Teach Flow your words with the dictionary

Last updated: April 30, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

Flow misspelling names, technical terms, or industry jargon? The dictionary teaches Flow your vocabulary so it recognizes specialized words and corrects persistent errors automatically.

What it is

The dictionary is a customizable word list that improves Flow's transcription accuracy for your specific vocabulary. Add words Flow should recognize — like names and technical terms — or create replacement rules that automatically fix persistent misspellings. Your dictionary syncs across all your devices.

When to use it

Use the dictionary when you want to:

  • Add names of colleagues, companies, or products Flow doesn't recognize.

  • Teach Flow technical acronyms or industry-specific terminology.

  • Fix a word Flow consistently misspells the same way.

  • Import a large vocabulary list from a CSV file.

How it works in Flow

Overview

Dictionary entries work in two ways. Vocabulary words are sent to the server to improve recognition during transcription, while replacement rules are applied after transcription to fix specific misspellings.

Key behaviors

  • Word boosting: Vocabulary words improve recognition accuracy for uncommon or specialized terms during transcription.

  • Misspelling correction: Replacement rules automatically swap one spelling for another after transcription. The replacement map is also shared with the server during dictation sessions.

  • Auto-add to dictionary: Flow can automatically learn words it doesn't recognize. Words from your corrections are filtered through proper-noun detection, so only names and uncommon proper nouns are learned — common everyday words are excluded. Words visible on your screen during dictation may also be added if they appear in your transcription.

  • Usage tracking: Flow tracks how often you use dictionary words to improve suggestions over time. Auto-learned words are marked with a ✨ sparkle icon in the desktop dictionary.

  • Instant availability: Dictionary terms load at app startup and at the beginning of each dictation session — no restart needed after changes.

  • Cross-device sync: Entries sync automatically between Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.

  • Priority order: On desktop, personal dictionary words take precedence over team dictionary words when the same word exists in both. Starred words (desktop only) are prioritized when there are conflicts or many dictionary items.

  • No overlap with snippets: A word cannot be both a dictionary entry and a snippet trigger. If you try to add a word that's already used as a snippet trigger (or vice versa), Flow shows a validation message.

Best practices

  • Add both singular and plural forms of terms (e.g., "API" and "APIs").

  • Use misspelling correction for words Flow consistently gets wrong the same way — it's more reliable than just adding the word.

  • Keep entries concise (60-character limit per word).

  • Star your most important words so they get higher priority during dictation.

  • Review your dictionary periodically to remove outdated terms.

Tip: Good candidates for the dictionary include names (colleagues, companies, products like "Lyft" or "FigJam"), technical terms (acronyms like "API," medical or legal terminology), and uncommon words (non-English phrases, internal team terminology).

How to use the dictionary

Open the dictionary directly

On iOS and Android, jump straight to the Dictionary tab with this link: Open Dictionary in Wispr Flow. If Wispr Flow isn't installed, the link redirects you to download the app.

Add words to your dictionary

Mac and Windows

Follow these steps to add a word:

  1. Open the Wispr Flow app.

  2. Click Dictionary in the left sidebar.

  3. Click Add new.

  4. Enter the word or phrase you want Flow to recognize.

  5. Click Save.

Dictate a phrase using your new word. If Flow transcribes it correctly, the entry is working.

iOS

Follow these steps to add a word:

  1. Open the Wispr Flow app.

  2. Tap Dictionary at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap the + button.

  4. Enter the word or phrase you want Flow to recognize.

  5. Tap Save.

Dictate a phrase using your new word. If Flow transcribes it correctly, the entry is working.

Android

Follow these steps to add a word:

  1. Open Wispr Flow.

  2. Tap Dictionary at the bottom.

  3. Tap the + button.

  4. Enter the word.

  5. Tap Add.

Dictate a phrase using your new word. If Flow transcribes it correctly, the entry is working.

Note: Words must be 1–60 characters. Duplicate entries and words already used as snippet triggers are rejected with a validation message.

