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Spell Checking

Fern can highlight spelling errors as you type using Hunspell library, the same spell-checking engine used by projects like LibreOffice and Firefox.

Setup and Enable

Spell checking is off by default. Enable it in your config:

spell_check = true
spell_lang  = "en_US"   # any installed Hunspell dictionary name

You can also toggle it at any time without leaving Fern:

  1. Open the command palette (ctrl+p).
  2. Search for Spell: Toggle Spell Check and press Enter.

The setting is remembered across sessions once saved through the Settings Editor.

How it works

When spell checking is active, Fern re-checks spelling in the background a short time after each keystroke so typing stays responsive. Misspelled words are underlined in Insert and Replace modes.

To run a one-time check at any moment, use the palette command Spell: Check for Spelling Errors.

Choosing a language

Set spell_lang to the name of any Hunspell dictionary installed on your system. Common values:

Value Language
en_US English (United States) - default
en_GB English (United Kingdom)
de_DE German
fr_FR French
es_ES Spanish

On Linux, dictionaries are usually installed via your package manager (e.g. hunspell-en-us). On macOS, they come bundled with the system.

Personal dictionary

The personal dictionary is a simple plain text file that stored alongside your global config at ~/.config/fern/personal.dic. Words that you add to your personal dictionary are not flagged as errors.

To manage your personal dictionary from inside Fern:

  1. Open the command palette (ctrl+p).
  2. Search for Spell: Edit Personal Dictionary.
  3. Use j/k to navigate the word list.
  4. Press d to mark words for deletion, then confirm.

NOTE: You can also add words by editing personal.dic directly in any text editor, as well, adding one word per line.

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