Custom Dictionary

Improve transcription accuracy by teaching FloWords words it might not recognize—technical terms, proper names, acronyms, and specialized vocabulary.

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Why Use Custom Dictionary?

Technical Terms

API names, programming terms, industry jargon that AI models may miss.

Proper Names

Names of people, companies, products that need specific spelling.

Acronyms

Abbreviations and acronyms common in your field.

Domain Words

Medical, legal, scientific, or other specialized vocabulary.

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Adding Words

Single Word Entry

1. Open Settings > Dictionary
2. Click Add Word
3. Enter the word as it should appear
4. Optionally add pronunciation hint
5. Save

Bulk Import

For many words at once:

1. Open Settings > Dictionary
2. Click Import
3. Select your word list file (txt, csv)
4. Review imported words
5. Confirm import

File Format for Import

Simple List

One word per line:

Kubernetes
PostgreSQL
OpenAI
Anthropic

With Pronunciation

Word, pronunciation hint:

Kubernetes,koo-ber-net-ees
PostgreSQL,post-gres-ess-queue-ell
macOS,mac-oh-ess
iOS,eye-oh-ess

With Context

Word, pronunciation, category:

kubectl,cube-control,Kubernetes
psql,pee-sequel,PostgreSQL
npm,en-pee-em,Node.js

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Word Entry Details

Basic Fields

Field	Description	Required
Word	How it should be spelled	Yes
Pronunciation	How it sounds	No
Category	Grouping for organization	No
Notes	Any additional context	No

Pronunciation Hints

Help the model recognize your word by providing pronunciation:

Word	Pronunciation Hint
GIF	jiff or ghif
SQL	sequel or ess-queue-ell
LaTeX	lay-tek or lah-tek
Azure	azh-er or ay-zhur

Tip

Pronunciation hints are especially helpful for words that could be spelled multiple ways based on how they sound.

Homophones

For words that sound like other words:

Spoken	Intended	Sounds Like
”flour”	Flower (the plant)	Flour (baking)
“their”	Their (possessive)	There, They’re

Add context so FloWords chooses correctly:

Word: their
Context: Use for possessive (their car, their house)

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Managing Your Dictionary

Viewing Words

1. Open Settings > Dictionary
2. Browse all added words
3. Search for specific words
4. Filter by category

Editing Words

1. Find the word in your dictionary
2. Click the edit icon
3. Make changes
4. Save

Deleting Words

1. Find the word to remove
2. Click the delete icon
3. Confirm deletion

Organizing Categories

Create categories for easier management:

Category	Example Words
Programming	Kubernetes, Docker, TypeScript
Company	Anthropic, OpenAI, Stripe
People	Customer names, colleagues
Medical	Medical terminology
Legal	Legal terms

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Common Use Cases

Software Development

Kubernetes
kubectl
Docker
PostgreSQL
MongoDB
Redis
npm
pnpm
TypeScript
JavaScript

Company & Product Names

Anthropic
OpenAI
ChatGPT
GitHub
GitLab
Vercel
Netlify
Supabase
Stripe

Personal Names

MacKenzie
Björk
François
Nguyen

Acronyms & Abbreviations

API
REST
GraphQL
SDK
CLI

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Advanced Features

Contextual Matching

For words with multiple meanings, add context:

Example: “Bass”

• Music context: “bass” (the instrument, pronounced “base”)
• Fishing context: “bass” (the fish, pronounced “bass”)

1. Add the word
2. Specify the context
3. FloWords uses surrounding words to choose correctly

Phrase Support

Add common phrases that should stay together:

Phrase: "in terms of"
Phrase: "with respect to"
Phrase: "going forward"

Capitalization Rules

Specify how words should be capitalized:

Setting	Example
As entered	iPhone, macOS
Always caps	NASA, FBI
Never caps	npm, git
Sentence case	Follow context

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Dictionary Sources

Built-in Vocabularies

FloWords includes optional specialized vocabularies:

Vocabulary	Contents
Tech	Programming terms, company names
Medical	Medical terminology
Legal	Legal terms
Scientific	Scientific vocabulary
Financial	Finance and accounting terms

Enabling Built-in Vocabularies

1. Open Settings > Dictionary
2. Find Built-in Vocabularies
3. Toggle on desired vocabularies
4. Words are added automatically

Community Dictionaries

(Coming soon) Share and download dictionaries from other users.

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Best Practices

Start with Problem Words

• Note words that frequently transcribe wrong
• Add those first
• Monitor improvement

Add Pronunciation Hints

• Especially for unusual pronunciations
• Helps with non-English words
• Useful for technical terms

Organize with Categories

• Makes management easier
• Allows toggling categories on/off
• Helps identify gaps

Regular Review

• Remove words you no longer use
• Update pronunciations that don’t work
• Add new terms as needed

Test Your Additions

After adding words:

1. Make a test recording
2. Say the newly added words
3. Verify they transcribe correctly
4. Adjust pronunciation if needed

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Troubleshooting

Word Still Transcribed Wrong

• Check pronunciation hint is accurate
• Try different pronunciation variations
• Verify word is spelled correctly in dictionary
• The word may conflict with common word

Too Many False Matches

• Make pronunciation more specific
• Add context to narrow matches
• Consider if word is too common-sounding

Import Failing

• Check file format is correct
• Verify encoding is UTF-8
• Remove special characters if any
• Try smaller batch

Dictionary Not Loading

• Restart FloWords
• Check dictionary file isn’t corrupted
• Reset dictionary and re-add words
• Check for software updates

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Export & Backup

Export Dictionary

1. Go to Settings > Dictionary
2. Click Export
3. Choose format (txt, csv, json)
4. Save to location

Backup Recommendations

• Export regularly
• Include in your general backups
• Save before major updates
• Share with team if applicable

Sync Across Devices

(Currently manual) Export from one Mac, import to another.

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Next Steps

• Configure Local Models for best transcription
• Review Privacy Features for data control