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How to Clear User Dictionary Data in Windows 11 Text Input Settings

Clear the Windows 11 custom word list from Settings > Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization > Custom dictionary, and avoid confusing it with the diagnostics setting.
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To clear the words Windows 11 has learned for typing and handwriting, open Settings > Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization > Custom dictionary and select Clear your custom dictionary. Microsoft also documents that turning off Custom inking and typing word list clears the same list. The steps below cover both routes, the difference between them and the separate diagnostic setting people often confuse with them, and what happens when the option is missing.

Clear the custom dictionary step by step

  1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
  2. Select Privacy & security in the left pane.
  3. Under the Windows permissions group, select Inking & typing personalization.
  4. Select Custom dictionary.
  5. Select Clear your custom dictionary, then confirm if Windows asks.

Once the list is cleared, Windows starts building a new one from what you type or write from that point on. Words you already use often may be suggested again over time, so a cleared list is not a permanent block on any word.

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What the custom word list is

Microsoft says Windows 11 builds a custom word list from words you type or write, so that typing and inking suggestions become more accurate. The list is associated with your Microsoft account and can be used across Microsoft products. The clear action described here applies to that list specifically; it is not a general wipe of all typing history on the device.

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Turn off the word list instead

If your version of Windows shows a Custom inking and typing word list toggle, switching it off is the other documented route. Microsoft’s support article on speech, inking, typing and privacy states: “Turning this off clears your custom word list.” That sentence refers to the personalization toggle, so it applies only to the list, not to other data.

Use the toggle when you want to stop Windows from learning new words as well as remove the existing list. Use the clear button when you only want a fresh start and are happy for learning to continue.

Do not confuse it with Improve inking and typing

A second setting, Improve inking and typing, sits under Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback. Microsoft describes it as controlling whether typing and handwriting information is used to improve typing and writing services. It is a diagnostic-data choice, not the dictionary-clear control.

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Changing it does not delete the custom word list, and clearing the list does not change what diagnostic data Windows sends. If your goal is removing learned words, use the Custom dictionary steps above. If your goal is limiting what leaves your device for service improvement, adjust Diagnostics & feedback separately.

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Account and multi-device behavior

Microsoft’s account data page lists the custom dictionary among Windows settings you can manage under the Inking & typing personalization path. Windows preferences can follow you to other devices when you enable Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Remember my preferences and the related options. In some regions Windows asks whether to sync account data, and sync behavior depends on those choices.

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Because of that, clearing the list on one PC does not guarantee an identical result on every device. Check the same setting on each machine you sign in to with the same Microsoft account if you need the list gone everywhere.

If the option is missing or different

  • The Custom dictionary entry is absent. Labels and availability can vary between Windows 11 builds, and some managed devices have policies that hide personalization controls. Check with your administrator if the device is work or school managed.
  • The label reads differently. Look for the same concept under Inking & typing personalization, and use the toggle if that is the only option shown.
  • The list returns after clearing. Windows resumes learning as soon as personalization is on. Turn off the Custom inking and typing word list toggle if you want to stop it; otherwise the list will rebuild.
  • Your change did not appear on another device. Confirm the Microsoft account is signed in on that device and that the backup and preference options described above are enabled.

Verify the result

Return to the Custom dictionary page after clearing. If the list is empty, the clear action worked. If you turned off the toggle, leave it off and test by typing a few new words in a text field to confirm no new entries appear.

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Sources and version notes

The steps reflect Microsoft’s Windows 11 support documentation on your Microsoft account data and choices, speech, inking, typing and privacy, and diagnostics, feedback and privacy in Windows. Menu wording and placement can change with feature updates, so if your screen differs, match the setting by its purpose rather than by exact label.

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Those sources and the steps above were not checked against every Windows 11 build or every managed-device configuration, so treat the paths as the documented route rather than a guarantee for every edition.

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