Adding a word to your iPhone dictionary

Your iPhone's dictionary learns words you use often, but you can also add words manually so the keyboard stops trying to correct them. The process differs slightly depending on whether you want to add a word to the standard dictionary or create a custom shortcut that expands into a longer phrase.

The fastest method is to let your iPhone learn the word naturally: type it, reject the autocorrect suggestion by tapping the X next to the correction, and after a few uses the phone stops flagging it. But if you want to add a word when ready without waiting, or if you want to create a shortcut (like typing "omw" to expand to "on my way"), you can do both through Settings.

Key Takeaways

  • You can add words to your iPhone dictionary through Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, which also lets you create shortcuts that expand into longer phrases.
  • Rejecting autocorrect suggestions by tapping the X teaches your iPhone to stop correcting that word, though this takes multiple rejections.
  • Words you add sync across all your Apple devices if you use the same iCloud account.
  • Deleting a word from your dictionary requires going back to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement and swiping left on the entry.

Adding a word through Text Replacement

Open Settings on your iPhone and tap General. Scroll down and tap Keyboard, then tap Text Replacement at the bottom of that screen. You will see a list of any shortcuts you have already created, with a plus sign (+) in the top right corner.

Tap the plus sign. In the Phrase field, type the full word or phrase you want to add — for example, "phenomenal" if that is a word your phone keeps correcting. Leave the Shortcut field empty if you just want to add the word without creating an abbreviation. Tap Save, and the word is now in your dictionary.

If you want to create a shortcut instead, type the full phrase in the Phrase field and a short abbreviation in the Shortcut field. For example, Phrase: "I will call you back later" and Shortcut: "icubl". Now when you type "icubl" and hit space, it expands to the full phrase automatically.

Teaching your iPhone through autocorrect rejection

Every time you type a word and your iPhone suggests a correction, a small X appears next to the suggestion. Tap that X to reject the correction. After you reject the same word three or four times across different typing sessions, your iPhone stops treating it as a misspelling and adds it to your learned dictionary.

This method works well for words you use regularly, because the phone learns them gradually. It does not require you to open Settings, but it is slower than adding the word manually if you need the correction to stop when ready.

Syncing words across your Apple devices

Any word you add through Text Replacement syncs automatically to your iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch if you are signed into the same iCloud account. This means you only have to add a word once, and it will be available everywhere you type on your Apple devices.

Words you teach through autocorrect rejection also sync, though the process takes a few hours. If you add a word on your iPhone and then when ready switch to your iPad, the word may not be there yet — wait a few minutes and refresh by opening a text field.

Removing a word from your dictionary

Go back to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. Find the word or shortcut you want to remove and swipe left on it. A red Delete button appears — tap it to remove the entry.

If you want to undo a word your iPhone learned through autocorrect rejection, there is no direct way to "unlearn" it. The only option is to add it to Text Replacement with a blank Shortcut field (so it stays in your dictionary but does not expand), or to manually correct it every time it appears until the phone stops suggesting it.

Why your iPhone keeps correcting certain words

Your iPhone's keyboard uses two sources for corrections: the built-in dictionary that comes with iOS, and your personal learned dictionary. Words in the built-in dictionary get corrected even if you have never typed them before. Adding a word through Text Replacement overrides the built-in correction, so the phone stops trying to change it.

Some words stay in the built-in dictionary even after you reject them multiple times — this is especially true for proper nouns and brand names. If rejecting the correction does not work after several tries, use Text Replacement instead. That method always takes priority over the built-in dictionary.

Shortcuts that do more than expand text

Text Replacement is designed for text expansion, but you can also use it to create reminders for yourself. For example, you could set Shortcut: "email" and Phrase: "your.email@example.com" so you do not have to type your full email address each time. Or Shortcut: "addr" and Phrase: your full mailing address.

Keep shortcut names short and unusual so they do not accidentally expand in the middle of a sentence. A shortcut like "the" would expand every time you typed that common word, which would be frustrating. Stick to abbreviations that are unlikely to appear in normal typing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will adding a word to my dictionary change how it appears in autocorrect for other people?

No. Your dictionary is personal to your account and devices. Other people using the same iPhone will see their own learned dictionary, and people using other phones will not be affected at all.

Can I add a word to my dictionary on my Mac and have it appear on my iPhone?

Yes, if you use the same iCloud account. Add the word through System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacement on your Mac, and it will sync to your iPhone within a few minutes. The process works in both directions.

What happens if I add a word that is already in the built-in dictionary?

Your custom entry takes priority. If the built-in dictionary has "teh" as a misspelling of "the", but you add "teh" as a shortcut for "technical", your shortcut will expand instead of the autocorrect triggering.

Can I export my dictionary or back it up?

Your Text Replacement entries back up automatically when you back up your iPhone to iCloud or a computer. If you restore your iPhone from a backup, your custom dictionary comes back with it. There is no way to export the list as a file.

Why does my iPhone sometimes correct a word I have already added?

If you added the word through autocorrect rejection rather than Text Replacement, the built-in dictionary may still override it occasionally. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement and add the word there with a blank Shortcut field to may support it stops correcting.