How to add a custom dictionary in Word (322198)

SUMMARY

Microsoft Word can use multiple custom dictionaries to check the spelling of your documents. A custom dictionary permits you to supplement the main dictionary with additional words, such as names, specialized technical terms, foreign words or alternative spelling of some words.

This article describes how to add a custom dictionary to Microsoft Word.

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Add a Custom Dictionary

Use one of the following methods to add a custom dictionary to your computer:

Method 1: Create an Additional Custom Dictionary

To create an additional custom dictionary, follow these steps:

1. Start Word.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
3. On the Spelling & Grammar tab, click Custom Dictionaries.
4. Click New to create a new custom dictionary.
5. In the File name box, type a name for the new custom dictionary, and then click Save.
   
   The custom dictionary is added to the Dictionary list.
6. In the Custom Dictionaries dialog box, click OK, and then click OK in the Options dialog box.

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Method 2: Import an Existing Custom Dictionary from Another Computer

To import a custom dictionary from another computer, follow these steps:

1. Copy to your computer the custom dictionary file that you want to add.
   
   Custom dictionaries carry the .dic file name extension and are generally located in the Boot_Drive\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Proof folder. When you copy the file to your computer, put it in the equivalent location -- for example, Boot_Drive\Documents and Settings\your_user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Proof.
   
   Note If you cannot find the custom dictionary in this folder, follow these steps to determine its location:
   1. Start Word on the computer from which you want to import the dictionary.
   2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
   3. Click the Spelling & Grammar tab, and then click Custom Dictionaries.
   4. In the Dictionary list box, click the custom dictionary that you want to import.
      
      The path to the custom dictionary appears immediately to the right of the "Full path" text (below the Dictionary list box).
   5. Click Cancel, and then click Close.
   6. Quit Word.
2. Start Word on the computer that you copied the custom dictionary to, and then click Options on the Tools menu.
3. Click the Spelling & Grammar tab, and then click Custom Dictionaries. If you copied the dictionary to the Proof folder under your own user name, you should see the dictionary in the Dictionary list. To activate the dictionary and use it for spelling checker functionality, click to select the check box next to the dictionary name.
4. If you copied the dictionary file to a folder other than Proof, you must add the dictionary to the list before Word can use it. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
   2. Click the Spelling & Grammar tab, click Custom Dictionaries, and then click Add.
   3. In the Add Custom Dictionary dialog box, navigate to the folder to which you copied the custom dictionary, click the file name, and then click OK three times to close all the dialog boxes that are still open.

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Change the Default Dictionary

If you click Add to Dictionary while you run the spelling checker on your document, Word adds the new word to the default custom dictionary. To change the default dictionary to the one that you just added, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Spelling & Grammar tab, and then click Custom Dictionaries.
3. Click the name of the dictionary that you want to set as the default, and then click Change Default.
   
   Note that the default dictionary is positioned at the top of the list and its name is listed in bold characters.
4. Click OK twice.

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