Do you have a dictionary installed and selected?

You can see which dictionary is selected if you right-click in a text area and open the Languages submenu. At least one dictionary should be installed and have a check mark to indicate that it is selected.

• Open the "Add Dictionaries" link to install a dictionary if you do not have one.
• Make sure that [X] "Check Spelling" in the right-click context menu is check-marked.

You can enable or disable spell checking globally:

• Tools > Options > Advanced : General: Browsing: "Check my spelling as I type"

You can look here for dictionaries:

• https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/language-tools/

You can check for problems with preferences and try to rename or delete the prefs.js file and possible numbered prefs-##.js files and a possible user.js file to reset all prefs to the default values.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Resetting_preferences

Open the "Add Dictionaries" link to install a dictionary if you do not have one.

   Make sure that [X] "Check Spelling" in the right-click context menu is check-marked. 

As I said I have neither an add dictionaries button or a check spelling context menu.

Spell check was working fine before I updated to 20.

I ended up leaving Ubuntu anyway, it's still not ready for prime time.

You will only see the language and dictionary entries in the right-click context menu if you right-click in a text area like the "post a reply" form on this forum.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions (Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance).

• Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window or otherwise make changes.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

Heh. I know where I was supposed to right click :)

I guess I should have taken screen caps. There was no menu. The dictionary was loaded from the previous version, but right clicking on a misspelled word gave nothing at all, while right clicking on a text area gave the normal context menu minus the spellchecker sections.

I didn't get a chance to try safemode, and it's too late now. I guess I'll just have to assume that was the problem.

Thanks for your time.

Running FF22 I find that spellcheck seems to operate differently from site to site. On some sites my choice of English(GB) is in effect and I can get the menu choice when I right click. On others English(US) is in effect and right click does not bring up the menu choices.

You should install the newest one, it has spell check on it.

"You should install the newest one, it has spell check on it."

I thought 22 was latest. When I click "Help - About Firefox " it shows "Firefox is up to date". Or are you referring to a Beta version, or Aurora?

It is the latest. You said you had the 20th, and I have the 22nd, which checks for that kind of thing.

I had corrected my original post. You obviously read it before I did so. I am running FF22 and the problem I described still exists. Could it be something to peculiar to specific sites? For example it is OK on Facebook and http://painintheenglish.com/, but not on forums.scottishfootballforums.co.uk

Note that websites can disable the spell checker (e.g. Google Translate does this) and check spelling doesn't have a tick and the Languages sub menu is hidden.
You can check this via the right-click context menu and Inspect Element will show spellcheck="false" in such a case.

I have found that on the site in question the result of the right click varies depending on where in the text box the cursor is positioned. If the cursor is on a line that contains text or a line that has been formed by pressing enter then the menu with the spell-check options appears. If positioned elsewhere in the test box then a different menu appears.