for.

To access the list of spelling suggestions, start typing a few letters of the word you want. Try to remember as many correct letters as you can for the beginning of the word. Then, select “Edit > Complete” from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut “Option-Escape” or “Function-Option-Escape”, depending on your keyboard layout. This will bring up a list of all the spelling suggestions that your Mac can come up with.

Just browse through the list, find the word you’re looking for, and either click on it with your mouse or use your keyboard’s arrow keys to select it. macOS will then place the selected word into your document or text field.

And just like that, my Mac fills in the correct spelling! Hallelujah. Oh, but here’s something you should know. If your computer was already suggesting a spelling to you (like in my first screenshot), you might have to dismiss the blue-text bubble before you can see the list above with a keyboard shortcut. To do that, press Escape on your keyboard, click the “x” on the bubble itself, or just press the “Complete” shortcut twice to dismiss the suggestion and bring up the list. Trust me, using this is much easier and faster than switching to your browser and doing a web search.

Bonus Tip: Word Definitions!

Now, just because I think it’s cool, here’s another quick trick for you: If you’re looking for the definition of a word instead of its spelling, your Mac’s search function called “Spotlight” can help you out. Here’s what you do: press Spotlight’s keyboard shortcut (Command-Spacebar) or click the magnifying glass at the top-right corner of your screen.

When the Spotlight search bar appears, type in the word you want to define and click the result under “Definition” to see it—without even opening any programs at all.

See? I promise I’m not sad. I have no idea why I chose that word, but don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine. Really.