Add or remove words from dictionaries

Last updated on Jun 2, 2026

Learn how to customize spell-checking word lists for your language and workflow in Adobe InDesign.

InDesign maintains separate Added Words, Removed Words, and Ignored Words lists for each language dictionary, and changes apply to all documents that use that dictionary. Although you can add words while checking spelling, the Dictionary dialog box provides more control over how and where words are stored.

Select Edit > Spelling > User Dictionary.

Select the Target and Language.

From the Dictionary List drop-down menu, select the list type:

Added Words: Included in the specified Target and Language dictionaries.

Removed Words: Excluded from the specified Target and Language dictionaries.

Ignored Words: Ignored from the specified Target and Language dictionaries in the current session.

Type the word in the Word field or select an existing word from the list to edit it.

Select Hyphenate to view the default hyphenation of the word. Tildes (~) indicate possible hyphenation breaks.

Select one of the options:

Add: Adds the word in the Word field to the selected Target, Language, and Dictionary List.

Remove: Removes the selected word from the selected Target, Language, and Dictionary List.

 Select Done.