- Article
- 05/05/2022
- 2 minutes to read
- Applies to: Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010
Important
This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, see Windows registry information for advanced users.
This article describes how to customize the color of the spelling and grammar checker underlines in Microsoft Word 2007 and later. These underlines indicate the following items:
- Spelling errors
- Grammar errors
- Contextual spelling errors
- Smart tags
Warning
Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
To change the color of the wavy underline that indicates spelling errors, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Proofing Tools
If the SpellingWavyUnderlineColor entry exists, go to step 6.
If the SpellingWavyUnderlineColor entry does not exist, go to step 4.
On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
In the right pane, type SpellingWavyUnderlineColor. This is the name of the new entry.
In the right pane, double-click SpellingWavyUnderlineColor.
In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, click Hexadecimal.
In the Value data box, type the hexadecimal number that represents the color that you want to use, and then click OK.
Repeat steps 3 to 8 to change the underline color for other proofing tools. Use the registry entry that corresponds to the underline color of the proofing tool that you want to change instead of the SpellingWavyUnderlineColor registry entry, as follows:
- To change the color of the wavy underline that indicates grammar errors, use the GrammarWavyUnderlineColor registry entry.
- To change the color of the wavy underline that indicates contextual spelling errors, use the ContextualSpellingWavyUnderlineColor registry entry.
- To change the color of the dotted underline that indicates smart tags, use the SmartTagUnderlineColor registry entry.
Exit Registry Editor, and then restart your computer.
The registry uses eight-digit hexadecimal values to define colors. The values for some common colors are indicated in the following table.
| White | 255 | 255 | 255 | 00FFFFFF |
| Black | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00000000 |
| Red | 255 | 0 | 0 | 00FF0000 |
| Green | 0 | 255 | 0 | 0000FF00 |
| Blue | 0 | 0 | 255 | 000000FF |
| Cyan | 0 | 255 | 255 | 0000FFFF |
| Magenta | 255 | 0 | 255 | 00FF00FF |
| Yellow | 255 | 255 | 0 | 00FFFF00 |
| Dark Gray | 127 | 127 | 127 | 007F7F7F |
| Light Gray | 191 | 191 | 191 | 00BFBFBF |
| Dark Red | 127 | 0 | 0 | 007F0000 |
| Dark Green | 0 | 127 | 0 | 00007F00 |
| Dark Blue | 0 | 0 | 127 | 0000007F |
| Teal | 0 | 127 | 127 | 00007F7F |
| Purple | 127 | 0 | 127 | 007F007F |
| Tan | 127 | 127 | 0 | 007F7F00 |
Word for Microsoft 365 Word 2021 Word 2019 Word 2016 Word 2013 Word 2010 Word 2007 More...Less
The quickest way to underline text is to press Ctrl+U and start typing. When you want to stop underlining, press Ctrl+U again.
You can also underline text and spaces in several other ways.
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Select the text that you want to underline.
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Go to Home > Underline. Or press Ctrl+U.
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Select the text that you want to underline.
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Go to Home and select Font dialog box launcher
. -
Go to Font and select Words only in the Underline style drop-down list.
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Select the text that you want to underline.
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Go to Home and select Font dialog box launcher
.Tip: You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D.
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Use the Underline style drop-down list to select an underline style.
Use the Underline color drop-down list to change the color of the line.
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Select the text that you want to underline.
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Go to Home and select Font dialog box launcher
. -
Select double underline in the Underline style drop-down list.
You can underline blank spaces by pressing Shift+Hyphen (-), but it is difficult to line up the underlines — if you are creating a fill-in form, for example. Also, if the AutoFormat option for changing underscore characters into border lines is turned on, pressing Shift+Hyphen (-) three or more times in a row will result in a line that extends the width of the paragraph, which may not be what you want.
A better way to underline blank spaces for a printed document is to use the Tab key and apply the underline formatting to the tab characters.
When you want to create an underline in an online form, insert table cells with the bottom border turned on.
To underline blank spaces for a printed document, use the Tab key and apply the underline formatting to the tab characters.
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Go to Home > Show/Hide ¶ so that you can see the marks that indicate spaces and tab stops.
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Press the Tab key.
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Select the tab characters that you want to underline. A tab character looks like a small arrow.
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Do one of the following:
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Press Ctrl+U to apply a simple underline.
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To apply a different style of underline, go to Home and select Font dialog box launcher
.Select Underline style to choose a different underline style.
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To create an underline in an online document or form, insert a table cell with the bottom border turned on. This method ensures that when someone types on the line, the line stays in place.
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Click or tap where you want to insert a blank underline.
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Go to Insert > Table.
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Select the upper-left box to insert a 1x1 Table.
If you want to add introductory text, such as a name or Social Security Number, before the underline, insert a 2x1 Table.
To change the length of the line, move the pointer over the end of the table until it becomes a resize pointer
, and then move the arrow right or left to lengthen or shorten the line. -
Click or tap in the table (or in the second table cell if you created a 2x1 table).
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The Table Tools appear. On the Design tab, select Borders > Borders and Shading.
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Under Setting, select None.
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Under Style, select the line type, color, and width that you want.
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In the diagram under Preview, click or tap between the lower margin markers to add the bottom border. Make sure only the bottom line is displayed.
Note: If you prefer to view the table without the light gray gridlines that do not print, select the table, go to Layout next to the Table Design tab and select View Gridlines.
If you used a 2x1 table to make room for introductory text, you can type the text before the line.
To remove single underlining from words and spaces, select the underlined text and press Ctrl+U.
To remove other styles of underlining, press Ctrl+U twice.