MAC TREAT #82: Remove Custom Dictionary Entries

ByMike Moffit

If you use OS X’s built-in spellchecker, chances are that you’ve added custom words to your dictionary. For example, here at Small Dog, we frequently write “Smalldog.com”. By default, OS X’s spellchecker doesn’t recognize that word because it’s not in its dictionary. To save a couple of seconds a day, I’ve added it to my Mac’s spellcheck dictionary.

You can easily add custom words to your Mac’s dictionary by invoking the spellchecker, highlighting the word it doesn’t recognize, then clicking the “Learn” button. Invoke your Mac’s spellchecker in most apps by holding down the Command-Shift-; keys, or else by navigating to Edit > Spelling and Grammar > Check Document Now.

Their have been times when I’ve accidently added words to my dictionary. This has included misspellings. Fortunatly, it’s easy (though not obvious) to remove these misspellings from your Mac’s custom dictionary.

My recommended method for editing your Mac’s custom dictionary is to download the free Dictionary Cleaner application. This adds a small preference pane to your System Preferences panel, where you can easily view and remove the custom words you’ve added to the dictionary. You can download this app by clicking here.

You can also navigate to the Library folder in your User account on your Mac, where you’ll find a folder called “Spelling.” If you open this file with a basic text editing program, all you’ll see is a big cluster of words. These are the words you’ve added to your library. Before deleting any of these words, it’s better to use a program such as Text Wrangler (free, click here to get it) that allows you to see invisible characters. Now the words you’ve added are separated by red ¿ symbols. You can easily delete these. However, I still recommend Dictionary Cleaner

Similar Posts

  • Top 5 Tricks to Make Your PC More Like Your Mac

    Last week, I wrote about “how to make your Mac more like a PC.”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/?c=kb617 Now, here’s a Top 5 for the other side: those who want to make their PC more like a Mac! Whether you’re someone who wants the look and feel of a Mac because you’re used to one at home and your evil bosses make you work on a PC at the office (kidding) or simply because it’s fun to mix it up a bit, the following tips should help:

    1) *Get Firefox (or Safari):* Seriously, ditch Internet Explorer if you haven’t already! Both “Safari”:http://www.apple.com/safari/download/ and “Firefox”:http://www.getfirefox.com are much faster, cleaner, secure browsers for the web. In addition, Safari has the same features you love on the Mac side, and Firefox offers a seemingly infinite number of extensions to customize it (including numerous Safari/OS X skins). It’s a no-brainer!

    2) *Use Thunderbird:* Similarly, using Thunderbird will mimic your Mac experience. There are skins (themes) for it as well that emulate the look of Apple Mail–nice and clean. (We’ll be writing about our favorite Firefox/Thunderbird extentions in a future Kibbles.) Don’t worry about ditching Outlook; Thunderbird can handle all of the same types of email accounts (POP, IMAP, etc.) that it can, so you won’t miss a thing. (Just be sure to have someone guide you through the process if you’re unsure of some of your email settings.)

    3) *Fix that UI:* Face it, the user interface of a Mac looks good. If you’re still using Windows XP, it’s especially apparent that it doesn’t look as great. Try “StarDock’s WindowBlinds,”:http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/ a utility designed to make XP or Vista look amazingly Mac-like. It’s a non-permanent option that’s safe for work computers (as long as you have access) because it just gives your PC the smooth, aqua ‘skin’ of OS X.

    4) *Create PDFs:* Miss how easy it is to make a PDF in OS X? Grab “PDFCreator.”:http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/ Create a PDF from anything you’d be printing instead–no rebooting necessary!

    5) *Get Command back:* Use “SharpKeys!”:http://www.randyrants.com/2008/12/sharpkeys_30.html This tool allows you to switch your Alt and Ctrl keys, emulating the Command key on an Apple keyboard.

    Have some tips of your own? Let us know. Next week, I’ll feature some feedback from both of these articles!

  • eWaste Recycling Event Success!

    It’s official: our 3rd Annual eWaste Recycling Event was a success! With about *150 tons* collected from *1,700 cars* by about *100 volunteers* in roughly *4 hours,* it was an epic day.

    Thanks to our partners this year–we couldn’t have done it without them:
    *Ben & Jerry’s, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, SymQuest Technology, WeRecycle!, Belkin, Chittenden Bank, Chroma Technology, Seventh Generation, Sugarbush Resort, Waitsfield & Champlain Valley Telecom, DriveSavers, Ingram Micro with Canon, HP, FileMaker, LaCie and Kingston, Deerfield Designs, CSWD, Bisbee’s Hardware, Hall Communications and Kingsbury Construction.*

    Ed took some amazing footage of the event as well, so be sure to check out his videos below, as well as our photos from the event.

    * “Behind the Scenes of Our Record 2009 Ewaste Collection Event”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS7yVUgKri0&fmt=18

    * “Time Lapse Video: 150 Tons of eWaste Collected in 5 Hours!”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TyS38j5OzU&fmt=18

    * “2009 eWaste Recycling Event on Flickr”:http://www.flickr.com/photos/smalldog/sets/72157617001479815/

    Thanks again to all who participated! You did a great thing!

    For more information about the event, visit “our website.”:http://www.smalldog.com/ewaste All of the material is processed in the US and recycled responsibly by “WeRecycle!”:http://www.werecycle.com.

  • _Dear Friends,_

    It was snowing at my house this morning but Saturday’s forecast calls for temperatures in the 80’s! Ah, Spring. The fields are beginning to be bright green and I can see the buds on the Apple tree that is right outside my window here at the office. Grace managed to get the peas planted and the garden is looking good. We will be planting some new strawberry plants this year. After 3-4 years the strawberries start getting smaller and smaller and it is time to refresh our plants. I put the summer tires back on my car and cleaned mud off of everything this weekend.

    Apple announced their financial results on Wednesday and stealing a line from NPR Marketplace – we’ll do the numbers – below but there was one statement from Tim Cook that is worth commenting upon –

    “Cycles come and cycles go. What we’re about is making the best computers in the world, not the most. We want to make products we’re proud of.”

    This was in response to a question about netbooks and market share and overall pricing structure. It is one of the major reasons I am so proud to be an Apple reseller. Apple is not about cutting corners, making cheaper products but is all about making better products. This commitment to quality and innovation coupled with a supply train process that is as efficient as any makes Apple perhaps the most able to withstand this economic downturn.