Google Docs features an excellent built-in spellchecker, but it can be incredibly annoying if you work in an industry with highly specific terminology. If you frequently type medical terms, complex legal jargon, or character names for a novel, the spellchecker will constantly underline them in bright red. To stop this distraction, you can add these specific words to your personal Google Docs Custom Dictionary.
How to Add Words on the Fly
The fastest way to add a word to your dictionary is while you are actively typing a document.
- When you type a word that Google Docs doesn’t recognise, it will draw a red squiggly line underneath it.
- Right-click on the underlined word.
- A context menu will appear, usually offering a spelling correction at the top. Ignore the correction and look lower down the menu.
- Click on Add “[Your Word]” to dictionary.
The red underline will immediately disappear. More importantly, because your dictionary is tied to your Google Account, that word will never be flagged as a misspelling again on any device where you are logged in.
How to Manage Your Dictionary
If you accidentally added a misspelled word to your dictionary, or if you want to paste a large list of technical terms all at once, you can access the main dictionary settings.
- Open any Google Document.
- Click on Tools in the top menu bar.
- Hover over Spelling and grammar, then click on Personal dictionary.
- A small popup window will appear showing every word you have ever added.
- To remove a word: Hover your mouse over the incorrect word in the list and click the small trash can icon that appears next to it.
- To add new words: Click inside the text box at the top, type your technical term, and click the blue Add button.
- Click OK when you are finished managing your list.