How to Add to the Spell Check Dictionary in Microsoft Word

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An easy guide to adding custom words and dictionaries in Word
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Sometimes, when you work on a document in Microsoft Word, you might type a word the program doesn't recognize. When this happens, a red squiggly line appears below the word. If you want to prevent a certain word from being marked as incorrect, you can add a word to the dictionary so Microsoft Word will recognize it and stop trying to correct it. This guide will teach you how to add a word to the dictionary in Word on Windows, Mac, and on the web. We'll also show you how to add a dictionary, change your custom dictionary, and edit words you've added to the dictionary by mistake.

Easily Add to the Dictionary in Word

To quickly add a word to the dictionary in Microsoft Word for Windows or Mac, right-click or control-click a word that has a squiggly line below it, then select Add to Dictionary . If you're using Word on the web, click the word once, click the three horizontal dots, then select Add to Dictionary .

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Quickly Adding to the Dictionary

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  1. When Word identifies a misspelled word, it adds a squiggly line beneath it. If Word is not set to check spelling automatically, click the Review tab and select Spelling and Grammar to do a spell check now. [1]
    • Adding to the dictionary in Word also makes that word available for spell check in other Office applications, including Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. [2]
    • Unfortunately, you cannot add a word to the dictionary in the Word mobile app for Android, iPhone, or iPad. You can, however, edit the dictionary in your iOS or Android's settings.
  2. This brings up a context menu in Word for Windows and Word for Mac.
    • If you're using Word in your web browser, just left-click the word instead of right-clicking or control-clicking, then click the three horizontal dots on the menu •••.
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  3. This instantly adds the selected word to your default dictionary in Microsoft Word. [3]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Customizing the Dictionary on Windows

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  1. You can use Word's custom dictionaries tool to add, remove, or edit the words in your custom dictionaries in Word and other Microsoft 365 programs.
    • You can also create new custom dictionaries and enable or disable them here.
  2. It'll be at the bottom-left corner of the window.
  3. It's on the left panel. This opens options for spell check, autocorrect, and other corrections.
  4. Unchecking this option ensures Word will use your custom dictionary when spell-checking documents.
  5. A list of custom dictionaries will appear.
  6. When you add words to your dictionary from within the document by right-clicking or control-clicking the word, words are automatically added to your default dictionary. The default dictionary will have (Default) at the end of its name. To make a different dictionary the default, select that option and choose Change Default .
    • If you have different dictionaries for different writing styles, you can enable or disable dictionaries by checking or unchecking their corresponding boxes.
  7. If you have a custom dictionary file in the .dic format and need to add it to Word, click the Add button, navigate to the .dic file you want to add, then click Open to select it. If you want to create a new dictionary for a specific type of writing, you can click New to create one.
  8. Here, you can easily add words to the dictionary or remove words you've added incorrectly.
    • If you use Microsoft 365 with OneDrive, select RoamingCustom.dic . If you don't see this option, select Custom.dic instead.
  9. Type the word you want to add to the dictionary, then click Add to add it.
    • If there's a word in the dictionary you want to modify, such as changing certain letters to capital or lowercase, adjusting the spelling, or making some other type of change, you will need to delete the word and re-add it. Select the word and click Delete , then type the word and click Add .
  10. This saves the changes you've made to the dictionary in Word. Click OK until you've exited all screens and returned to your document.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Customizing the Dictionary on Mac

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  1. You can use Word's custom dictionaries tool to add, remove, or edit the words in your custom dictionaries in Word and other Office programs.
    • You can also add or create new custom dictionaries and enable or disable them here.
  2. This opens your Word settings.
  3. You should see this in the "Authoring and Proofing Tools" section. [4]
  4. Unchecking this option ensures Word will use your custom dictionary when spell-checking documents.
  5. This displays a list of your dictionaries in Word.
    • Your default dictionary is the one that's currently selected. To change your default dictionary, just click the dictionary you want to set as the default so it is selected.
  6. The dictionary should be called Custom Dictionary .
    • If you have a custom dictionary file in the .dic format and need to add it to Word, click the Add button, navigate to the .dic file you want to add, and double-click it to add it.
    • If you don't see a dictionary or want to create a new one, click the New… button, type a name for the dictionary, and then click OK .
    • Make sure your preferred custom dictionary has a checkmark beside it to indicate that it's active.
  7. To add a new word to your dictionary, click the Add button, then enter the word you want to add. If you need to modify a word you've already added, such as one you've added accidentally, or want to change the case, you will need to delete the word and re-add it.
  8. Any changes you made to your dictionary in Word are now saved.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/check-grammar-spelling-and-more-in-word-0f43bf32-ccde-40c5-b16a-c6a282c0d251
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-or-edit-words-in-a-spell-check-dictionary-56e5c373-29f8-4d11-baf6-87151725c0dc
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-or-edit-words-in-a-spell-check-dictionary-56e5c373-29f8-4d11-baf6-87151725c0dc
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-or-edit-words-in-a-spell-check-dictionary-56e5c373-29f8-4d11-baf6-87151725c0dc

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