Deckle checks spelling as you type in whichever language you choose, and, unlike relying on your operating system's built-in spellcheck, "Add to Dictionary" works the same way and persists the same way no matter what platform you're on.
What You Can Do
- Get misspelled words underlined as you type, in any of 11 supported languages.
- Right-click a flagged word for up to 5 ranked suggestions.
- Add a word to your personal dictionary so it's never flagged again, in any project, on this installation.
- Ignore a word for just your current session, without permanently adding it.
- Turn spellcheck off entirely if you don't want it.
How to Set Your Spellcheck Language
- Open Settings → General.
- Make sure Enable spellcheck is turned on.
- Choose your language from the Dictionary dropdown.
Available languages: English (US, UK, Canada, Australia), Spanish (Spain, Mexico), German, French, Portuguese (Portugal), Turkish, and Norwegian (Bokmål).
Fixing a Flagged Word
Right-click any underlined word to open the suggestion menu:
- Click a suggestion to replace the word in place.
- Click Add "[word]" to Dictionary if it's spelled correctly but unfamiliar to Deckle (a character name, invented term, or technical word). This applies everywhere, in every project, from then on.
- Click Ignore to stop the underline for just this session without permanently adding the word.
A Couple of Things Worth Knowing
💡 Deckle uses its own spellchecker rather than your browser or OS's built-in one, specifically because "Add to Dictionary" doesn't work reliably the same way across every platform otherwise. This keeps the behavior identical on Windows and macOS.
💡 Your personal dictionary is global, not per-project. A word you add while writing one book stays recognized in every other Deckle project on that installation, the reasoning being that "never flag this word again" isn't really tied to a single manuscript. See managing your personal dictionary for the full picture.
💡 Ignore is temporary; Add to Dictionary is permanent. Ignoring a word only lasts until you restart Deckle. If you want a word permanently recognized, use Add to Dictionary instead.
💡 Turkish spellcheck takes noticeably longer to load than other languages the first time, due to how much more complex its word-formation rules are to process. This is expected, not a sign of a problem.
FAQ
If I add a word to my dictionary in one project, does it stay recognized in my other projects?
Yes, your personal dictionary is shared across every project on that installation, not scoped to one manuscript.
What's the difference between "Ignore" and "Add to Dictionary"?
Ignore only lasts for your current session and resets the next time you open Deckle. Add to Dictionary is permanent and applies everywhere.
Can I turn spellcheck off completely?
Yes, toggle "Enable spellcheck" off in Settings → General.
Does Deckle support right-to-left languages like Arabic for spellcheck?
No, Deckle doesn't have right-to-left text support anywhere in the editor or its export formats yet, so a right-to-left spellcheck language isn't offered.