Why words get stuck in your keyboard dictionary and how to remove them
When you type a word repeatedly, your keyboard learns it and starts suggesting it automatically. This is useful for words you actually want — but if you've typed a misspelling, a name you no longer use, or something you typed by accident, that word stays in the dictionary and keeps appearing. Deleting learned words works differently depending on whether you use Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, and the steps take less than a minute once you know where to look.
The keyboard dictionary is separate from your device's spell-checker. Removing a word from the dictionary stops it from being suggested, but it does not change how the spell-checker marks misspellings. On most devices, you can delete individual words or clear the entire learned dictionary at once.
Key Takeaways
- On Windows, open Settings, go to Devices > Typing, and select "Manage dictionaries" to delete words one at a time or clear the whole learned list.
- On Mac, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Text, find the word in the list, and click the minus button to remove it.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Edit User Dictionary and swipe left on the word to delete it.
- On Android, open your keyboard settings (usually in the app's own menu, not your phone settings), find "Personal dictionary" or "User dictionary", and delete the word from there.
- If you cannot find the word in your dictionary, it may be stored in your cloud account — check your Microsoft, Apple, or Google account settings.
Deleting words on Windows
On Windows 10 and 11, the learned dictionary lives in Settings under Typing. Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "settings", then click the Settings app. Go to Devices in the left menu, then select Typing.
Scroll down to the "Typing" section and look for Manage dictionaries. Click it. You will see a list of languages — select the language your keyboard is set to (usually English). A new window opens showing words you have typed and the keyboard has learned. Find the word you want to remove, click it, and click the Delete button. If you want to clear everything at once, click Delete all at the bottom.
If you do not see the word in this list, it may be synced to your Microsoft account instead of stored only on this device. Sign out of your Microsoft account in Settings, then sign back in — this refreshes the dictionary. If the word still appears, check whether you are using a third-party keyboard app (like Gboard or SwiftKey) rather than the built-in Windows keyboard, because those have their own dictionary settings.
Deleting words on Mac
On Mac, the learned dictionary is called the User Dictionary and lives in Keyboard settings. Click the Apple menu in the top left, select System Settings, then go to Keyboard. Click the Text tab at the top.
You will see a list of words and phrases the keyboard has learned. Find the word you want to remove, click it once to select it, then click the minus button (−) below the list. The word disappears when ready. If you want to clear the entire list, select all entries by pressing Command+A, then click the minus button.
If the word does not appear in this list, it may be synced through your iCloud account. Go back to System Settings, click your name at the top, select iCloud, and make sure Keychain is turned on — this syncs your dictionary across your devices. If you want to remove the word from all your Apple devices at once, delete it here and it will sync within a few minutes.
Deleting words on iPhone
On iPhone, open Settings, scroll down and tap General, then tap Keyboard. Look for Edit User Dictionary near the bottom of the screen and tap it.
You will see a list of words you have typed and the keyboard has learned. Find the word you want to remove and swipe left on it. A red Delete button appears — tap it. The word is removed when ready and will no longer be suggested when you type.
If you have multiple Apple devices, the dictionary syncs through iCloud, so deleting a word on your iPhone removes it from your iPad and Mac as well. If a word keeps reappearing even after you delete it, turn off iCloud Keychain temporarily (in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud), delete the word again, then turn Keychain back on.
Deleting words on Android
On Android, the process depends on which keyboard app you use. The most common is Gboard (Google's keyboard). Open Gboard by tapping any text field, then long-press the keyboard icon at the bottom. Tap the gear icon to open Gboard settings.
Go to Dictionary or Personal dictionary (the exact name varies by Gboard version). You will see words you have typed. Find the word you want to remove and tap it, then select Delete. If you use a different keyboard like Samsung Keyboard or SwiftKey, open that app's settings directly from your phone's app drawer, look for "Dictionary" or "User dictionary", and follow the same steps.
If you use multiple keyboards, each one has its own dictionary, so you may need to delete the word from more than one. Check which keyboard is currently set as your default by going to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Keyboard app, then delete the word from that keyboard's dictionary.
Clearing your entire dictionary at once
If you want to start fresh and remove all learned words instead of deleting them one by one, most devices offer a "clear all" or "reset" option. On Windows, this is the Delete all button in Manage dictionaries. On Mac, select all words in the User Dictionary (Command+A) and click the minus button. On iPhone, there is no single "clear all" button, but you can delete words quickly by swiping left on each one in rapid succession.
On Android with Gboard, go to Settings > Dictionary, tap the three-dot menu, and look for Clear dictionary or Reset. Be aware that clearing your entire dictionary means you lose all the words the keyboard has learned, including ones you actually want — the keyboard will start suggesting common words again, but it will not remember your personal preferences until you type them again.
What to do if the word keeps coming back
If you delete a word but it reappears the next time you type, the word is likely synced to your cloud account. On Windows, sign out of your Microsoft account completely (Settings > Accounts > Your info > Sign out), restart your computer, and sign back in. On Mac and iPhone, turn off iCloud Keychain temporarily, delete the word, restart the device, and turn Keychain back on. On Android, sign out of your Google account (Settings > Accounts > Google), restart your phone, and sign back in.
Another reason a word might reappear is that you have multiple keyboards installed. Check your keyboard settings to see which one is active, and delete the word from that keyboard's dictionary specifically. If you use the same account across devices (like a Google account on multiple Android phones), deleting the word on one device may not remove it from the others — you may need to delete it from each device separately, or turn off cloud sync for your dictionary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a word without deleting it from all my devices?
Yes, but only if you turn off cloud sync first. On Windows, sign out of your Microsoft account. On Mac and iPhone, turn off iCloud Keychain. On Android, sign out of your Google account. Delete the word from the device you want, then sign back in. The word will remain on your other devices.
What if I accidentally delete a word I actually wanted?
The word is not gone permanently — it will reappear the next time you type it and the keyboard learns it again. straightforward type the word normally a few times and the keyboard will start suggesting it again within a few uses.
Does deleting a word from my keyboard dictionary fix misspellings?
No. Deleting a word stops it from being suggested, but the spell-checker will still mark it as wrong if it is misspelled. To fix a misspelling, you need to correct how you type the word going forward, not delete it from the dictionary.
Why does my keyboard keep suggesting a word I deleted?
The word is synced to your cloud account. On Windows, restart after signing out and back into your Microsoft account. On Apple devices, turn off iCloud Keychain, delete the word, restart, and turn Keychain back on. On Android, do the same with your Google account.
Can I prevent the keyboard from learning new words?
Most keyboards have a setting to turn off learning. On Windows, go to Settings > Devices > Typing and toggle off "Show text suggestions as I type". On Mac, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Text and uncheck "Correct spelling automatically". On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard and turn off "Auto-Correction". On Android, open Gboard settings and toggle off "Show suggestions".