How to Remove Words From iPhone Predictive Text

Make your iPhone forget words you don't want to use

What to Know

  • To reset the predictive text dictionary: Open Settings > GeneralTransfer or Reset Phone > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary.
  • Force predictive text to use the word you want by adding a shortcut in Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
  • If you accept an incorrect suggestion from predictive text, tap backspace and select the correct one.

This article explains how to remove words from iPhone predictive text.

How Do I Make My iPhone Forget Words?

Predictive text is a valuable feature that guesses which words you’re typing or going to enter on your iPhone. It’s only helpful when it guesses correctly, though, and sometimes it gets the wrong idea.

Don't like this feature? You can turn off iPhone predictive text in Settings.

The only way to make an iPhone forget words from its predictive text dictionary is to reset the dictionary. You can’t edit individual entries in the predictive text dictionary, and you can’t remove individual words. If you’re getting a lot of incorrect or unwanted suggestions, the best solution is to reset predictive text and start from scratch.

If you are a long-time iPhone user, you might wonder where the little "x" went, which allowed you to delete the suggested word. Apple removed this ability in an update to iOS.

Here’s how to reset your iPhone predictive text dictionary:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Tap General.

  3. Tap Transfer or Reset Phone.

    iPhone Settings with General and Transfer or Reset iPhone highlighted
  4. Tap Reset.

  5. Tap Reset Keyboard Dictionary.

  6. Enter your PIN if prompted.

  7. Tap Reset Dictionary.

    iPhone reset settings with Reset, Reset Keyboard Dictionary, and Reset Dictionary highlighted

How Do I Remove a Word From Predictive Text?

You can't remove a word from predictive text, but you can force predictive text to provide a specific suggestion for a particular thing you type. If your predictive text shows an incorrect spelling or an unrelated word, the best way to fix it is to create a manual shortcut. To do this, enter the incorrect spelling as a shortcut and the correct spelling as a phrase.

Here's how to force predictive text to spell a word correctly:

  1. Open Settings, and tap General.

  2. Tap Keyboard.

  3. Tap Text Replacement.

    iPhone Settings with General, Keyboard, and Text Replacement highlighted
  4. Tap +.

  5. Enter the correct spelling in the Phrase field.

  6. Enter the incorrect spelling or suggestion in the Shortcut field.

    Text replacement iPhone settings with plus sign, Phrase, and Shortcut highlighted
  7. Predictive text will no longer give the wrong suggestion when you type the word from now on. Instead, it will be automatically highlighted and then replaced when you tap space.

How Do You Edit Predictive Text on iPhone?

There is no way to edit predictive text on an iPhone directly. If you want to remove one word from the predictive text dictionary, the only way is to reset the dictionary. Previous versions of iOS allowed you to remove words from the predictive text dictionary directly, but that is no longer possible. If you still have an older version of iOS, look for a small X icon in the predictive text bubble. If you tap X each time the incorrect suggestion appears, it will eventually edit the word out of the predictive text dictionary.

If you inadvertently accept an incorrect suggestion from predictive text, you can undo it by tapping backspace and selecting the correct one. If the iPhone doesn't make the right suggestion, continue tapping backspace and manually type the word you wanted.

FAQ
  • How do I turn on predictive text on an iPhone?

    Predictive text is on by default, but it's easy to turn it back on if you disable it. To turn on predictive text on an iPhone, open the Settings app and tap General. Tap Keyboard, and then tap the toggle next to Predictive to turn on (green) the feature. Or, while typing, touch and hold the emoji icon, tap Keyboard Settings, and then toggle on Predictive.

  • How do I turn off predictive text on an iPhone?

    Predictive text is on by default, but it's easy to turn off. To turn off predictive text on an iPhone, open the Settings app and tap General. Tap Keyboard, and then tap the toggle next to Predictive to turn off the feature. Or, while typing, touch and hold the emoji icon, tap Keyboard Settings, and then toggle off Predictive.

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