The built-in Spellcheck with Firefox 2 is great, but it is very easy to accidentally add a word to the dictionary that you didn’t want to. However, it is not so easy to remove the word or words added in error. Actually it is easy to do just not really documented anywhere. After looking around on Google to help a Go Firefox! forum member with this issue, I found the process:
- Close Firefox (Firefox saves the dictionary file upon closing)
- Navigate to your profile folder (Locate your profile folder)
- Look for the file persdict.dat
- Open with a text-editor
• Notepad is NOT recommended as it removes all the line breaks between words. OpenOffice Writer works well. - Find the misspelled word or words and remove.
- Save the file and restart Firefox
This tip also works with Fx 3, Flock, Netscape 9 Navigator and Thunderbird*. Likely works with any browser/mail client that is Gecko based.
*Not sure if this going to change though when Mozilla moves over to Hunspell with TBird 3
Very Cool! That’s good to know because I accidentally add words to the dictionary all the time!
Thank you so much for this. It was bothering me that I couldn’t figure out how to remove the words I’d added. I would have assumed Firefox would have a features to make removing the words a little easier for the less tech savy, not to mention to just make it easier.
thank you SO SO SO SO much!!! *phew* now I don’t have to spell “beacuse” wrong anymore!
Hum… does not seem to work with added dictionaries, does it ? I’m trying to figure out where to find the same data for another dictionary, and I’m currently lost.
i’ve tried searching for ‘persdict’ on my system – nothing. i’m doomed to spell ‘testament’ wrong forever 🙁 (i’m not running thunderbird 3 yet either).
Excellent tip, I’ve would have never guess it.
I found an easier solution, Since Firefox writes the changes when you close it you can skip 1-6 and just “kill” firefox.exe with task manager. It will it will abruptly close Firefox so nothing is saved. It worked for me.
Thank you!
Its usefull dictionary trick. Best regards.
I found the folder, but there’s no file called persdict.dat
where else would it be? I had firefox closed too! Maybe its an invisible file?
same, i even clean uninstall my firefox and reinstall it
and then i check back the Mozila Profile, still no persdict.dat file.. Help!?
Awesome news, thanks
Hello!
First of all, for the ones who can’t find persdict.dat file on their computer, use Agent Ransack to search the whole C: partition (or whichever your Windows partition letter is), it may help you.
Second thing, is there a way I can reset that personal dictionary from all the typos I’ve accidentally inserted? Can I just delete contents of that persdict.dat file?
TIA,
Jake