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How to Create a Custom Dictionary in Microsoft Word

By Erin Wright

All Microsoft Word users have a default custom dictionary that acts as a catchall for their spelling preferences. In fact, every time you right-click on a flagged word (which may or may not be misspelled) and select “Add to Dictionary,” that word goes to your default custom dictionary. However, you can create additional custom dictionaries in Microsoft Word for specific documents.

This tutorial explains the following:

1. How to create a custom dictionary

2. How to add words to a custom dictionary

3. How to add or remove a custom dictionary for a specific file

This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 100 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013. In addition, the steps are similar for Word 2010.

How to Create a Custom Dictionary

1. Select the File tab.

File tab in Microsoft Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 1. File tab

2. Select Options in the Backstage view.

Options in the Backstage view of Microsoft Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 2. Options in the Backstage view

3. Select Proofing in the Word Options dialog box.

Word Options dialog box in Microsoft Word 2019 / Word 365 with Proofing tab highlighted
Figure 3. Proofing in the Word Options dialog box

4. Select the Custom Dictionaries button.

Custom Dictionaries button the Word Options dialog box in Microsoft Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 4. Custom Dictionaries button in the Word Options dialog box

5. Select any of the available options in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box to make the New button available. (If All Languages or English is selected, the New button will be grayed out, which means it is unavailable.)

Dictionary list in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box in Microsoft Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 5. Dictionary list in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box

6. Select the New button.

New button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box in Microsoft Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 6. New button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box

7. Choose a file location for your new dictionary in the Create Custom Dictionary dialog box. Note that the default location chosen by Word will be appropriate for most users. See the Pro Tip below for additional information.

Create Custom Dictionary dialog box in Microsoft Word 2019 / Word 365 with file path highlighted
Figure 7. File path in the Create Custom Dictionary dialog box

Pro Tip: By default, Word will save your new custom dictionary in the UProof folder connected to your user name, which means that only you can access that dictionary. If you want to share your new dictionary, save the file in another folder accessible by other Word users in your organization.

See step 6 in How to Add or Remove a Custom Dictionary for a Specific File, below, for instructions on adding dictionaries saved in other locations.

8. Type the name of your new custom dictionary in the File name text box.

File name text box in the Create Custom Dictionary dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 8. File name text box in the Create Custom Dictionary dialog box

9. Select the Save button.

Save button in the Create Custom Dictionary dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 9. Save button in the Create Custom Dictionary dialog box

The Create Custom Dictionary dialog box will close automatically, and your new dictionary will appear in the Custom Dictionary dialog box.

New dictionary listed in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 10. New dictionary listed in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box

10. (Optional Step) Uncheck the new dictionary if you do not want it to be automatically applied to current or future documents.

11. Select the OK button in the Custom Dictionary dialog box.

OK button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 11. OK button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box

Now, let’s populate your newly created custom dictionary.

How to Add Words to a Custom Dictionary

This section assumes that you closed the Custom Dictionary dialog box after completing the previous section. If your Custom Dictionary dialog box is still open, you can skip to step 5.

If you want to edit the existing words in your default custom dictionary or another custom dictionary, visit “How to Edit Your Custom Dictionary in Microsoft Word.”

1. Select the File tab (see figure 1).

2. Select Options in the Backstage view (see figure 2).

3. Select Proofing in the Word Options dialog box (see figure 3).

4. Select the Custom Dictionaries button (see figure 4).

5. Select your new dictionary in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box (see figure 10).

6. Select the Edit Word List button.

Edit Word List button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 12. Edit Word List button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box

7. Type one word at a time into the Word(s) text box in the Edit Word List dialog box.

Words(s) text box in the Edit Word List dialog box
Figure 13. Words(s) text box in the Edit Word List dialog box

8. Select the Add button for each word.

Add button in the Edit Word List dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 14. Add button in the Edit Word List dialog box

9. Select the OK button when you are finished adding words to save your changes. The Custom Dictionaries dialog box will close automatically.

OK button in the Edit Word List dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 15. OK button in the Edit Word List dialog box

In an upcoming tutorial, we’ll use a simple text editor such as Notepad to add multiple words at once to a custom dictionary.

How to Add or Remove a Custom Dictionary for a Specific File

By default, Word’s Editor (which is the new name for the spelling and grammar check) applies all custom dictionaries to your documents unless specific dictionaries are manually unchecked in the Custom Dictionary dialog box. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to review the Custom Dictionary dialog box regularly to ensure that Word is using the dictionaries that you want—and none that you don’t.

The following steps show how to (1) add or remove a custom dictionary already connected to your document and (2) add a custom dictionary currently unconnected to your document (i.e., a dictionary saved outside of the UProof folder).

Add or Remove a Custom Dictionary Already Connected to Your Document

1. Select the File tab (see figure 1).

2. Select Options in the Backstage view (see figure 2).

3. Select Proofing in the Word Options dialog box (see figure 3).

4. Select the Custom Dictionaries button (see figure 4).

5. Check or uncheck specific dictionaries in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box (see figure 10).

6. Select the OK button to save your changes. The Custom Dictionaries dialog box will close automatically (see figure 16).

Add a Custom Dictionary Currently Unconnected to Your Document (Outside File)

1. Select the File tab (see figure 1).

2. Select Options in the Backstage view (see figure 2).

3. Select Proofing in the Word Options dialog box (see figure 3).

4. Select the Custom Dictionaries button (see figure 4).

5. Select any of the available options in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box to make the Add button available (see figure 5). (If All Languages or English is selected, the Add button will be grayed out, which means it is unavailable)

6. Select the Add button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box.

Add button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 16. Add button in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box

7. Navigate to the location of the dictionary you want to add in the Add Custom Dictionary dialog box and select the dictionary file.

New dictionary located through the Add Custom Dictionary dialog box
Figure 17. New dictionary located through the Add Custom Dictionary dialog box

8. Select the Open button.

Open button in the Add Custom Dictionary dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 18. Open button in the Add Custom Dictionary dialog box

The Add Custom Dictionary dialog box will close automatically, and the dictionary you just selected will appear in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box.

New dictionary add to the Custom Dictionaries dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 19. New dictionary added to the Custom Dictionaries dialog box

9. Select the OK button to save your changes and close the Custom Dictionaries dialog box (see figure 16).

Related Resources

How to Create an Exclusion Dictionary in Microsoft Word

How to Create and Customize Headings in Microsoft Word

Updated January 06, 2022

Filed Under: Microsoft Word Tagged With: Word 2010, Word 2013, Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 2021, Word 365

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