Korean spell checker FAQ

Is there a free Korean spell checker for Mac or Windows?

Free Korean spell checkers for Mac and Windows include Minikong, which costs nothing to download and checks spelling, word spacing and typos for free, with no account needed. Spell checker websites such as Naver’s and Daum’s also work in any browser without signing in. In Minikong, only the optional AI subscription costs money.

Free in Minikong: spelling, word spacing and typo checks for Korean, and for English once you turn it on; the review window and Paste (복붙하기); and the default character, a little mold. There’s no device limit.

A subscription adds an AI spelling and grammar check and Korean–English translation. Subscriptions open soon at $38 a year or $4 a month, tax included. Everything in Free works in the meantime. See pricing and limits for details.

Some paid programs include Korean spell checking too, such as the Korean word processor Hancom Office Hangul and Microsoft 365.

Which Korean spell checker should I use?

The right Korean spell checker depends on where you write. For a short sentence, paste it into Naver’s or Daum’s spell checker website. For a Korean cover letter, use a job site checker that also counts characters. For chat and email on a computer, use an app that checks right where you type.

The table of Korean spell checkers by situation compares how the tools work, not how accurate they are. For a fuller comparison, see how to choose a Korean grammar checker.

Does Grammarly support Korean?

Grammarly supports Korean in beta. Korean is one of the languages in Grammarly’s multilingual suggestions, which flag spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes in its Mac and Windows apps, browser extensions and mobile apps. Grammarly’s help pages describe Free plan access to Korean differently, so check what your plan includes.

The Grammarly and Minikong table compares how the two tools work, not how accurate they are. One Grammarly help article says multilingual suggestions are included in all plans, including Free; another says the beta is for Pro, Plus, Business and Education users, with some features also available to Free users.

LanguageTool, which covers more than 30 languages, does not list Korean on its supported-languages page.

What happened to the Pusan National University Korean spell checker?

The Pusan National University Korean spell checker now goes by a new name, Bareun Hangeul (바른한글), at nara-speller.co.kr. Bareun Hangeul is run by the company that built it with the university’s AI lab, and it’s still free for individuals and students; companies and institutions need to buy a license.

Bareun Hangeul was built by Pusan National University’s AI lab together with a Korean company, which runs it today. The operator says the checker had to leave the university’s address, speller.cs.pusan.ac.kr, after the professor who led it retired, and that only the name and address changed; the service and technology are the same.

Bareun AI (바른AI, bareun.ai) has a similar name but is a separate service from a different company. Incruit’s spell checker, on a Korean job site, says it is based on the university’s checking engine, with AI context correction added.

How can I check my Korean without pasting it into a website?

Checking Korean without pasting it into a website takes an app that checks where you type. Minikong, a free app for Mac and Windows, checks your text in KakaoTalk, Slack or email when you pause, and one click on Paste (복붙하기) swaps the fixed sentence into the same box.

1. Download the Mac or Windows installer from the Minikong download page.
2. Install it: on a Mac, open the .dmg and drag Minikong into Applications; on Windows, open Minikong-Setup.exe.
3. Allow access on a Mac by turning on Accessibility and Input Monitoring when the first-run guide asks. Windows has no permissions to grant.
4. Type in KakaoTalk, Slack or your email as usual.
5. Pause for 2 seconds. Minikong checks, and the character on your screen turns red at a mistake.
6. Click the character to open the review window, then click Paste (복붙하기). The text in the box changes to the fixed sentence, and you still send it yourself.

Apple Intelligence’s Proofread tool on Macs with M1 or later and MacBook Neo, and Grammarly’s desktop apps with Korean in beta, also check text without a website. Proofread runs when you select text and ask for it.

How do I spell-check Korean in KakaoTalk on my computer?

One way to spell-check Korean in KakaoTalk on a computer is an app that checks where you type, such as Minikong. With Minikong installed, your KakaoTalk message is checked when you pause typing, and clicking Paste (복붙하기) swaps in the fixed sentence. You still press send yourself.

1. Install Minikong from the Minikong download page.
2. Type in a KakaoTalk chat on your computer as usual.
3. Wait 2 seconds after you stop typing, or press Control+Option+S on a Mac or Ctrl+Alt+S on Windows to check right away.
4. Open the review window by clicking the character or by quickly pressing Command+C twice, or Ctrl+C on Windows. The keys open it only when there’s something to fix.
5. Click Paste (복붙하기) to change only the text in the message box; nothing is sent. On a Mac, in a review window you opened with the keys, one press of Enter right after it opens does the same.

On phones, KakaoTalk has its own spell check button (맞춤법) at the message box, added in version 11.3.0 of the mobile app on December 18, 2024. You tap it before sending.

The same check works in Slack, email and most other apps you write in. In apps that draw their own text, such as Figma, and in terminals, Minikong checks your keystrokes for typos only. On Windows, some apps, such as the new Outlook, aren’t checked yet.

How do I check Korean spelling on a Mac?

Korean spelling on a Mac can be checked with the built-in macOS spell checker or with an app you install. The built-in tool checks spelling in many apps, while Minikong checks spelling and word spacing right where you type in KakaoTalk, Slack and other apps.

Minikong runs on Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 26 or later; there’s no Intel Mac version yet. Here’s how to install Minikong on a Mac.

1. Download the Mac .dmg from the Minikong download page.
2. Drag Minikong into your Applications folder after opening the .dmg.
3. Open Minikong from Applications. The first time, macOS asks you to confirm because the app was downloaded from the internet.
4. Turn on Accessibility and Input Monitoring when the first-run guide asks. Screen & System Audio Recording isn’t needed.
5. Test it in Settings: on the General tab, click Test input (시험 입력…), type ‘할께요.’ and click Check this sentence (이 문장 검사하기). If it changes to ‘할게요.’, you’re all set.

