No option to learn spelling

Hello,

There is a word that I can’t add to the dictionary on my iPad or the dictionary on my iPhone. I have added it to the dictionary on my Mac. This means that when I type the word in Messages, Notes, Pages, or anywhere else that I have Check Spelling turned on, the word is flagged with a red underline. When I open the document on my Mac, the word is fine, not flagged, but gets flagged again when it’s opened on a different device. I have tried saving the document, making other changes then saving again, and even creating a text replacement for the word on my iPad in Pages (I tried creating a replacement with the word capitalized, and the word gets replaced, but is still underlined), but the problem persists.

To verify that my devices and apps are capable of learning a new word, I typed my last name, which was underlined in red. I can select the word, tap “Replace…,” and see two suggestions and the option to Learn Spelling. When I tap “Learn Spelling,” my last name is added to the dictionary, and the underline goes away. I can even select the word and choose to have it Unlearn Spelling. That word works just fine, so I know the apps are working.

When I select the word (“armscye,” I’m a sewist, and it’s the term for the arm curve on a bodice), I can select from the following options: Cut, Copy, Delete, Replace…, Define, Translate, Link, Bookmark, Highlight, Comment, Style…. When I tap “Replace…” it only shows “No Replacements Found.” Tapping “Define” shows No definition found, and gives options to Manage and Search Web. Of course, the word is found on the web, because it’s a real, English word that exists. Again, I’ve had my Mac Learn the word (and Unlearn and re-Learn) on the same document, but that change isn’t carrying over to my iOS or iPadOS when it’s opened.

I’m not sure what is causing the problem for this word. I have the Apple Dictionary, the Oxford American English Dictionary, and the Oxford American Thesaurus checked/downloaded for all my devices. Merriam-webster.com shows an alternate spelling, “armseye,” but it gets flagged as well. It has options to replace it with “arms eye” and “arms-eye,” but there still isn’t an option to Learn Spelling. Interestingly, thesaurus.com doesn’t have any entries for either “armscye,” “armseye,” or “armhole.” I don’t get it—it’s a totally common word that pattern makers and tailors and garment sewists have used since…the beginning.

If you can find a workaround, I’d be very interested in hearing it, but if you could find a way to force my iOS and iPadOS to learn the word, that would be awesome. I’d even just like to know if anyone has this issue with any other words, because maybe it’s some kind of bug that can be addressed by submitting it to Apple.

The directions at https://support.apple.com/guide/pages-ipad/check-spelling-tanf3d8c3e49/ipados don’t offer any new information. The problem is on all the apps that can use Spell Check. My iPad’s software is up to date (iPadOS 15.1), my iPhone’s software is also up to date (iOS 15.1.1), but my MBPr is super old (early 2013) and is as updated as possible on Catalina. (I have, of course, force quit all apps, and force restarted all my devices.)

Thank you for any suggestions you wouldn’t mind sharing. I’ll appreciate all of them.

Thanks,

Jess