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How to add words to your iPhone dictionary with Text Replacement, so your iPhone automatically recognizes them when you type

Written by Emma Witman
2019-10-10T18:04:00Z
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It's easy to add words to your iPhone dictionary so your iPhone can automatically recognize those words when you type. Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock

  • You can add words to your iPhone dictionary using Text Replacement.
  • When you add words to Text Replacement, your iPhone will recognize them and no longer autocorrect these words to something else.
  • You can also add shortcuts so that your iPhone can recognize and autofill certain words or phrases, expanding your iPhone's vocabulary. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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Maybe it's those four-letter words that your iPhone is constantly censoring to keep your messages PG-13, or perhaps it's the unique name of your dog or company.

Either way, we all know the frustration when your iPhone refuses to recognize that the word you're trying to spell out is actually how you want the word to appear.

Fortunately, Apple offers a solution for its iPhone users: Text Replacement. 

If you're constantly baffled by your iPhone wrongly "correcting" you when typing, the Text Replacement feature is a way to manually add any commonly-used words to your iPhone's repertoire.

Here are the five simple steps to use Text Replacement to expand your iPhone's texting lingo:

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How to add words to your iPhone dictionary using Text Replacement

1. Open your iPhone's Settings app.

2. Scroll down to and tap "General."

3. Open "Keyboards."

4. Tap "Text Replacement," then the "+" sign in the top right corner.

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The Text Replacement feature should appear toward the top of your iPhone's Keyboards settings page. Emma Witman/Business Insider

5. You can now add any words that you want your iPhone to recognize. You can also add shortcuts that will autofill the desired phrase as you type. 

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I added the unique name of my roommate's dog, Yuzuki. Apple also automatically adds names that are saved under "Contacts" to your iPhone's dictionary. Emma Witman/Business Insider

Once you've added your commonly used words and their shortcuts, you'll finally have Apple's autocorrect feature working for you — rather than against you.

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Now, just three letters later, the lovable Yuzuki is known by my iPhone. Emma Witman/Business Insider
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Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

Emma Witman
Emma Witman is an Asheville, NC-based freelance journalist with a keen interest in writing about hardware, PC gaming, politics, and personal finance. She is a former crime reporter for a daily newspaper, and has also written extensively about bartending for Insider. She may or may not judge your drink order when behind the bar. Follow her on Twitter at @emwity.

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

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