Office for Mac Issues

How to Share Custom Microsoft 365 Dictionaries Across Macs

Olivia Miller Oct 16, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to synchronize or share a custom spelling dictionary used in Microsoft 365 across multiple Macs, iPads, and iPhones.

How to Share Custom Microsoft 365 Dictionaries Across Macs and Apple Devices

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: macOS, iOS, iPadOS
Scenario: Attempting to use the same custom spelling dictionary across different Apple devices within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Observed behavior: Custom dictionary files (.dic) are stored locally on macOS and do not sync or roam automatically between Macs, iPads, and iPhones.

Before you start

Ensure you have a USB flash drive, a cloud storage folder (like iCloud Drive), or AirDrop enabled to easily transfer the dictionary file between your Mac devices.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Transfer the Custom Dictionary File Between Macs

Since Microsoft 365 does not automatically sync macOS custom dictionaries, you must locate the local dictionary file on your primary Mac and copy it to the exact same directory on your secondary Mac.

Custom dictionaries in macOS are saved as .dic files in a specific user library folder. To maintain consistent spell-checking across devices, you must manually copy these files.

Note that iOS and iPadOS versions of Office generally do not support importing custom .dic files directly, so this method is only applicable for syncing between macOS computers.

Open Finder on the primary Mac

Launch the Finder application on the Mac that currently holds your updated custom dictionary.

Navigate to the Spelling folder

In the top menu bar, click on 'Go' and select 'Go to Folder'. Type ~/Library/Spelling/ into the search box and press Return.

Copy the custom dictionary file

Locate the custom dictionary file (typically ending in .dic) within the folder. Right-click the file and copy it to a USB drive, AirDrop it, or upload it to a cloud drive.

Paste the file on the secondary Mac

On your other Mac, repeat the process to navigate to ~/Library/Spelling/ and paste the copied .dic file into the folder.

Manually Transfer the Custom Dictionary File Between Macs

Backup Existing Dictionaries: Always back up the existing .dic file on the target Mac before pasting the new one, just in case you need to merge their contents later or revert the changes.

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If managing local files and dealing with sync limitations in Microsoft 365 feels cumbersome, try WPS Office. It provides a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative that makes document processing across your Mac and iOS devices effortlessly smooth.

1. Download and Install: Get WPS Office for Mac directly from the official website or the Mac App Store.
2. Sign in for Cloud Sync: Create or log into your WPS account to enable automatic cloud synchronization across your devices.
3. Open Your Files: Open any existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files with complete formatting retention.

Perfectly compatible with Microsoft Office formats (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX)Cross-platform support for seamless workflows across macOS, iOS, Windows, and AndroidLightweight installation ensures fast launch times and optimal performance on MacBuilt-in cloud sync capabilities to keep your documents accessible anywhere

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sync my Mac custom dictionary to my iPhone or iPad?

Currently, the iOS and iPadOS versions of Microsoft Office do not support importing or using a Mac .dic file directly. Custom dictionaries are primarily limited to desktop operating systems.

Where are custom dictionaries stored on a Mac?

Custom dictionary files on macOS are stored in the user's hidden Library folder. You can access them by opening Finder, selecting Go > Go to Folder, and entering ~/Library/Spelling/.

Why aren't my Microsoft 365 dictionaries syncing automatically between Macs?

Unlike some Windows settings that roam automatically with your Microsoft account, custom Office dictionaries on macOS are stored locally on the device's file system, meaning they must be manually transferred.

How do I edit a custom dictionary file (.dic) manually on Mac?

You can open the .dic file using a plain text editor like TextEdit. From there, you can manually add or remove words, ensuring each word is placed on its own line, and then save the file.

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