Any time you type in OS X, your spelling will automatically be checked. Words that are misspelled or unrecognized by the OS X dictionary will be highlighted in red. These words can either be corrected, ignored for a single instance, or learned. When a word is learned by the dictionary, any future uses of that word will not be marked as incorrect.
Here are some examples of the OS X dictionary in use:
The only word misspelled in the above example is “Mispelling.” In order to correct this word, CTRL-Click or tap with two fingers on the word.
This will bring up a context menu. To replace the existing misspelled word with the correct spelling, click on the word in the menu. If there are other words that are close to the spelling, they will be listed here as well. Clicking on the word will replace the incorrect word with the correct spelling.
In some cases, proper names will not be recognized by the dictionary and are highlighted in red.
If you want the dictionary to learn a specific name or word and no longer mark it as misspelled, CTRL-Click on the word and select Learn Spelling.
The next instance of that particular name being typed will not be marked as misspelled.
If you’ve accidently taught the dictionary an incorrect word, CTRL-Click on that word and select Unlearn Spelling to remove it from the OS X memory.
