diff --git a/src/spell.c b/src/spell.c
index 0eb8763..2742997 100644
--- a/src/spell.c
+++ b/src/spell.c
@@ -1625,11 +1625,11 @@
 
 	/* For checking first word with a capital skip white space. */
 	if (capcol == 0)
-	    capcol = (int)(skipwhite(line) - line);
+	    capcol = getwhitecols(line);
 	else if (curline && wp == curwin)
 	{
 	    /* For spellbadword(): check if first word needs a capital. */
-	    col = (int)(skipwhite(line) - line);
+	    col = getwhitecols(line);
 	    if (check_need_cap(lnum, col))
 		capcol = col;
 
@@ -3593,7 +3593,7 @@
 
     line = ml_get_curline();
     endcol = 0;
-    if ((int)(skipwhite(line) - line) >= (int)col)
+    if (getwhitecols(line) >= (int)col)
     {
 	/* At start of line, check if previous line is empty or sentence
 	 * ends there. */