Applies To
Excel for Microsoft 365 Word for Microsoft 365 Outlook for Microsoft 365 PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 Access for Microsoft 365 OneNote for Microsoft 365 Excel 2024 Word 2024 Outlook 2024 PowerPoint 2024 Access 2024 OneNote 2024 Excel 2021 Word 2021 Outlook 2021 PowerPoint 2021 Access 2021 OneNote 2021 Excel 2019 Word 2019 Outlook 2019 PowerPoint 2019 Access 2019 Excel 2016 Word 2016 Outlook 2016 PowerPoint 2016 Access 2016 OneNote 2016

You can add specialized words to a custom dictionary, like proper names, technical terms and acronyms, and specialized capitalization, to prevent the spelling checker from flagging them as mistakes.

  • Select the check mark next to a dictionary in the Dictionary List to use that dictionary while checking spelling.

  • Select Edit Word List to add new words to your custom dictionary.

  • Select Change default to choose which dictionary to update when you select Edit Word List or when you select Add to Dictionary while checking spelling.

  • Select New to create a new dictionary to use while checking spelling. You can create project-specific dictionaries and turn them on or off as needed.

  • Select Add to use an existing dictionary file.

  • Select Remove to remove a dictionary from the Dictionary List. You can also clear the check box next to a dictionary in the Dictionary List to temporarily stop using it.

  • Select Browse to find a specific dictionary file.

  • You can see where the selected file is being stored in File path:

  • Select a custom dictionary in the Dictionary List and then choose a language in the Dictionary language drop-down list box to set a specific custom dictionary for that language.

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