What is AppleSpell and why is this process running on my Mac?

When looking into the Activity indicator Have you noticed an unknown process on your Apple Mac again, and it's called AppleSpell? Then you've come to the right place. In this guide I will explain to you what this macOS background process is all about and why it is useful. Even if AppleSpell uses a lot of CPU or maxes out the RAM, you will be helped here. There are also a few tips for troubleshooting in this article. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment on the topic.

The AppleSpell process on the Mac: spell check and autocorrection

Write something in her Pages, in the Notes app or in a website text field, you may sometimes see a red dashed line under this or that word. This means that the Mac operating system macOS shows you that the word is probably misspelled. Or at least that the internal dictionary did not recognize the word entered.

And that's exactly what the AppleSpell process is responsible for. Because the English term “spell” does not mean a magic spell or a curse. It is not the noun meaning of the word that plays a role here, but the verb meaning: to spell. AppleSpell is responsible for spell checking and autocorrecting on the Mac. The whole thing happens system-wide and, in addition to Apple apps, also in third-party software if the developers allow it.

A few apps come with their own dictionaries

The fact that macOS offers a system-wide spell checker that can also be used in third-party apps is very practical. This means that if you have a special vocabulary, frequently used abbreviations or other peculiarities, you don't have to teach each app individually that these are not errors. An exception to this is Microsoft's Office suite. Because the top dog in office software comes with its own spelling and grammar checker for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Co. More about it here: Mac Guide – Edit Word and Pages dictionaries.

Open “Spelling and Grammar” via the menu bar

If you are currently using a program in which word processing or other input and use of text play a role, you will find appropriate options for system-wide testing via the menu bar. To do this, simply click on Edit and then moves the mouse cursor up Spelling and Grammar. This opens a submenu in which, among other things, you can trigger the input check manually and activate automatic correction.

Problem: AppleSpell causes CPU load and maxes out RAM

As the long-established standard process of macOS on the Apple Mac, AppleSpell shouldn't actually cause any problems. In rare cases, however, it can happen that the system or the text comparison with the internal dictionary has a hiccup. Then you can end the process via Activity Monitor or simply save your document and restart the Mac (turn it off and turn it on again). If this is not possible at the moment, you can try turning off autocorrect to solve AppleSpell problems.

Summary: AppleSpell is the macOS process for spelling

Finally, it can be said that AppleSpell does not perform any complex tasks, but mainly compares the keyboard entries with the known words in the internal dictionary. If there are unknown entries or other anomalies, a graphic highlight will indicate that an error may have been made. As a user, you have the direct opportunity to correct the error or tell the system that the unrecognized entry should be included in the dictionary. This means it will no longer be displayed as an error. The spelling tool on the Mac can be expanded manually.

Johannes Domke

After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.