Afrikaans Spell Check in LibreOffice

If your spell checker underlines every Afrikaans or isiZulu word, the dictionary is missing, or the text is not marked with that language. LibreOffice spell checking works only for correctly marked text, when the dictionary is installed.

Here's the fix: Install the Afrikaans or isiZulu dictionary. Then tell LibreOffice to treat your document as those languages. Only then will spell check work.

The Windows and macOS installers from libreoffice.org include the Afrikaans and isiZulu dictionaries, although a Custom install can leave them out. On Linux, install your distribution's Hunspell dictionary package for the language.

LibreOffice uses dictionaries based on Hunspell. If the dictionary does not appear in the list, reinstall with dictionaries selected, or add a dictionary extension (.oxt file):

1. Open LibreOffice Writer.
2. Click Tools > Extension Manager > Add.
3. Select the .oxt file, click Open, accept the licence if asked, and restart LibreOffice.

Once the dictionary is added, the language shows a spell-check tick (ABC) in the language list under Tools > Options > Languages and Locales > General.

However, adding a dictionary alone is not enough. You must also tell LibreOffice to treat your document as the language you want to spell check. To set the language:

1. Click anywhere in the document.
2. Click Tools > Language > For All Text, and then choose the language.
3. Check the status bar at the bottom of the window: it shows the language of the text at the cursor.

To set the language for only part of the document:

1. Select the text.
2. Click Tools > Language > For Selection, and then choose the language.
3. Again, check the status bar: it shows the language you just set.

Microsoft Word does a similar job from Review > Language > Set Proofing Language, and you add dictionaries through File > Options > Language. However, LibreOffice's commands and names differ.

LibreOffice's Afrikaans and isiZulu dictionaries come from the Translate.org.za project.

To recap, spell checking in LibreOffice Writer depends on both the Afrikaans or isiZulu dictionary being installed, and the text in the document being marked as those languages. To spell check Afrikaans or isiZulu, you must set the text language using one of these methods: Tools > Language > For All Text, Tools > Language > For Selection, or clicking the language name in the status bar.