How to Edit Your Custom Dictionary in Word

Microsoft Word’s spell-check is quite good. However, it occasionally puts that squiggly red line under something that is spelled correctly. Maybe it’s a product, place, or company name. Maybe it’s a person’s first or last name. Regardless, most of us just right-click and select “Add to Dictionary” if we know we’ll be using that word again. But, have you ever wondered where all those words go once you’ve added them to your custom dictionary in Word? And more importantly, have you ever wondered if you could edit your custom dictionary in Word?

This tutorial shows how to access and edit your custom dictionary in Word. The images below are from Word for Office 365, which is currently the same as Word 2019. However, the steps are the same for Word 2016 and Word 2013 and similar for Word 2010.

Visit “How to Create a Custom Dictionary in Microsoft Word” for step-by-step instructions on creating custom dictionaries that can be applied to individual documents in Word.

Edit Your Custom Dictionary in Word

1. Select the File tab.

2. Select Options in the Backstage view.

3. Select Proofing in the Word Options dialog box.

4. Select the Custom Dictionaries button in the When correcting spelling in Microsoft Office programs section.

5. Select RoamingCustom.dic (Default) in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box. (You may also see a dictionary called Custom.dic., which is a carryover from Word 2010 and Word 2007. You can edit Custom.dic using the same method shown here.)

Pro Tip: These steps apply to all custom dictionaries, so you can select any dictionary listed in the Custom Dictionaries dialog box.

6. Select the Edit Word List button.

7. Use the RoamingCustom.dic dialog box to add or delete words from your custom dictionary.

8. Select the OK button to save your changes and close the RoamingCustom.dic dialog box.

Pro Tip: RoamingCustom.dic is the default custom dictionary file for your entire Microsoft Office suite, so you can edit it from any of your other Office programs by following steps similar to those shown above.

Further Reading: Four Tips for Using the Spelling and Grammar Check in Word