Add words from the scratchpad (Mac and Windows)

Spellcheck is enabled in the Wispr Flow scratchpad and main text editor. If a word is underlined as a potential misspelling, you can add it to your dictionary without leaving the scratchpad:

  1. Right-click the underlined word in the scratchpad.

  2. Select Add to Dictionary from the context menu.

The word is saved immediately and will no longer be flagged as a misspelling. You can also right-click to apply a suggested correction with one click.

Fix persistent misspellings

If Flow keeps transcribing a word incorrectly (e.g., "Draught" instead of "Draft"):

  1. Go to Dictionary and click Add new (or tap + on iOS).

  2. Enter the correct spelling (e.g., "Draft").

  3. Toggle on Correct a misspelling.

  4. Enter the wrong spelling Flow keeps producing (e.g., "Draught").

  5. Click or tap Save.

Dictate a phrase that would trigger the misspelling. If Flow now produces the correct spelling, the replacement is active.

Note: Each word can only have one replacement rule. To change a misspelling correction, edit the existing entry rather than creating a new one.

Add a correction to an imported word

Words imported from a CSV file appear in your Vocabulary list and can have a correction added to them.

  1. Open Dictionary and find the imported word — look for the upload icon next to the entry.

  2. Click the entry to open it.

  3. Toggle on Correct a misspelling.

  4. Enter the incorrect spelling Flow keeps producing.

  5. Click Save.

Edit or delete entries

Mac and Windows

To edit: Click the entry to open it, make your changes, and click Save.

To delete: Click the trash icon next to the entry.

iOS

To edit: Tap any entry to open it, make your changes, and tap Save.

To delete: Swipe left on any entry to delete it.

Android

To edit: Swipe right on the word. Your changes will replace the existing entry.

To delete: Swipe left and confirm in the dialog that appears.

Search your dictionary

Mac and Windows

Press Cmd+F (Mac) or Ctrl+F (Windows) to open the search bar. Search matches against both the word and its replacement. Press Escape to close the search bar.

iOS

Search is not currently available — browse the list to find entries.

Android

A search bar is always visible at the top of the dictionary screen.

Star a word (Mac and Windows)

Starring a word gives it higher priority during dictation. When Flow encounters conflicting words or has many dictionary items, starred words are recognized first.

  1. Click the star icon next to any dictionary entry. The star fills in to show it's active.

  2. Click the star again to remove it.

Filter your dictionary

Mac and Windows

All users see tabs (All / Personal / Shared with team). The team tab shows an upgrade prompt for non-team users.

iOS

Team plan subscribers see filter tabs (All / Personal / Team). On the All tab, team entries display a team icon. Non-team users see a flat list with no filters.

Android

Enterprise users see filter chips (All / Personal / Shared with team). Non-team users see a flat list with no filters.

Sort your dictionary (Mac and Windows)

Use the sort options to change how your dictionary list is ordered:

  • Starred first: Brings starred words to the top, with ties broken by most recently modified.

  • Newest first: Most recently added entries appear at the top.

  • Oldest first: Earliest entries appear at the top.

  • Alphabetical (A–Z): Entries sorted alphabetically.

Your sort preference is saved automatically. On iOS, words are always sorted by most recently modified. Android does not have sort controls.

Copy a dictionary word (iOS)

Long-press a dictionary entry to open the context menu, which includes Copy, Edit, Delete, and (for team users) Move to team dictionary. Select Copy to see a "Word copied to clipboard" confirmation. When a replacement is set, the correct spelling — not the misspelling — is copied.

Bulk import from CSV (Mac and Windows)

  1. Go to Settings → Experimental and enable Bulk Import.

  2. Return to the Dictionary page and click Import.

  3. Select a CSV file with one column (vocabulary words) or two columns (misspelling/correction pairs).

Maximum file size is 3MB and maximum 1,000 entries per import. Duplicate entries (within the file or against your existing dictionary) are automatically skipped. Rows with more than two columns and malformed rows (such as unterminated quotes) are silently skipped. Quoted fields are supported, so commas inside quotes won't split a value across columns.

