The VoiceInk Dictionary: vocabulary, word replacements, Auto Learn and filler words
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
VoiceInk's Dictionary holds two different things. Vocabulary is a list of names and terms it should recognize and keep. A Word Replacement turns one piece of text into another, every time. Auto Learn watches the corrections you make and suggests entries for both, and it uses an AI provider to do that.
I built YapToText, a different dictation app for the Mac, so read what I say about VoiceInk with that in mind. Every fact about VoiceInk here is from its documentation, read on October 9, 2026. The pages are Vocabulary, Word Replacements, Dictionary Auto Learn, Filler Words, and Import and Export Dictionary.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
This guide in other languages: العربية, Čeština, Dansk, Deutsch, Ελληνικά, Español, Suomi, Français, עברית, हिन्दी, Magyar, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Norsk, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Română, Русский, Slovenčina, Svenska, ไทย, Türkçe, Українська, Tiếng Việt, 简体中文, 繁體中文
Vocabulary or a replacement
From VoiceInk's docs, read October 9, 2026.
| Vocabulary | Word Replacement | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Guides the model toward a term | Changes matching text after you dictate |
| Certainty | A hint. It does not force anything | Exact and repeatable |
| Use it for | Personal names, company and product names, acronyms, jargon | A recurring mishearing, a spoken shortcut, an address or signature |
| Example | PostgreSQL | voice ink becomes VoiceInk |
Add vocabulary
- Open Dictionary and select Vocabulary.
- Enter a word or phrase. Separate several with commas.
- Press Return or click the plus button.
Vocabulary guides supported transcription models and AI enhancement. Click the sort label to cycle through A to Z, Z to A, Newest and Oldest.
Add a word replacement
- Open Dictionary and select Word Replacements.
- Under Original text, enter what VoiceInk usually writes. Separate several originals with commas.
- Under Replacement text, enter what you want.
- Press Return or click the plus button.
Matching ignores capitalization, and it does not replace the same letters inside a longer word. The replacement text itself is case-sensitive. Keep replacements narrow: the docs warn against rules that turn one real name into another. If a phrase and a shorter word could both match, the more specific phrase goes first.
Auto Learn
Auto Learn is on by default. After you dictate, correct a misheard name in the text, and move on, VoiceInk compares what it inserted with what you ended up with. An AI model reviews the change and can suggest a Vocabulary entry, a Word Replacement, both, or nothing. You choose whether suggestions apply at once or wait for your approval.
- What it sends. The changed text plus a little neighboring text, to the provider selected in Dictionary settings. That provider is set separately from your Modes.
- What it needs. The Accessibility permission, to observe corrections.
- What it skips. Ordinary rewrites, grammar edits, case-only changes, and common brand and technical terms.
- To keep it local. Turn it off, or point it at a local model. The VoiceInk privacy page explains why this is the setting people miss.
Filler words
Filler word removal is in a different place: AI Models, the gear button, Transcription, Remove Filler Words. The list starts with sounds such as uh, um, uhm, hmm and mmm. There is no separate switch. To stop the cleanup, remove every entry. The docs advise against adding words such as like, right or okay, which often carry meaning.
Export and import
Open Dictionary, click the gear button, and find Dictionary Data. Export saves a JSON file with your Vocabulary and Word Replacements. Import shows a preview and offers Merge, which keeps what you have and skips conflicts, or Replace, which removes the current entries first. The export does not include Auto Learn's review queue, recordings or History.
The same tools in YapToText
VoiceInk from its docs, read October 9, 2026. YapToText from its own settings.
| VoiceInk | YapToText | |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition hints | Vocabulary | Dictionaries prime the speech model with your words |
| Forced fixes | Word Replacements | Substitutions, with Whole word and Case options |
| Learns from corrections | Auto Learn, reviewed by an AI provider you select | Suggests fixes that recur in your history, on the Mac |
| Spoken shortcuts | A replacement such as my website | Spoken commands and snippets, with live date, time and clipboard |
| Export | JSON | JSON, or a preset with everything |
The custom vocabulary guide covers names and jargon in any Mac dictation app, and the dictionaries help page covers mine.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
The short version
- Vocabulary. A hint for names and jargon.
- Word Replacement. A forced, exact change.
- Auto Learn. On by default, and it uses an AI provider.
- Filler words. In AI Models, not in Dictionary.
- Backup. Export to JSON from Dictionary Data.
If VoiceInk changes the Dictionary, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://tryvoiceink.com/docs/vocabulary (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://tryvoiceink.com/docs/word-replacements (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://tryvoiceink.com/docs/auto-learn-dictionary (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://tryvoiceink.com/docs/filler-words (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://tryvoiceink.com/docs/import-export-dictionary (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-10)
Questions
How do I add a custom word to VoiceInk?
Open Dictionary, select Vocabulary, type the word or phrase, and press Return.
What is the difference between Vocabulary and Word Replacements in VoiceInk?
Vocabulary helps VoiceInk recognize a term. A Word Replacement changes matching text to something specific every time.
What is Auto Learn in VoiceInk?
A feature, on by default, that reviews the corrections you make after dictating and suggests Vocabulary or Word Replacement entries.
Does VoiceInk Auto Learn send data to the cloud?
It sends the changed text and a little neighboring text to the review provider you selected. Turn it off or use a local model to avoid that.
How do I stop VoiceInk removing filler words?
Open AI Models, the gear button, Transcription, and remove every entry from Remove Filler Words.