Office Apps Crashing

Fix Microsoft Word Crashing When Adding a Custom Dictionary

Adam Davis Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

User experiences Microsoft Word crashing or restarting unexpectedly without an error message when trying to create a custom dictionary or add a TXT dictionary file.

How to Fix Microsoft Word Crashing When Creating a Custom Dictionary

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Adding a new custom dictionary or a TXT dictionary file to Microsoft Word's proofing options.
Observed behavior: Word restarts without an on-screen error. Event Viewer logs an mso.dll crash with exception code 0xc0000005 (invalid memory access). Standard troubleshooting like disabling add-ins, deleting templates, and regular reinstalling does not resolve the issue.

Before you start

Before proceeding with the troubleshooting steps, save all open documents and close other Microsoft Office applications to prevent data loss. You may also want to keep your custom dictionary (.txt or .dic) file accessible on your desktop.

Solution 1Recommended

Change the Dictionary Language Setting

The most effective fix is changing the dictionary language from 'All languages' to a specific language, which prevents the mso.dll access violation.

In certain builds of Microsoft 365, Word attempts to process the dictionary across all language modules simultaneously, resulting in a memory access violation (0xc0000005) in the mso.dll file. Forcing the dictionary to associate with a single language bypasses this bug.

Open Word Options

Launch Microsoft Word. Click on 'File' in the top left corner, then select 'Options' at the bottom of the left-hand menu.

Navigate to Proofing

In the Word Options window, select 'Proofing' from the left pane, then click the 'Custom Dictionaries...' button.

Modify Dictionary Language

At the bottom of the Custom Dictionaries dialog box, locate the 'Dictionary language' dropdown menu. Change it from 'All languages' to 'English (United States)' or your specific regional language.

Add the Custom Dictionary

Once the language is set, click 'New' or 'Add' to insert your TXT dictionary file. Microsoft Word should now process the file successfully without crashing.

Success Tip: After adding the dictionary, ensure the checkbox next to your newly added dictionary is ticked so Word actively uses it during spell check.

Solution 2

Perform a Clean Boot in Windows

Use a clean boot to determine if a background application or third-party software is interfering with Microsoft Office's memory allocation.

Solution 3

Perform a Clean Uninstall and Reinstall of Office

Clear out deep corrupted registry entries or mso.dll errors by completely removing and reinstalling Microsoft Office.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for a Stable and Free Word Processing Experience

If Microsoft Word continues to crash due to persistent mso.dll errors or update glitches, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative that handles your documents and spell-checking seamlessly without frustrating crashes.

1. Download and Install: Get the free WPS Office installer from the official website and run it to install the suite on your PC.
2. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Writer and simply drag and drop your existing Word (.docx) files into the application to continue your work natively.
3. Customize Spell Check: Navigate to Menu > Options > Spell Check to securely set up your proofing preferences without experiencing unexpected application restarts.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Lightweight architecture minimizes application crashes and memory access errors.Built-in robust spell check functionality that handles custom dictionaries seamlessly.Free to use with a familiar user interface, requiring zero learning curve for Office users.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What does error code 0xc0000005 in mso.dll mean?

The error code 0xc0000005 indicates an Access Violation or Invalid Memory Access. In Microsoft Office, a crash involving mso.dll with this code usually means the program tried to read or write to a protected memory location incorrectly, often due to a software glitch, a corrupted Office component, or conflicting add-ins.

Where are custom dictionaries stored in Microsoft Word?

By default, custom dictionary files (.dic) in Windows are located in the user's AppData folder. You can usually find them by navigating to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\UProof.

Can I import a TXT dictionary file directly into my word processor?

Yes, standard custom dictionary files are simply plain text files containing a list of words, with one word per line. You can safely add .txt files to Word's dictionary list as long as they follow this formatting.

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