Manually add words to the custom obsidian dictionary

TLDR

Everytime you want to add a new list of words directly to Custom Dictionary.txt.

  • do a back up (if you want)
  • delete the “checksum line”
  • add words one per line
  • save the file
  • restart obsidian, continue working as usual.

Locate the file

Obsidian creates a txt file with the words you add through the UI. Right-Click → Add to dictionary.

This file is located

  • On linux: ~/.config/obsidian/Custom Dictionary.txt
  • On a Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/obsidian/Custom Dictionary.txt
  • On Windows: C:\Users<username>\AppData\Roaming\obsidian\Custom Dictionary.txt

Add words

  1. Do a back up copy of the file in case something goes wrong.

  2. Delete “checksum line”

    At the end of the file there is line with a checksum:

    example checksum_v1 = 5dcb1669290f9f0c75b0cef00a1fc9cd

    this is generated by obsidian when we add a new word through the system.

    Delete that line.

  3. Adding words manually to Custom Dictionary.txt

    Add your new words to the file. One word per line.

    Then save the file and restart obsidian.

    Obsidian can now recognize those new words.

  4. Rebuilding Custom Dictionary.txt

    The next time you add a word with the UI (Right-Click → Add to dictionary). The file is going to change, reorder, and add a new “checksum line”.

    The words you added directly to the file are going to be there, and also the ones you added later with the UI.

11 Likes

Just a quick addition:
If Obsidian was installed through Flatpak, the Dictionary file is located in ~/.var/app/md.obsidian.Obsidian/config/obsidian/ (at least it was for me).
Thanks a lot for your guide!

Another addition for those using Ubuntu/snap installs of Obsidian.
The dictionary is located here: /home/username/snap/obsidian/47/.config/obsidian/
Thanks, this tip worked perfectly!

For those using Snap installs of Obsidian, the dictionary will be located here:
/home/user_name/snap/obsidian/current/.config/obsidian

For Arch linux & Ubuntu (using .deb files), the dictionary will be located here:
/home/user_name/.config/obsidian

I periodically copy the file from .config/obsidian/Custom Dictionary.txt to .obsidian folder.
Since I’m already backing up my vault, the Custom Dictionary.txt is also backed up as it’s inside .obsidian folder inside my vault.
And I use this Custom Dictionary from .obsidian folder whenever I install Obsidian in a new device.

If anyone knows a better way to do this, please share it.