To clear your personal inking and typing words in Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization, then turn off Custom inking and typing word list. Microsoft says that turning this control off clears the custom word list. On Windows 11 builds that show the longer command, you can instead select Custom dictionary > Clear your custom dictionary.
This removes words Windows learned from your typing and handwriting. It does not erase the standard language dictionary, and it does not by itself disable optional diagnostic samples. Those are separate settings with different effects.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Where Windows 11 stores your personal typing and handwriting words
Windows 11 builds a custom word list from words you type or write. The list helps improve suggestions, spelling correction, handwriting recognition and related input features. Microsoft associates this personal list with your Microsoft account, so dictionary-related preferences may be available on other Windows devices when synchronization is enabled.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The setting is not in the ordinary keyboard, language or text-correction pages. Use the privacy page named Inking & typing personalization. Feature updates can change the exact wording or placement of controls, but the path remains within Settings > Privacy & security.
#1 Best Overall
- 1.1 GHz (boost up to 2.4GHz) Intel Celeron N5030 Quad-Core
Clear the personal inking and typing dictionary
- Open Start and select Settings. You can also press Windows key + I.
- In the Settings sidebar, select Privacy & security.
- Choose Inking & typing personalization.
- Turn Custom inking and typing word list off. Microsoft states: “Turning this off clears your custom word list.”
- If your build displays a separate command, select Custom dictionary, then choose Clear your custom dictionary.
The toggle is the control that both disables the custom list and clears its existing entries. The explicit Clear your custom dictionary command is the clearest option when it is present. You do not need to remove individual words one at a time.
If the labels do not match exactly
Windows 11 feature updates can use slightly different labels. Look for the page containing both inking and typing personalization and a custom-word-list or custom-dictionary control. If Settings opens a related personalization page, use its search box for custom dictionary or inking and typing. The setting may also be displayed in a compact layout in which the clear command appears below the switch rather than on a separate page.
What the clear operation removes—and what it leaves alone
Removed: your learned custom words
The operation deletes the personal list Windows created from words you entered or wrote. This can include names, specialist terms, abbreviations and other words that Windows learned to improve your input experience. Because the list is tied to your Microsoft account, the change is relevant to the personalized dictionary rather than to one application only.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Not removed: the standard language dictionary
Windows also has a standard dictionary for the language or languages installed on the device. That built-in dictionary supports ordinary suggestions and handwriting recognition for commonly known words. Clearing the custom list does not uninstall a language, remove its standard vocabulary or reset every spelling resource.
Not changed: optional diagnostic collection
The custom-list switch controls stored personalized words. It does not control the separate optional samples that Microsoft may collect to improve recognition. To change that collection, use the Diagnostics & feedback setting described below.
Stop Windows from saving optional typing and handwriting samples
If your goal is to prevent further optional samples of what you type or write from being sent for recognition improvements, change a different control:
Rank #2
- 256 GB SSD of storage.
- Multitasking is easy with 16GB of RAM
- Equipped with a blazing fast Core i5 2.00 GHz processor.
- Open Start > Settings.
- Select Privacy & security.
- Open Diagnostics & feedback.
- Turn Improve inking and typing off.
Microsoft explains that optional samples can include typed or written content, manual text changes and words added to the dictionary. Its privacy explanation also describes samples of what people type or write, together with associated performance data, being used to improve handwriting recognition, autocompletion, next-word prediction and spelling correction when the relevant optional setting is enabled.
Recommended Free Tools
Turning off Improve inking and typing is therefore a forward-looking privacy choice. It does not replace the dictionary-clearing step: use the Inking & typing personalization page to remove the custom list that already exists.
Dictionary clearing versus diagnostic controls
These controls are easy to confuse because both concern typing and handwriting. They differ in what they change, where the change applies and what happens afterward.
| Control | Settings path | What it changes | Result | Scope and timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom inking and typing word list | Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization | Your personal learned word list | Turning it off clears the custom list and disables use of that list | Existing personalized words; account association can make the preference relevant across synchronized devices |
| Clear your custom dictionary | Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization > Custom dictionary | The same personal dictionary, using an explicit clear command | Deletes the custom dictionary when the command is available | Immediate dictionary-clearing action in that Windows 11 build |
| Improve inking and typing | Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback | Optional samples and related performance data used to improve recognition | Stops optional inking and typing samples from being collected under this control | Future optional collection; it does not erase the custom dictionary |
| Remember my preferences | Accounts > Windows backup | Synchronization of preferences, including language preferences and dictionary settings | Controls whether supported preferences can follow your Microsoft account to other devices | Account and device synchronization; availability can depend on region and account policies |
Prevent a cleared dictionary from appearing on another PC
Windows backup is the place to review whether preferences are synchronized. Open Settings > Accounts > Windows backup and inspect Remember my preferences, including the language-preference and dictionary-related options shown on your system.
A Microsoft account can make supported preferences available across devices when synchronization is enabled. Region restrictions, organization policies and account prompts can affect whether the option is available or whether a setting can be changed. If a work or school account manages the PC, an administrator may control some backup or diagnostic choices.
For a single-device result, clear the custom dictionary on that device and review synchronization. If the same account is used on multiple Windows PCs, check each device after synchronization has had time to apply the preference. A dictionary that reappears is a sign to inspect account synchronization rather than repeatedly clearing individual entries.
