Microsoft KB Archive/322198

= How to add a custom dictionary in Word =

Article ID: 322198

Article Last Modified on 12/12/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office Word 2007
 * Microsoft Office Word 2003
 * Microsoft Word 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Word 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q322198





SUMMARY
Microsoft Word can use multiple custom dictionaries to check the spelling of your documents. A custom dictionary allows 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 Word.



How to add a custom dictionary
Use one of the following methods to add a custom dictionary.

Method 1: Create an additional custom dictionary
To create an additional custom dictionary, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start Word.
 * 2) In Microsoft Office Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click Options on the Tools menu.

In Microsoft Office Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.
 * 1) In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click Custom Dictionaries on the Spelling & Grammar tab.

In Word 2007, click Proofing, and then click Custom Dictionaries under When correcting spelling in Microsoft Office programs.
 * 1) Click New to create a new custom dictionary.
 * 2) 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.
 * 1) In the Custom Dictionaries dialog box, click OK, and then click OK in the Options dialog box.

Method 2: Import an existing custom dictionary from another computer
To import a custom dictionary from another computer, follow these steps:  Copy the custom dictionary file that you want to add to the computer.

Custom dictionaries carry the .dic file name extension. They are generally located in the following folder:

\Documents and Settings\ \Application Data\Microsoft\Proof

When you copy the file to the computer, put it in the equivalent location. For example, put the file in the following location:

\Documents and Settings\ \Application Data\Microsoft\Proof

Note If you cannot find the custom dictionary in this folder, follow these steps to determine its location:  Start Word on the computer from which you want to import the dictionary. In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click Options on the Tools menu.

In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options. In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click the Spelling & Grammar tab, and then click Custom Dictionaries.

In Word 2007, click Proofing. and then click Custom Dictionaries under When correcting spelling in Microsoft Office programs. 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 &quot;Full path&quot; text (below the Dictionary list box). Click Cancel, and then click Close.</li> Exit Word.</li></ol> </li> In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, start Word on the computer to which you copied the custom dictionary, and then click Options on the Tools menu.

In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.</li> In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click the Spelling & Grammar tab, and then click Custom Dictionaries.

In Word 2007, click Proofing, and then click Custom Dictionaries under When correcting spelling in Microsoft Office programs.

If you copied the dictionary to the Proof folder under your own user name, you should see the dictionary in the Dictionary list. To enable the dictionary and to use it for spelling checker functionality, click to select the check box next to the dictionary name.</li> 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: <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word,, click Options on the Tools menu.

In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.</li> In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click the Spelling & Grammar tab, click Custom Dictionaries, and then click Add.

In Word 2007, click Proofing, click Custom Dictionaries under When correcting spelling in Microsoft Office programs, and then click Add.</li> In the Add Custom Dictionary dialog box, locate 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.</li></ol> </li></ol>

How to change the default dictionary
If you click Add to Dictionary when 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 added, follow these steps:
 * 1) In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word,, click Options on the Tools menu.

In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.
 * 1) In Word 2003 and in earlier versions of Word, click the Spelling & Grammar tab, and then click Custom Dictionaries.

In Word 2007, click Proofing, and then click Custom Dictionaries under When correcting spelling in Microsoft Office programs.
 * 1) Click the name of the dictionary that you want to set as the default, and then click Change Default.

Note The default dictionary is positioned at the top of the list. Additionally, its name is listed in bold characters.
 * 1) Click OK two times.

Keywords: kbexpertisebeginner KB322198

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