Spellcheck (Check Next)

The Check Next option in the Word Check menu works through your Microsoft Word document one spelling or grammar issue at a time, surfacing each one in Word's right-hand Editor pane with Sensory Readable's speech and underline highlighting added on top.

The Word Check dropdown menu showing Check Next as the first option, with Look Up, Thesaurus, Homophones: Show, and Homophones: Hide below it. — The Word Check dropdown menu — Check Next is the first option.

How Check Next works

Click the Word Check button on the Readable toolbar (visible only when Microsoft Word is the active application) and choose Check Next. Sensory Readable steps to the next spelling or grammar query in your document and shows it in Word's right-hand Editor pane.

To hear any content in the Editor pane read aloud, move your cursor over it and hold the Ctrl key. Sensory Readable will speak the flagged word, the suggested corrections, and any explanatory text — anywhere in the pane.

You then make the spelling correction (or dismiss it) using Microsoft Word's own Editor proofing tool. Repeat Check Next to step through to the next query.

A Microsoft Word document with the misspelled word 'handriting' selected. The Readable Word Check menu is open on the toolbar. On the right, Microsoft Word's Editor pane shows the spelling error 'Not in Dictionary — handriting' with suggested corrections: handwriting, script, writing, calligraphy. — Check Next surfaces each spelling or grammar issue in Word's right-hand Editor pane. `Ctrl`+hover over the pane to have Readable speak the flagged word, the suggested corrections, and any explanatory text.

Why use it

The combination of Check Next and the Ctrl-to-speak action is particularly helpful for users with reading or writing differences. Hearing each suggestion read aloud — particularly the difference between similar-looking spellings — often makes the right choice obvious in a way that visual inspection alone does not.

The other Word Check menu items

Check Next is one of five items on the Word Check menu. The others are described in Text Check & Lookup in MS Word:

Look Up — definition of the word at the cursor
Thesaurus — synonyms for the word at the cursor
Homophones: Show — highlight homophones in the document
Homophones: Hide — clear the highlighting

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sensory Readable have its own spellchecker?

Sensory Readable adds the Check Next function to the Word Check menu on the Readable toolbar. Check Next steps through Microsoft Word's own spelling and grammar queries, surfacing them in Word's Editor pane. With the Ctrl key, Readable speaks each suggestion aloud — making the proofing process fully accessible without replacing Word's spell-check engine.

Can I hear the suggested spellings read aloud?

Yes. With the Editor pane open, move your cursor onto a suggestion and press the Ctrl key. Sensory Readable will speak the flagged word, the suggestions, and any meaning text shown alongside. This is particularly helpful when two suggested spellings look similar but sound different.

How do I actually correct the spelling?

You make the correction using Microsoft Word's Editor pane, the same way you would normally — click the suggestion you want to apply. Sensory Readable adds speech to the process; the correction itself happens through Word's own proofing tool.

Does Check Next work outside Microsoft Word?

No. Check Next is a Microsoft Word integration only — the Word Check button appears on the Readable toolbar only when Word is the active application. Other applications (browsers, email, chat) have their own native spell-check tools, and Sensory Readable does not duplicate them.