# Scrivener spell check?



## Lefevre (Feb 1, 2014)

Does anyone have a solution for the weak spelling/grammar check function in Scrivener?

I have Googled around, and have also tried a few different settings, but Scrivener still misses a ton of obvious things. 

Are there any settings/tricks you can recommend?


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

You can add words to the dictionary, if you're finding stuff that Scrivener misses. I don't have much problem with it, though sometimes I have to search for the odd word (I had one the other day, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was, except that it was a word I know was correct but Scrivener was flagging it -- the memory thing drives me nuts).


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

Yes, Scrivener's spellcheck is lousy.

I have a solution that I just figured out a few days ago. When I'm ready to release a version, I compile it to a docx file and open that in OpenOffice. I choose Tools/Spelling and Grammar, and OO will step through each word that it doesn't recognize.

I either


correct it back in Scrivener if it is misspelled ...
add it to the main dictionary if I can confirm that it is correctly spelled ...
add it to a special project specific dictionary if it isn't a normally correct word, but it is correct in my book.
Now, next time I create a version I do the same thing. If I haven't added any misspelled words, it will immediately tell me that all is okay. Hope that's clear.

The spellcheck is part of my final checklist:


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Their spell check just sucks. I check in Word then manually make changes in Scrivener files. Yes it's like...snail pace and dark ages method.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Er. I think that's because the spellcheck goes hand in hand with the dictionary of your Mac. I only have to enter a strange name once, in all programs. If you're running it on a PC...


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## Lefevre (Feb 1, 2014)

Thanks for the comments!

It appears that I am using the same work around. 

I LOVE everything about scrivener, except for the annoying cycle of...

Scrivener -> compile -> Microsoft Word -> MS Word spell check -> make the changes in Scrivener (repeat)

I was hoping someone knew of a software package I could buy or some configuration that would make the scrivener spell check function more like Microsoft Word.

Scrivener's horrid spell check prevents it from being perfect.


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## GwynnEWhite (May 23, 2012)

I hate it too.  I can't imagine why they don't fix it.


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## Catana (Mar 27, 2012)

If the complaints are about the PC version of Scrivener, it's because the program was originally designed for the Mac and uses the Mac's internal dictionary. It's very easy to add new words, but maybe not sufficient motivation for switching to a Mac.


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## johannesrexx (Mar 30, 2015)

Consider searching the InterWebs for a "word list" and install it as a dictionary on your computer. Some search results include:


For example: http://www.bestwordlist.com/allwords.txt has about 267,756 words in it
The Linux words file: https://users.cs.duke.edu/~ola/ap/linuxwords contains about 45,402 words
There are more here: http://www-01.sil.org/linguistics/wordlists/english/


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## Lefevre (Feb 1, 2014)

Nice checklist Trombone Al, I will implement something like that too.

Johannesrexx..I will check out the links

My Mac's internal dictionary is weak, maybe that is the fix I need?

Thanks for taking the time to comment!


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

johannesrexx said:


> Consider searching the InterWebs for a "word list" and install it as a dictionary on your computer. Some search results include:
> 
> 
> For example: http://www.bestwordlist.com/allwords.txt has about 267,756 words in it
> ...


I get the impression that ScrivWindows uses its own dictionary.


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## George Saoulidis (Feb 2, 2016)

Same issue here. Sometimes it gets on my nerves.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Confirming Scriv's dictionary is absolutely awful (PC version).

I guess I should complain to them about it. They're looking into an issue for me right now where the search function sometimes doesn't see certain chapters:










Which is normally not an issue. Until I get to editing. And, you know, editing doesn't really work out all that well if I can't search for specific words/phrases in 100% of the manuscript's contents.

Still... wouldn't give up Scrivener for anything, but it's time to complain about the poor dictionary.

Also... I wonder if it would be that hard to have it detect double spaces like MS Word does. Anything to never have to use Word for any reason is my goal.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

>to have it detect double spaces like MS Word does
The workaround is to select the entire manuscript, then choose Edit/Find/Find... and replace all double spaces with singles. There's also a special way to eliminate two blank lines in a row, but I can't find it.

>the search function sometimes doesn't see certain chapters
BTDT. Click the down arrow in that search control. There are a bunch of gotchas there that might explain it.


