Teaching Flow Language-Specific Abbreviations and Acronyms

Last updated: September 8, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. On Android you can view, add, edit, and delete plain dictionary words, but replacement rules ("Correct a misspelling") must be created on Mac, Windows, or iOS.

Is Flow expanding "BTW" to "by the way" when you mean the Dutch abbreviation? Use the Dictionary to override Flow's defaults so acronyms transcribe exactly how you want, in any language. Most setups take under two minutes.

Quick checks

  • Is a default entry in the way? Flow seeds a few default entries (including "btw" → "by the way"); edit or delete the existing one before reusing that acronym.

  • Are you signed in? Dictionary changes sync across devices only when signed in.

  • Can your platform create the rule? Replacement rules can only be created on Mac, Windows, or iOS. Android syncs and applies rules created elsewhere.

How to add a language-specific abbreviation

Mac and Windows

  1. Open the Flow Hub and select Dictionary in the sidebar.

  2. Search for your acronym (e.g. "btw"). Click an existing entry to edit it, or click Add new.

  3. Enable the Correct a misspelling toggle.

  4. Enter what Flow currently transcribes in Misspelling (e.g. "btw" or "by the way").

  5. Enter your desired output in Correct spelling (e.g. "BTW").

  6. Click Add, or Save changes when editing. Submitting an edit with no changes shows a "no changes" error instead of saving.

  7. Dictate the acronym in a test message. If it appears as you specified, the entry is working.

Search matches both the word and its replacement. Sort by Starred first, Newest first, Oldest first, or Alphabetical — your choice persists — and star entries to pin favourites. The toolbar refresh button syncs manually; its tooltip shows the last sync time. Every entry must contain at least one letter or number.

Select multiple entries with Shift+click or Cmd/Ctrl+click to delete them in bulk ("Delete N" → "Delete N words?"), or, with team features, share them in one action ("Share N with team", shown only when at least one selected entry isn't already shared). If a word already exists in the team dictionary, sharing is cancelled with an error and the personal copy is kept.

Tip: Cmd+N / Ctrl+N opens the Add New Word dialog; Cmd+F / Ctrl+F searches. Outside an input field: c opens Add New Word, / focuses search, Arrow Left/Right switch tabs, Arrow Down/Up (or j/k) move through the list, Enter opens the highlighted entry, Shift+click or Shift+Arrow extends a selection, Cmd/Ctrl+Backspace bulk-deletes, Escape clears the selection and closes search.

iOS

  1. Open the Flow app and go to Dictionary.

  2. Tap the floating action button at the bottom right.

  3. Enable the Correct a misspelling toggle, which appears only when adding a new word.

  4. Enter the misspelling and the correct spelling.

  5. Tap Save.

  6. Dictate the acronym in any app. If it appears correctly, you're done.

Note: Tap a row to edit an entry. Entries with a replacement display as word → replacement, auto-added words show a ✨ suffix, and team words show a team icon in the All tab. Recently used entries move to the top of the list.

Note: On team-eligible plans, the Share with Team toggle appears only when adding a new word and only in the All tab. Long-press a personal entry for Move to team dictionary.

Tip: Long-press an entry for copy, edit, and delete options, or swipe left to delete it.

Best practices

  • Match your pronunciation: If you say letters individually ("bee tee double-u"), enter that as the misspelling instead of "BTW."

  • Use precise capitalization: Enter "BTW" in the correct spelling field, not "btw" or "B.T.W." Skip periods unless your style guide requires them.

  • Add variations: If you sometimes say "B T W" as separate letters and sometimes as a word, add an entry for each.

FAQs

Why does Flow keep expanding my acronym after I add it to the dictionary?

The misspelling field may not match how you pronounce the acronym — if you say it letter by letter ("bee tee double-u"), enter that phrasing. Also confirm you deleted or edited any existing entry.

Can I use the same acronym differently in different languages?

Flow cannot detect language context for ambiguous acronyms. If you need "BTW" in Dutch but "by the way" in English, add the Dutch "BTW" entry and speak "by the way" fully in English.

Do dictionary changes sync across my devices?

Yes, when you're signed in. Changes apply immediately on the current device; other devices pick them up automatically — desktop at app launch or via the toolbar refresh button, iOS each time the app loads, and Android every time you open the Dictionary screen.

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

A vocabulary word helps Flow recognize a term during dictation. Correcting a misspelling creates a replacement rule that swaps the misspelling for your version after transcription — use this for corrections like btw → BTW. Only entries you author with the Correct a misspelling toggle create replacement rules; entries Flow adds for you appear with a ✨ marker.

Why am I seeing an error when adding a word?

Errors differ by platform:

  • Mac/Windows: Adding a correction to a word that has no replacement upgrades the existing entry; if it already has one, you'll see a "correction already exists" error.

  • iOS: Empty, too-long, and duplicate words show inline in the edit sheet; a failed save, update, or delete (for example, a network error) shows an alert with details.

  • Android: The confirm button is disabled while the field is blank, validating, or saving. Inline errors cover empty fields, duplicates, words already used as a snippet, and words over the limit ("Word is too long (max 60 characters)"). If the dictionary can't load, you'll see "Something went wrong. Please try again." with a Retry button; add, update, and delete failures show "Failed to add/update/delete word. Please try again."

Can I add team dictionary entries from Android?

Enterprise Android users can view team-shared words with the "Shared with team" filter, but must use Mac, Windows, or iOS to create misspelling → correction rules.

Limitations and notes

  • Entries are limited to 60 characters on Mac, Windows, and Android; iOS also enforces a maximum length and shows "Word is too long" inline.

  • Bulk Import is desktop-only and can be enabled in Settings → Experimental.

  • The same word can exist once in your personal dictionary and once in the team dictionary — duplicate checks only compare entries within the same scope.

  • A dictionary word can't duplicate an existing snippet trigger ("This word is already used as a snippet" on Android), and snippets never appear in the Dictionary list.

  • Department-level sharing is not yet available.

  • Team Dictionary access depends on platform and plan. On iOS, team tabs and the Share with Team / Move to team dictionary options require an enterprise account with an active or trialing team/business subscription. On Mac and Windows, team features also cover paying personal subscribers inside an enterprise; until team features are active, Add new and Import are disabled on the Team tab and a Join your team / Invite your team button opens Settings → Team.

Still stuck?

Reach out to support if:

  • Your entry still isn't applied after dictating a fresh test phrase.

  • Entries aren't syncing between devices after restarting the app or reopening the Dictionary screen.

  • You see a notification that your dictionary couldn't be loaded, or an error not covered above.

Include your platform, app version, and the exact entry (misspelling and correct spelling). Most dictionary issues are resolved in one reply.