How to add a custom dictionary to dictation

Parlo's custom dictionary is a do-not-correct list for the keyboard. You add a name or term on iPhone, under Settings, and the keyboard's autocorrect stops silently changing that word when you type it. The dictionary does not change what dictation recognizes, what AI cleanup does, or anything on the Mac app. Dictionary editing is on iPhone.

By Eric Friedman. Last updated 2026-09-06.

Voice dictation and typing are two separate paths inside Parlo, and the custom dictionary only touches one of them. This guide explains what the dictionary does and what it does not do. It also covers how to get a name right while you are dictating rather than typing.

What does the custom dictionary actually do?

The Parlo keyboard's autocorrect compares a word you type against a frequency table and a spell checker. If a word looks like a typo, autocorrect can quietly replace it with something else. Adding a term to your dictionary tells autocorrect never to do that to this specific word. A name or a piece of jargon that autocorrect would otherwise flag as a typo now types the way you spelled it, every time. There is no re-correcting needed after the first entry.

What does the dictionary not do?

The dictionary does not change what the speech engine hears. Dictation runs through Apple's on-device speech engine, which has no access to your dictionary at all. A name the engine mishears will still come out wrong the next time you say it, dictionary entry or not. AI cleanup does not read the dictionary either. Cleanup removes filler sounds and false starts from the transcript with an on-device language model. It runs the same way whether or not a word in the text is in your dictionary. The dictionary itself only exists on iPhone. Mac dictation has no dictionary to add to or read from. A term you add on iPhone changes nothing about how Parlo for Mac transcribes or cleans up your speech.

How do you add a word to the dictionary?

1. Open Parlo on iPhone and tap the gear icon to open Settings.
2. Under Add word, type the term the way you want it to appear.
3. Tap Add. The word appears in the Dictionary list right below.

There is no separate save step. The word is active as soon as it appears in the list, and there is no stated limit on how many terms you can add.

Where does a dictionary term apply?

Dictionary terms are treated as benign data, the same category as your dictation modes and other preferences. They sync between your iPhones on the same Apple Account. That sync does not reach Mac, since dictionary editing and reading are both iPhone only in the current beta.

How do you get a name right while dictating, without a dictionary?

Since the dictionary does not reach dictation, getting a name right while you speak comes down to three things instead of one setting.

Speak the name clearly and at a normal pace. Apple's on-device speech engine works from the sound of what you say. A rushed or mumbled name is the most common cause of a wrong transcription, dictionary or not.

If a name still comes out wrong, edit the note by hand afterward. Opening a note lets you fix a word directly in the transcript. That is a one-time correction to that note, not a standing rule the way a dictionary entry is.

Expect a real limit here, stated plainly rather than hidden. An on-device model, with no cloud lookup and no personal contacts index, has no way to guess an unusual spelling from sound alone. A dictionary entry cannot close that gap either, since it only governs typing. If a name keeps coming out wrong in dictation, speaking it slowly and fixing it by hand afterward is the most reliable option today.

What kinds of words are worth adding?

Names you type often, product and company names, and acronyms specific to your field are good candidates. So is any word autocorrect keeps trying to change when you type it. A term only needs to be typed correctly once. After that, the keyboard leaves it alone every time you type it again.

How is a dictionary term different from a spoken formatting command?

A dictionary term is about typing: it tells autocorrect to leave one specific word alone. A spoken formatting command is about dictation. Saying "new paragraph," "new line," or "parentheses" and "end parentheses" shapes the text while you dictate, and those three work even with AI cleanup off. "Quote" and "end quote" work too, but only with AI cleanup on, since the model handles them rather than a deterministic pass. There is no "bullet" command. Adding a dictionary term does not add or change any spoken command.

Do dictionary terms ever expire or need re-adding?

No. A term you add stays in the dictionary until you remove it. It does not expire after a period of disuse. It also survives an app update or a device restart, since it is stored as ordinary synced data alongside your other preferences.

Is this reliable in a beta?

It is a beta. Adding, syncing, and applying dictionary terms to typed text works every day for our testers. The dictionary's scope, autocorrect only, is stable behavior rather than a rough edge. If a term you added is not respected when you type it, reply to beta@parlokey.com with the word and what happened instead.

What happens if you never set up a dictionary at all?

Nothing breaks. Dictation, cleanup, and spoken formatting commands all work without a single custom entry, since none of them reads the dictionary in the first place. The dictionary is an optional layer on top of typing, useful once you notice the keyboard correcting the same name or term more than once. There is no required setup step before you can dictate or type.