If you work with Scrivener projects in a language different from that which is set for your operating system, or in more than one language, you will need to change dictionaries to check spelling.
If you create Scrivener projects with content in multiple languages, or if you write in a language different from that of your operating system, you need to ensure that you can check spelling for those languages.
In another article, we explain how to change the language of Scrivener’s interface. In this article, we look at how to set the spell check dictionary language and how to obtain additional spell check dictionaries in Scrivener for Mac or Windows.
Scrivener spell check settings on Mac
When working in a Scrivener project with multiple languages – one language could be the main language, and a second language could be used in quotes or examples – it’s important to be able to check the spelling for the entire project.
On Mac, this is simple. The spell check dialogue in Scrivener leverages the macOS spell check framework, which, by default, automatically detects the language of each section of text. macOS can check spelling and grammar in dozens of languages.
If you choose Edit > Spelling and Grammar > Show Spelling and Grammar, Scrivener displays its spell check dialogue.
At the bottom of the dialogue, a menu lets you choose the language for spell check; by default, it is set to Automatic by Language, and it’s probably best to leave it this way. If you click this menu, you can see all the available languages.
You might want to make changes to the languages macOS uses for spell check. For example, if you write in a version of English that is not the same as your operating system settings – such as British English if macOS is set to U. S. English – you can set your preferred language in the System Settings. The easiest way to do this is to click the Automatic by Language menu in Scrivener’s spell check dialogue, then, at the very bottom of the list, choose Open Text Settings.
In the Text Input section of these settings, click Edit. Click the Spelling menu, which should say Automatic by Language, scroll to the bottom of the list, and choose Set Up.
You can check or uncheck languages you want to use when spell checking, and you can drag languages in the order you prefer. Only checked are used when spell checking is set to Automatic by Language, but you can choose any of the other languages when checking spelling in Scrivener.
Download additional dictionaries on Mac
While macOS has a lot of dictionaries, there may be others you want to use. You can download additional dictionaries and add them to your Mac.
In this Scrivener support article, we explain how you can obtain these dictionaries and where to install them on macOS.
Scrivener spell check settings on Windows
On Windows, Scrivener checks spelling in the default system language, and you can change the spell check language in Scrivener’s settings. Choose File > Options > Corrections, then click Spelling in the sidebar. In the Dictionary menu, choose the language for spell checking; on Windows, this is not automatic, so if you have sections of text in a different language, you need to change the setting before spell checking.
Click Select to choose a dictionary. If the language you want to use isn’t in the list, click Download, and you can choose a dictionary from among dozens of languages and download it from the Scrivener website. It is then added to the dictionary list.
Click Apply to save the change, and then choose Edit > Spelling to start checking spelling in that language. When you want to change to another language, you must change the dictionary in the options again.
Download additional dictionaries on Windows
While there are a lot of dictionaries available to download in Scrivener’s options, you may want to use others. You can download additional dictionaries.
In this Scrivener support article, we explain how you can obtain these dictionaries and where to install them on Windows.
Add words to your personal word list
When spell checking a document, you can instruct Scrivener to learn a word that’s not in its dictionary. Depending on what you write, you may need to do this often. If you’re writing a fantasy novel and you have names of characters and locations, they will be flagged as misspelled. If you’re writing about medicine, certain terms may not be in the basic spelling dictionary.
You can instruct Scrivener to learn unknown words in the spell check dialogue. But if you have a lot of words like this, it can be useful to add them to your personal word list.
There are two options in the spell check dialogue for dealing with words not in the dictionary.
On Mac, these are Ignore and Learn. The former tells your Mac to ignore the word for the rest of your session. Learn adds the word to your personal word list, and it won’t ever be flagged as incorrect again.
On Windows, these options are Ignore All and Add to Dictionary. If you click Ignore All, Scrivener will ignore that word for the current session. If you click Add to Dictionary, Scrivener adds that word to your personal word list.
Add words to your personal word list on Mac
To add words to your personal word list on Mac, in the Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder, then type or paste the following:
~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.AppleSpell/Library/Spelling/LocalDictionary
In this folder, you’ll find a file called LocalDictionary. Double-click this to open it in TextEdit, the macOS default text editor. (If you use another text editor, you can open the file in that app.)
This is a simple text file containing words you have added to your spelling dictionary in any Mac app. You can add words to this list manually, and if you have a list of words – such as characters, locations, or specialized vocabulary – you can copy that list and paste it into this file. Scrivener will recognize these words going forward. You can also delete words here that you have accidentally added to the dictionary.
Changes you make to this file only take effect after you restart your Mac.
Add words to your personal word list on Windows
In the Spelling settings mentioned earlier – File > Options > Corrections > Spelling – there’s a button labelled View Personal Word List. Click this to see the words that you have told Scrivener to learn.
To add a word, click +, type the word, and then click OK. Click OK in the Options window when you’re finished, and Scrivener will no longer flag those words as misspelled.
You can also delete words here that you have accidentally added to the dictionary. Select a word and click – to delete it.
Kirk McElhearn is a writer, podcaster, and photographer. He is the author of Take Control of Scrivener, and host of the podcast Write Now with Scrivener. He also offers one-to-one Scrivener coaching.