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## mrforbes (Feb 16, 2013)

I run my draft through Grammarly before I send it off for editing. Downside? Not free.
www.grammarly.com/


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Hmm. I'd have to look more closely at the Mac version now that I'm working with it, but even with the PC version I don't remember having issues with the spellchecker. It underlines anything it catches as a misspelling and I can right-click on the flagged word and either make Scrivener ignore it or learn it. If I click 'learn' it, it adds to the dictionary and then it doesn't get flagged again.


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## 69959 (May 14, 2013)

Scrivener's spell check drives me completely nuts. Then after the last update, they erased all my added words. That was really, really fun. You know, in the way root canals are really, really fun.

I wish they would make the PC version as good as the Mac.


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## Trans-Human (Apr 22, 2015)

Lefevre said:


> I was hoping someone knew of a software package I could buy or some configuration that would make the scrivener spell check function more like Microsoft Word.
> 
> Scrivener's horrid spell check prevents it from being perfect.


Some use ProWritingAid together with Scrivener.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Maybe if we deluge L&L with requests to either upgrade their dictionary or allow us to sideload our own dictionaries, they would be down with it and then we could complain about other minor issues instead of this major one


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## benlovejoy (Feb 28, 2016)

It's god's way of telling you to buy a Mac. 

As others have said, Scrivener was designed to use the Mac's system dictionary, so any words your Mac knows (from any app), Scrivener does too. The Windows version I believe has its own dictionary.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

mrforbes said:


> I run my draft through Grammarly before I send it off for editing. Downside? Not free.
> www.grammarly.com/


I use the Grammarly plug-in for FireFox, which _is _free. It catches a lot, especially my ill-advised commas before FANBOY dependent phrases.


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## George Saoulidis (Feb 2, 2016)

benlovejoy said:


> It's god's way of telling you to buy a Mac.


Hahaha. Haha. Hahaha.
No.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

A little Googling suggested that it's possible to download a good dictionary and then massage it and add it to your user-defined dictionary. That would solve all the problems. Anyone do that?


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## Archetypist (Nov 12, 2016)

Scrivener's spellcheck is just a bad on a Mac as a PC. It DOES NOT use the built in dictionary.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

AngryGames said:


> Also... I wonder if it would be that hard to have it detect double spaces like MS Word does. Anything to never have to use Word for any reason is my goal.


On the Mac version of Scrivener, you can open a file, click your cursor in it, and then go to Format > Convert > Multiple Spaces to Space and it'll automatically change all instances of multiple spaces in that document to one space. Easy peasy. I don't remember if the PC version has the same functionality.


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2016)

Jim Johnson said:


> On the Mac version of Scrivener, you can open a file, click your cursor in it, and then go to Format > Convert > Multiple Spaces to Space and it'll automatically change all instances of multiple spaces in that document to one space. Easy peasy. I don't remember if the PC version has the same functionality.


I don't use it myself, but yes, it does, just checked


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## notjohn (Sep 9, 2016)

The spellchecker on Amazon's KDP is very helpful, I find. I especially like the option to have the flagged errors emailed to me. This is of course a last-ditch thing. It works for me because I do most of my work in Word, which also works quite well unless the book is huge, and I am in any event good at the task because I once made my living as an editor. 

(Apologies if someone else has already mentioned KDP spellcheck. I only read the first page of comments.)


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## AbbyBabble (Mar 16, 2013)

Archetypist said:


> Scrivener's spellcheck is just a bad on a Mac as a PC. It DOES NOT use the built in dictionary.


 Does anybody know how to make Scrivener unlearn a word? I can't seem to edit their dictionary.


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## evmaho (Dec 9, 2017)

The solution for a better spell check is to change the file the spell checker uses.

I wrote a manual how to do so. Feel free to check it out: https://evmaho.wordpress.com/2017/12/09/beauty-and-the-beast/

Eva-Maria


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

evmaho said:


> The solution for a better spell check is to change the file the spell checker uses.
> 
> I wrote a manual how to do so. Feel free to check it out: https://evmaho.wordpress.com/2017/12/09/beauty-and-the-beast/
> 
> Eva-Maria


Neat. Thanks. Can't wait to try it.


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