Remove a Red Line in Word? Causes and Fixes

To remove a red line in a Word document, first identify what it marks: for a red change bar or tracked edit, go to Review > Accept and accept the relevant change, or choose Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking to clear all tracked edits. If it is a wavy underline or a line across the page, use the matching fix below instead; those marks have different causes.

Identify what the red line means

Word uses red marks for several unrelated purposes, so deleting or accepting something before identifying the mark can cause trouble. Look at its shape and location, and try clicking near it. A vertical red bar in the left margin usually signals a tracked change in that paragraph. Red text, underlining, or a strikethrough within the text can also be tracked edits. These marks record revisions rather than ordinary formatting.

A red wavy underline beneath a word usually flags a possible spelling error. A straight line stretching across the page is more likely a paragraph border, while red-colored letters may simply have red font formatting. Comments and review balloons can also appear beside edited text, but they are not the same as a red change bar.

Vertical mark in the margin: inspect Track Changes and the review display.
Wavy underline under a word: check spelling and proofing settings.
Line across the page: inspect paragraph borders.
Red letters or a red strike-through: check font formatting or tracked edits.

Remove a tracked-change bar in Word for Windows

In Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, the red vertical bar is often a change bar showing that text in that paragraph has been revised while Track Changes was on. The bar is only a visual indicator; it does not mean the line itself is a separate object that you can select and delete. To remove it permanently, resolve the tracked change it represents.

Select the Review tab and look through the marked paragraph. Word may show inserted text, deleted text, or a formatting change in the document or in a balloon.
To keep a particular edit, select or place the cursor in that change, then choose Review > Accept. To discard it, use Review > Reject instead.
To keep every pending edit in the document, open the Accept menu and choose Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking, if that command is available in your Word build.

Accepting is not the same as hiding: it makes the revised text part of the document and removes the revision mark. Rejecting restores the earlier text or formatting. If you are unsure which version is correct, save a separate copy before accepting or rejecting a large set of edits. The Windows shortcut Ctrl+Shift+E toggles Track Changes, but switching it off only stops recording new edits; it does not resolve marks already in the file.

Hide revisions without removing them

If you only need a clean-looking view or printout, you can hide revision marks without accepting or rejecting them. On Windows, go to Review > Display for Review and select No Markup. Depending on the version and window width, the display control may appear as a dropdown near the Track Changes controls. The edits remain stored in the document and can be shown again by selecting All Markup or another review view.

This distinction matters when colleagues still need to review the changes. No Markup changes what you see, not what the file contains. It is also possible to print without showing the markup: open File > Print, check the print preview, and turn off Print Markup if it is enabled. The exact placement of that option can vary with the printer and Word build. Hiding marks is useful for presentation, but it is not a substitute for accepting or rejecting edits before sending a final document.

Turn off Track Changes on Windows and Mac

To prevent new red revision marks, turn off Track Changes after addressing the existing ones. On Windows, select Review > Track Changes so the control is no longer active. On Word for Mac, use the Review tab and switch off Track Changes; the Mac shortcut is Command+Shift+E. On both platforms, turning tracking off does not erase revisions already recorded.

Word for the web also provides review and Track Changes controls, though the available commands and their placement can differ from the desktop app. If you cannot find an accept-all command in the web interface, open the document in the desktop version and use its Review controls. A document may also have tracking restricted or protected, in which case you may need permission or the document owner’s help to change its review state.

Fix a red wavy underline

A wavy red underline is generally Word’s spelling alert, not a tracked change or formatting line. Right-click the underlined word to review suggestions. Choose the correct spelling, use Ignore All for a valid word that should not be flagged in this document, or add a specialized name or term to the dictionary if you want Word to recognize it in future documents. Check the word carefully before ignoring it; the underline may be pointing out a genuine typo.

If you want to turn off on-screen spelling marks, Windows Word has controls under File > Options > Proofing. You can clear Check spelling as you type; related grammar-marking options are in the same area. This changes proofing behavior and hides the indicators, rather than correcting the words. In Word for Mac, look under Word > Settings or Word > Preferences, then Spelling & Grammar; labels can differ by release. Turning off spelling marks may make errors easier to miss, so it is usually better to correct or ignore only the specific word.

Remove a horizontal line or red paragraph border

A solid line running across the page may be a paragraph border, sometimes created automatically when Word converts typed characters such as three hyphens into a rule. Click in the paragraph immediately above the line; a border belongs to a paragraph, so clicking directly on the visible stroke may not select it. On Windows, go to Home > Borders and choose No Border. If the line is red, the paragraph border may have been assigned a red color, but the removal method is the same.

Check nearby paragraphs if the line remains, because a border can be applied to the paragraph above or below the apparent position. The Borders menu may show a small arrow beside its icon; open that menu to find No Border. If removing the border also removes other edges you intended to keep, undo the change and inspect the border settings more carefully. Word for Mac also offers paragraph border controls on the Home tab, although the menu layout can vary. For a line drawn as a shape rather than a paragraph border, click its edge to select it and press Delete; use Undo if that also selects or removes something unintended.

Change red font formatting

If the letters themselves are red and there is no revision balloon or change bar, the text may simply have red font color. Select only the affected text, then use Home > Font Color to choose Automatic or another color. Automatic uses the document’s normal text color, which is commonly black but may follow the theme. If the red text is a tracked insertion, changing its color will not settle the revision; accept or reject the change instead.

When the document contains many different formatting changes, the Review tab can help distinguish them from direct formatting. A red strikethrough may mean deleted text under Track Changes, while red text without review markup may be ordinary font styling. Avoid selecting the entire document and changing its color unless you intend to recolor headings, links, and other styled text too.

Why a red line may return

A line that reappears after you hide it may not have been removed; the display could have switched back to All Markup, or another reviewer may have added changes. A line that returns after accepting changes may come from a separate revision in the same paragraph, or from a border or spelling alert that looks similar. Reopen the Review tab, set the display to All Markup, and inspect the location to see whether Word identifies a pending change.

Shared documents can preserve edits from multiple reviewers. Before accepting all changes, make sure the other reviewers’ suggestions have been considered; bulk acceptance can keep changes you did not intend to approve. If a document is protected, read-only, or stored in a shared location with limited permissions, Word may prevent edits. Save a local copy if appropriate, or ask the owner to grant editing rights rather than trying to remove marks by altering unrelated formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Track Changes remove the red lines already in my document?
No. It stops Word from recording new revisions. To clear existing marks, accept or reject the changes; to hide them temporarily, select No Markup.

Will No Markup delete reviewers’ comments or edits?
No. It changes the display only. Comments and tracked changes remain in the file unless you resolve or delete them using the Review controls.

How do I keep the edited wording but remove the red change bar?
Accept the relevant tracked change. For all pending edits, use Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking if you have checked that accepting every edit is appropriate.

Why is only one word underlined in red?
That is usually a spelling alert. Review the suggested spelling, ignore the word if it is correct, or adjust Word’s proofing settings if you want to hide spelling marks.

Why does a red line appear when I type three hyphens?
Word may have converted the characters into a paragraph border automatically. Click in the paragraph above it and choose Home > Borders > No Border.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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