The Custom Word Clutter
Google Docs includes a built-in spellchecker. When you type a word that the dictionary doesn’t recognize (like a unique character name, a specialized technical term, or a specific acronym), Docs underlines it in red. If you right-click the red underline, you have the option to “Add to personal dictionary.” Once added, Google Docs will never flag that specific spelling again across any of your documents.
While this is useful for permanent additions, many users accidentally click “Add to dictionary” instead of “Ignore” when dealing with one-off typos. Over time, this fills your Google Account’s personal dictionary with misspelled words, causing the spellchecker to silently ignore actual errors in future documents. You need to manage and occasionally clear out this custom list.
How to Manage the Personal Dictionary
You can view, edit, and delete words from your custom dictionary via the Tools menu.
- Open your web browser and navigate to any open document in Google Docs.
- At the top of the screen, click on the Tools menu.
- Hover your mouse over Spelling and grammar to open the sub-menu.
- Click on Personal dictionary.
- A popup window will appear listing every custom word you have ever saved to your Google Account.
- To remove an accidentally saved typo, hover your mouse over the incorrect word and click the Trash can icon that appears to its right.
- To manually add a complex word you know you will use frequently, type it into the “Add a new word” field at the top and click Add.
- Click OK when you are finished cleaning up the list.
By regularly auditing your personal dictionary, you ensure that Google’s spellchecker remains accurate and doesn’t silently gloss over your previous mistakes.