Bulk Import supports both dictionary words and snippets. When team features are enabled, a Share with Team toggle lets you import directly into the team dictionary.

After importing, all words from the CSV file appear in your Vocabulary list with an upload icon. You can add or edit corrections for any of these entries at any time.

Team dictionary walkthrough (Mac and Windows)

If you're on a team plan, Flow may show a guided walkthrough that introduces team dictionary features — like how shared words work and how to move personal entries to the team dictionary. The walkthrough appears as a card with step indicators and Back/Next buttons so you can move through it at your own pace.

Examples

Adding a colleague's name

Problem: Flow transcribes "McKenzie" as "Mackenzie."

Solution: Add "McKenzie" to your dictionary.

Result: Flow now recognizes "McKenzie" when you speak it.

Fixing a persistent misspelling

Problem: Flow keeps transcribing "Draft" as "Draught."

Solution: Add "Draft" with Correct a misspelling enabled, entering "Draught" as the misspelling.

Result: Flow automatically replaces "Draught" with "Draft" after transcription.

Adding technical acronyms

Problem: Flow transcribes "API" as "A.P.I." or "a pie."

Solution: Add both "API" and "APIs" to your dictionary.

Result: Flow recognizes both singular and plural forms correctly.

Common issues

Bugs fixed in recent updates

The following issues have been fixed in recent versions of Wispr Flow:

  • The + button to add a new dictionary or snippet entry being hidden behind the system navigation bar on Android. (Fixed in 1.8.2.)

  • Editing a dictionary word on Android leaving behind a duplicate entry. (Fixed in 1.8.5.)

  • Renaming a dictionary word on Android (changing the word itself, not just its replacement) creating a duplicate entry after syncing or relaunching the app.

  • Dictionary or Snippets not showing a "no results" message when searching or filtering returned no matches on Android.

  • Common words like "sprint," "feature," or "deploy" being saved to your dictionary automatically.

  • "Add to Dictionary" button staying visible after typing to replace a selection on iOS.

  • Dictionary and Snippets tabs appearing empty after launching the app on iOS.

  • Proper nouns and other words not being extracted correctly during dictation.

  • Dictionary words appearing on the Snippets screen (or vice versa) after syncing on Android.

  • App crashes when browsing the dictionary, snippets, or language list.

  • App crashes when a word appears in both personal and team dictionaries.

To resolve any of these:

  1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

  2. Restart the app after updating.

FAQs

What's the difference between adding a word and correcting a misspelling?

Adding a word helps Flow recognize it during transcription — vocabulary words are sent to the server for improved recognition. Correcting a misspelling replaces one word with another after transcription. Use misspelling correction when Flow consistently produces a specific wrong spelling.

How do team dictionaries work?

On Team, Business, and Enterprise plans, admins can create shared dictionary entries that apply to all team members automatically. Individual users can still add personal entries. If the same word exists in both your personal and team dictionaries, your personal version takes precedence.

Why aren't common words like "sprint" or "roadmap" added to my dictionary automatically?

Flow's auto-add feature uses AI to identify proper nouns in your corrections — like names, brands, and specialized terms. Common words aren't classified as proper nouns, so they won't be auto-added. To handle a common word a specific way, add it manually.

Can a word be both a dictionary entry and a snippet trigger?

No. A word can only be one or the other. If you try to add a word that's already in use in the other list, Flow shows a message letting you know. Remove it from one list before adding it to the other.

Can I export my dictionary?

There is no built-in export feature. Contact support if you need to migrate a large dictionary.

Limitations and notes

  • Dictionary entries have a 60-character limit per word.

  • Each word can only have one replacement rule.

  • A word cannot be both a dictionary entry and a snippet trigger — each word can only belong to one list.

  • Up to 200 vocabulary words are sent to the server for word boosting per dictation session.

  • Bulk import is available on Mac and Windows only (maximum 1,000 entries per import, 3MB file size limit).

  • Team dictionaries require a Team, Business, or Enterprise plan.

  • Android does not support replacement rules, starring, sorting, or bulk import.

  • iOS does not have search — browse the list to find entries.