The Polluted Dictionary
Google Docs features a robust spell checker. When it flags a word it doesn’t recognize (like a unique surname, a company brand, or a fictional location in a novel) with a red squiggly line, you can right-click it and select “Add to personal dictionary.” This tells Google Docs to ignore that specific spelling in the future. However, over years of use, you might accidentally add misspelled words to this dictionary, or add jargon that you only needed for one specific project. Suddenly, Docs stops catching actual spelling errors because those errors are now “approved” in your massive, cluttered personal dictionary, rendering the spell check tool useless.
Clearing the Custom List
To restore the strictness of the default spell checker and completely disable or clear the Personal Dictionary in Google Docs, you must delve into the advanced spelling settings.
Google Docs does not have a single button to turn the dictionary off; you must empty it manually. Open any Google Doc. Look at the top menu bar and click on Tools. Hover your mouse over the Spelling and grammar option. In the slide-out menu that appears, click on Personal dictionary. A new dialogue box will open, displaying a list of every single word you have ever added. Unfortunately, there is no “Delete All” button. You must hover your mouse cursor over each word in the list. When you hover, a small trash can icon will appear to the right of the word. Click the trash can icon to delete it. You must repeat this process for every word on the list until the dictionary is completely empty. Once empty, click OK. The spell checker is now reset to its factory defaults.