diff --git a/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el b/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
index 25a0a1063..d90eeeebe 100644
--- a/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
+++ b/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@
                (featurep! :completion helm)))
       (call-interactively #'ispell-word)
     (cl-destructuring-bind (start . end)
-        (bounds-of-thing-at-point 'word)
+        (or (bounds-of-thing-at-point 'word)
+            (user-error "No word at point"))
       (let ((word (thing-at-point 'word t))
             (orig-pt (point))
             poss ispell-filter)