---
title: "vim: add word to spellchecker"
url: https://perrotta.dev/2025/07/vim-add-word-to-spellchecker/
last_updated: 2026-01-03
---


When you have the spellchecker from `vim` turned on (`:set spell`), it
highlights words that are not in the dictionary.

False positives will occasionally be flagged.

To
[add](https://superuser.com/questions/133208/how-to-make-vim-spellcheck-remember-a-new-word)
the current word under the cursor to the dictionary, hit `zg`. From the `vim`
manual:

> To add words to your own word list:
>
> zg
>
> Add word under the cursor as a good word to the first
> name in 'spellfile'.  A count may precede the command
> to indicate the entry in 'spellfile' to be used.  A
> count of two uses the second entry.

Once you do so, you'll see feedback text in the status bar:

```
Word 'hacky' added to ~/.vim/spell/en.utf-8.add
```

This file can be easily tracked in your dotfiles.

```
Word 'dotfiles' added to ~/.vim/spell/en.utf-8.add
```