After you allow Input Monitoring, macOS may ask you to quit and reopen Minikong.

Apple says macOS checks spelling automatically in any language you type, but its feature list shows grammar checking for English only. On Macs with M1 or later and MacBook Neo, Apple Intelligence’s Proofread tool also supports Korean; you select text and run it yourself.

Is there a Korean spell checker for Windows?

Korean spell checkers for Windows include the Korean word processor Hancom Office Hangul, Microsoft Word and Minikong. The two word processors check text inside their own documents, while Minikong checks what you type in KakaoTalk, Slack and other apps for free. Grammarly’s Windows app also supports Korean, in beta.

Minikong runs on 64-bit Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and Windows 11. Here’s how to install Minikong on Windows.

1. Download Minikong-Setup.exe from the Minikong download page.
2. Open the installer. If ‘Windows protected your PC’ appears, click More info, then Run anyway; the installer isn’t code-signed yet, so this screen can appear.
3. Let setup finish. Minikong installs for your user account only, without admin rights, and opens when setup is done. There are no permissions to grant.
4. Test it: click Minikong’s icon in the notification area at the right end of the taskbar (click ^ to show hidden icons) to open Settings, then type ‘할께요.’ into Test input (시험 입력…) on the General tab and check it. If it changes to ‘할게요.’, you’re all set.

Because of Windows security rules, Minikong can’t read programs that run as administrator, and some apps, such as the new Outlook, aren’t checked yet.

As of October 27, 2026, the Home and Student download edition of Hancom Office costs ₩99,000 in Hancom’s store, and Microsoft 365 Personal costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year in the US.

Can I check Korean spelling offline?

Offline Korean spell checking needs an app that keeps its dictionaries on your computer. Minikong stores its dictionaries and checking data in the app, so it checks spelling, word spacing and typos without an internet connection. Among its checking features, only the subscription AI check and translation need the internet.

Spell checker websites such as Naver’s and Daum’s need an internet connection. Hancom says its Hangul word processor also works offline, with the internet needed only for its online features.

Separately from checking, Minikong looks for new versions and checking data 30 seconds after it starts and every 6 hours after that. Minikong doesn’t send what you’ve written during these update checks.

Does a Korean spell checker send my text to a server?

A Korean spell checker website sends the text you paste to its service so it can be checked. Minikong’s basic checking happens on your computer, so your text stays there. Only AI features and snippet sharing, which you turn on yourself, send text, and personal details are masked first.

Both ways Minikong can send text are off by default, and only users 14 and older can turn them on, each with separate consent. Before sending, your computer masks phone numbers, email addresses, bank account numbers and street addresses; for AI features, it puts them back when the result returns. People’s names may not be masked.

The AI provider is one company the operator chooses, Anthropic or OpenAI, and it usually deletes the text it receives within 30 days. See the Privacy Policy for details.

How is an AI Korean grammar checker different from a regular spell checker?

An AI Korean grammar checker reads your sentences and suggests fixes, while a regular spell checker compares your text with dictionaries and checking data. An AI check usually sends your text to a server, but Minikong’s basic check runs entirely on your computer.

The AI second check allows 200 checks a day and 2,000 a month. If you hit a limit, only AI features pause for that period, and the basic check keeps working. You can also paste text into AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask for a proofread.

Why do Korean spell checkers give different answers?

Korean spell checkers give different answers because each one uses its own dictionary and checking method, and because some rules of Hangeul Orthography allow two correct forms. For example, auxiliary predicates, which work like helping verbs, are written with a space as a rule, but attaching them is also allowed in some cases.

Article 47 of Hangeul Orthography (한글 맞춤법), South Korea’s official spelling standard, says that auxiliary predicates (보조 용언) are written separately as a rule but may be attached in some cases (our translation). Article 47 also lists cases where the space is required, such as when the word before them is a compound predicate.

On the National Institute of Korean Language’s Online Ganada (온라인가나다) board, someone asked why three spell checkers gave three different answers for ‘이해해보도록 노력해볼게’ (‘I’ll try my best to understand’). On May 28, 2026, the institute answered that 이해하- and 노력하- are derived predicates of three or more syllables, so the auxiliary predicates after them must be written with a space: ‘이해해 보도록 노력해 볼게.’

When results disagree, look the word up in the Standard Korean Language Dictionary and ask about rules on Online Ganada; both are in Korean. Learners can also use the institute’s Korean-English Learners’ Dictionary. A short list of the official rules is in Korean spacing rules in brief. If Minikong gets something wrong, tell us with the Error (오류) button in the review window.

Can I use Minikong if I’m learning Korean?

Korean learners can use Minikong to check the Korean they type on a Mac or Windows computer, for free. The app’s menus are in Korean for now, and English checking stays off until you turn it on. Suggestions can be wrong, so read each fix before you accept it.

This site’s English pages give each Korean setting name with an English translation, such as Paste (복붙하기) and Check language (검사 언어).

To check English too, change Check language (검사 언어) under Settings → General from Korean to English or Auto, or right-click the menu bar icon. Auto treats text as English only when it’s clearly English; otherwise it checks the text as Korean.

In apps whose text box Minikong can’t read, it reads your keystrokes instead, and that works only when you type Korean on the 2-Set (두벌식) layout or type English on the ABC or U.S. layout. On Windows, keystroke reading doesn’t work with the new Windows 11 Korean IME yet.

Real fixes, such as ‘연락할께요’ changed to ‘연락할게요’, are in our guide to Korean grammar checkers.