How to Add Words to Android's Keyboard Predictive Text Dictionary

If you're tired of your Android device constantly mispredicting words when typing, it may be time to add some custom words to the predictive text dictionary. Luckily, this process is relatively simple and can be done in just a few steps.

To add a word to the dictionary on an Android device, head to the Language and Input section of Settings. From there, type the word you want to add into the Phrase area, leaving the Shortcut field blank unless you also want to assign a shortcut to the word.

On an iPhone, things work slightly differently. To add a nonstandard word, go to the Keyboard menu under General settings, and choose Add New Shortcut. You can also access your phone's dictionary directly and enter the new word from there.

Once you've added a custom word to the dictionary, it will eventually internalize your feedback and learn to recognize the word more accurately over time. If your phone does accidentally suggest the wrong word, you can fix the problem by x'ing out the suggestion on an iPhone or long-pressing the word on an Android device and pressing the check mark.

Smartphones are generally quite good at correcting spelling mistakes, but sometimes they can be a bit too enthusiastic in their corrections. This can result in absurd malapropisms that may not always accurately reflect what you're trying to say. If you find yourself frequently having to correct your phone's mistakes, it may be worth taking the time to add some custom words to the dictionary.

For example, if you and your friends often text each other about meeting up at the same two restaurants, which have names that your phone always autocorrects to completely different words, adding these names to the dictionary can help avoid the frustration of constantly having to correct your phone's mistakes. By teaching your phone to recognize these custom words, you can enjoy a more accurate and efficient texting experience.

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