The TB spellchecker doesn't choose words automatically, i.e. there's no autocorrect. It only underlines misspelled words if that option is selected, and only suggests corrections if a misspelled word is right-clicked.

Do you have any external app that resets TB preferences, or a 3rd-party spellchecking utility?

thanks very much!

i am relatively new to ubuntu, but off the top of my head, know of no app that would have the affect I am describing, but anything is possible.

I have many default apps installed, such as libreoffice. could that or something similar be forcing words I don't intend?

again, many thanks.

ps i see that all kinds of auto actions were selected in libreoffice...so I have disabled them all just in case.

otherwise, and hoping it helps for me to say so, all apps have come thru ubuntu, and there are no third party apps installed outside of that process.

i understand that may not necessarily mean that I don't already have something which is causing this...so please feel free to make any suggestion you think appropriate.

that said, I don't use most of the apps, other than, for example to read something sent to me...thunderbird is the only real active app along such lines...............

LibreOffice is the first thing I would check to see if it applies its spellchecker to other apps. Check Tools/Add-ons & Themes in TB for any Dictionary or Extension related to spelling. The fact that something is doing autocorrect in TB indicates there's some non-TB app involved.

consider it done...which it already is.

thanks so much for the help....it is much appreciated.