Rank #3
- 14" diagonal, 1366x768 resolution, HD BrightView LED, Glossy NON-TOUCH Display
How to confirm that the custom words are gone
Windows does not always display a list of deleted entries or a completion report. You can still perform a practical check:
- Return to Settings > Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization.
- Confirm that Custom inking and typing word list is off, or that the clear command has completed if your build shows it.
- Open a text field and test a word that had been added as a personal term. Do not expect the test word to vanish from the standard dictionary if it is a normal word in the selected language.
- If another Windows device uses the same Microsoft account, check its corresponding personalization and backup settings before assuming that the deletion failed.
The disappearance of a suggestion is not a perfect test: suggestions can also come from the standard language dictionary, an application’s own dictionary or another input language. Use the setting state and the source of the suggestion together when diagnosing the result.
Troubleshooting when the setting is missing or ineffective
The Inking & typing personalization page is not visible
- Use Settings search for
inking,typing personalizationorcustom dictionary. - Check that you are in Privacy & security, not the separate Time & language language-options pages.
- Install available Windows 11 feature updates if the privacy page appears incomplete. Labels and page layouts vary by feature update.
There is no separate “Clear your custom dictionary” command
Use the Custom inking and typing word list switch. Microsoft documents turning it off as the action that clears the custom word list. The dedicated clear command is an additional interface shown by some builds, not a requirement for deleting the list.
A word still appears after clearing
- Check whether the word is part of the standard language dictionary; that dictionary is not removed by this operation.
- Check the application where the suggestion appears. Some editors, browsers and input tools maintain their own dictionaries.
- Verify the selected keyboard or handwriting language. A word may be supplied by a different installed language.
- Review Microsoft-account synchronization on other devices if the personal list seems to return.
You want to stop future collection, not just delete old entries
Clear the custom list under Inking & typing personalization, then separately turn off Improve inking and typing under Diagnostics & feedback. One action handles stored personalization; the other governs optional future samples.
A setting is locked or cannot be changed
Windows can restrict privacy, diagnostics or backup controls through organization policy. On a managed work or school computer, contact the administrator rather than attempting to alter system policy. On a personal PC, verify that Settings is open under the intended Microsoft account and that Windows has completed any pending account or region prompts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing the right action for your privacy goal
You only want to remove old personal words
Use Inking & typing personalization and turn off Custom inking and typing word list, or use Custom dictionary > Clear your custom dictionary when shown. Leave diagnostic settings unchanged if you still want to participate in optional improvement programs.
Rank #4
- 【Efficient Performance】 Powered by Intel Core i3 processor (2 cores, 4 threads, up to 3.4GHz) with 12GB RAM and 256GB SSD. Handles multitasking, office software, online classes, and HD video streaming smoothly. Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620
- Backlit Keyboard & Complete Package】Comes with a cool backlit keyboard. Comes with awebcam, dual stereo speakers (8Ω/1.0W each), DC charger, and user manual – ready for late-night studying, online classes, video conferencing, and daily productivity
- 【Vibrant Display】 15.6-inch Full HD (1920x1080) anti-glare screen with 16:9 aspect ratio delivers crisp images and vivid colors – perfect for studying, watching lectures, or entertainment. Thin-bezel design maximizes viewing area
- 【Fast Connectivity & Expansion】 Equipped with WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.2 for stable, high-speed wireless. Features 3 x USB 3.0, HDMI 2.1, Type-C (supports PD3.0 fast charging), and a TF card slot expandable up to 2TB – easily connect external monitors, mice, drives, or expand storage for all your files
- 【Long Battery Life & Portable】 Built-in 11.55V 5000mAh/57.75Wh high-capacity battery delivers approximately 7 hours of mixed-use battery life – enough for a full day of classes and assignments. Lightweight at just 1.63kg (3.6 lbs) and 19.5mm thin, plus a compact packing size – easily slips into a backpack for campus, library, or coffee shop
You want Windows to stop sending optional samples
Turn off Improve inking and typing under Diagnostics & feedback. This addresses future optional samples, including the types of typed or handwritten content Microsoft describes, but it does not clear words already in the custom list.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
You want both a clean slate and no further optional samples
Perform both operations: clear the custom list first, then disable Improve inking and typing. If you use the same Microsoft account on several PCs, review Accounts > Windows backup > Remember my preferences so dictionary-related preferences do not surprise you on another device.
Common questions
Does clearing the custom dictionary uninstall my keyboard language?
No. It removes the personal learned list. Installed languages and their standard dictionaries remain available.
Will clearing it remove every word Windows knows?
No. The standard dictionary used for ordinary suggestions and handwriting recognition is separate from the custom list.
Is turning off the custom word list the same as turning off diagnostics?
No. The first clears and disables personalized dictionary data. The second controls optional diagnostic samples under Diagnostics & feedback.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchCan the custom dictionary be synchronized?
Supported dictionary-related preferences can be available across devices through a Microsoft account when Remember my preferences and synchronization are enabled. Region and account-policy conditions can affect availability.
Why does Microsoft use both a switch and a clear command?
The switch is the documented control that disables the custom list and clears it. Some Windows 11 builds also expose a plainly worded Clear your custom dictionary command for the same personal dictionary data.
Bottom line
Use Settings > Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization and turn off Custom inking and typing word list to clear Windows 11’s personal learned words. If available, Custom dictionary > Clear your custom dictionary makes the deletion explicit. Treat Improve inking and typing under Diagnostics & feedback as a separate, forward-looking collection control, and check Accounts > Windows backup when Microsoft-account synchronization could affect other devices.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
