How do I add words to the dictionary

To CampyOnlyGuy, rbawski, JB900, Jabits (can't remember the spelling but I'm sure if I type it 3 times the iPad will 'learn' lolol too funny - how to spell the word). Seriously everyone - specially the one with the 'computer LEARNING' person; are you guys serious? Did you guys even stop to think about what you were writing? I don't know if I should be angry at your stu%#<*#+ or just laugh. Anyhow, I admit I too (until 5 minutes ago didn't know how to add a word (as per the original question which all of you haven't answered) didn't know how to do it. However, it just took a few minutes to find the answer. I agree you can have your auto- correct accept (usually after two tries) the spelling of a word. However, it will remain underlined in red (I haven't checked to see if that can be eliminated but as long as I can have my word added is what's important) My first word was favourite. (It is my opinion this is the American way to write it - eeeek) Anyhow, with words like favorite (the Canadian method of writing it) and favourite the iPad, iPhone did not "memorize" my way of writing it. I needed to manually add the word to have it accepted by the unit. So, if your word sounds identical to another word such as favourite/favorite, the system will NOT recognize your new word and therefore will never "learn" the correct spelling of your word. If it's a completely different word that has no match I sound only then (after two - possibly three - tries) will the system store the spelling of 'your' word. (the one you wish to add) If your word is like the favorite example, or you simply want to add the word to the dictionary yourself, then do the following: Go to settings and tap GENERAL, then tap on KEYBOARD, then tap on ADD NEW SHORTCUT, then place your cursor in the space by the word PHRASE, (although it usually goes there automatically) and finally type in the word you wish to add to the dictionary. Tap the SAVE icon and your ALMOST done. It won't recognize your correction just yet. One more thing. There are Apps still running in the background and all of those must be closed before your unit will recognize the change you made to your dictionary. So, click twice in rapid succession (do it very quickly) to display al of the open apps on your unit - located at the bottom of your screen. Press on any one of those Apps and hold it there for a moment and you will see the red 'x' in the top corner of each open App. Click on every one of this 'x's and this will only close the Apps completely - don't worry it doesn't delete the application. Think of this procedure as a REBOOT without shutting down your unit. Once done, press once on the HOME button and you're good to go.

The fact that the red underlining persists means the dictionary will not accept new words, which means my problem continues until Apple adds an "add to dictionary" feature. When I type in my email for an internet purchase--the iPad will continue to change my email. Had I known 15 years ago when I picked my yahoo screen name, that Apple would refuse to recognize it in 2011, I absolutely would have picked something else. But this also explains why I have been seeing email signature lines like this: "sent from my iPad...please excuse typos, misspellings, and other errors which completely alter my intent."

MalouDaniel wrote:

My first word was favourite. (It is my opinion this is the American way to write it - eeeek) Anyhow, with words like favorite (the Canadian method of writing it)

I think you have it backwards. -our is British, etc., -or is American.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences#- our.2C_-or

Hi there jablts. I won't claim to know what's going on on the other side of the computer, but I just went to my notepad and did this...

Typed jablts (then clicked the x) hit the space bar and typed jablts (clicked the x) hit the space bar and typed jablts (you guessed it). After that I think it was still recommending a new word half way through jablts but once the whole word was typed out I was able to proceed with out having to go back and fix it. It may still have the "incorrect spelling" red underlining but it didn't force a change on me. If you're only looking to get rid of the red underlining then I have no idea on what to do.

Good luck.

You're all missing one thing (possibly.) An app often needs to be shut down and re-opened before it will recognize a Settings change. For example, I entered "carboned" into the Shortcuts as described above, but back in Notes, it still red-lined my new word. I COMPLETELY exited Notes and re-opened Notes and the red-lining stopped.

To completely shut an app down, press the Home button to LEAVE the app (it's still running in the background) then double-press the Home button, then hold your finger on the revealed Notes icon to make it show its red Negative tag. Press this red tag. The app disappears and is closed completely. Double press the Home button and re-open Notes. Red-lining gone.

I think many users don't know that apps keep running like this. Many apps only re-check their environment after a cold re-start. Apologies if you already knew all this!

If you go to Settings>General>Keyboard down the bottom you can add a new 'Shortcut'.

This will add the word/phrase to the dictionary.

If you type a capitalised word in the 'phrase' field and the lowercase version in the 'shortcut' field the word will be auto-capitalised for you.

Thanks man, that does work. I couldn't figure out how I accidentally did it before , because I do like the auto correct feature cause of my big ol fingers but sometimes it corrects words that I didn't want and just couldn't figure out how to add them, they should make it more clear like just have an option on there when you touch the word and it brings up suggestions there, at the end they should put an " add word " button.

I Just can't understand how there is no such feature, also a manually activated check spelling where you quickly add/ignore/change all incidences.

Shame on you Apple, I think even WordPress for DOS had that

jablts wrote:

is that command too difficult for Apple product developers to put on the iPad?

Nobody here knows why what you want is not yet there. Best to let Apple know via their feedback channel:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

GO to settings, general, keyboard, text replacement. Put in whatever you want as a keyword which will generate your actual word.

I could be wrong about this, but I believe the dictionary is self learning. It usually takes about 3 times for the dictionary to learn a word, but once it does, you won't have to keep correcting the word.

Actually, I think I'm right. When you type a word that iPad tried to correct, there is usually an X that appears and you have to tap the X for iPad to learn the word. I don't have a common last name, and after about 3 times, my name is now no longer questioned........

I think you're both right, sorta. I know this is old but figured I'd throw in any way. Had the same issue, typing in a "name" dozens and dozens of times, even clearing it with the little x. But it was in a "user name" field. I went to the iPad's note pad app and typed in the same name, each time using the little x to cancel the auto correction. After about 7 or 8 times it started accepting the word. No more issues in various fields. So, wanna add a word to the auto correct "dictionary"? Do it in the note app :)

Thank you! I have an unusual first name and it was always being autocorrected on my iPad. I tried the international dictionary option above and that didn't work. Someone else suggested repeatedly entering the word in the google bar in Safari and clicking the "x" to keep it from autocorrecting and "teach" iPad the word and that didn't work either. After entering the word only a few times in the notepad and correcting it, iPad finally learned my name! Yay! This is saving me so much irritation. Thanks so much for adding your tip!!!!!