How to Add Words to Dictionary in Word 365 – Guide 2023

Does Microsoft Word 365 regularly detect words that you commonly use as misspelled words? You can change this by adding custom words to the dictionary.

Option 1 – Add Words to Dictionary While Writing

Type the word in your document and right-click on it and select “Add to Dictionary”.

Option 2 – Add Words to Dictionary from Settings

1. Expand the Office Quick Access Toolbar and select “More Commands…“.
   
2. Select “Proofing” in the left pane, then click the “Custom Dictionaries…” button.
   
3. Here you can add or remove dictionaries. Usually, you just need to use one dictionary. To add a word to the dictionary, select “Edit Word List…“.
   
4. Type the word you wish to add to the dictionary and click “Add“.
   
5. Select “OK” then “OK” again when you are done adding words. Now your word will not be detected by Word as a misspelling.

Note: This option is also available in other Office applications such as Outlook, Excel, Publisher, etc.

FAQ

Why is my “Add to Dictionary” option grayed out?

This seems like a bug in the software. Try going to “File” > “Options” > “Proofing” > “Custom Dictionaries”. Then select the “Dictionary language”. Then remove the checkbox next to the dictionary item, then check it again. These steps seem to toggle something in the software that makes the “Add to Dictionary” option available again.

Why doesn’t Word seem to be spell-checking correctly?

Check to make sure you are using a valid dictionary file. You can do this by going under “Proofing” > “Edit Word Dictionaries…” > “Edit Word List…”