# Word choices and replacements - \[macOS\] functionality **URL:** \ **Category:** Scrivener for macOS\ **Tags:** support, os-related\ **Created:** [July 2, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/word-choices-and-replacements-macos-functionality/41699 "2018-07-02T21:18:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MsLaura](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/ea5d25/32.png) [@MsLaura](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/MsLaura)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/word-choices-and-replacements-macos-functionality/41699/1 "2018-07-02T21:18:19Z")
Hi, I may have missed a thread on this, but it’s something that has been frustrating me. In MS Word, I’m accustomed to the most obvious word substitutions (teh = the), but where there might be multiple options for the software to select, it leaves it up to me. And if a word is wrong, but spelled correctly, it’s up to me to find. I’m used to that. I have found that Scrivener is going well beyond this. Scrivener is changing my words. Two examples from today: A character named Craddock became Braddock. “Inclusivity” became “inclusively.” I have, on several occasions, gone back re-read a paragraph I had just written, and found it included words I hadn’t written, which materially changed the meaning. I’ve watched it change a word I meant to use, and spelled correctly, to another word altogether. I realize that I could turn off the auto-correct, or populate a personal dictionary with character and place names, but how far do I have to take it? And will that dictionary be available in my next project when I start new? What about the inclusivity example? Please help! ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Carpenter](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Prof.Carpenter](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/Prof.Carpenter)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:28pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/word-choices-and-replacements-macos-functionality/41699/2 "2026-10-04T18:28:15Z")
Eight years later and I’m still finding this is the case. Scrivner does not look at any kind of grammar or contextually, it just takes a stab at whatever it happens to think a specific word may be. I sometimes type “yma” for “may” and Scrivner automagically thinks I want it to be Amy. I’m a messy typer. My fingers fly all over the place when I get caught up in the moment. While I love Scrivner for lots of things, I’m not sure I should be using it to actually create. ---
**Author:** ![kewms](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/user_avatar/forum.literatureandlatte.com/kewms/32/15720_2.png) [@kewms](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/kewms)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/word-choices-and-replacements-macos-functionality/41699/3 "2026-10-04T18:30:12Z")
What platform? Mac OS Scrivener in particular will use Apple’s predictive text tools if you let it, which can be _extremely_ aggressive. ---
**Author:** ![AmberV](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/user_avatar/forum.literatureandlatte.com/amberv/32/13021_2.png) [@AmberV](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/AmberV)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 8:11am UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/word-choices-and-replacements-macos-functionality/41699/4 "2026-10-05T08:11:53Z")
To be clear, Scrivener is bereft of any features along these lines. Whatever you see happening is either coming from your macOS settings, or potentially some third-party grammar tool you have installed. Even smart quotes, for example, are coming from the OS.\[1\] We do have a number of checkboxes in the Corrections settings tab which you should review, which switch on or off various Mac features. There are others worth reviewing in System Settings: Keyboard, as well. These days, it may also be that [turning off spell check while typing is necessary](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/turn-off-word-suggestions/46332), because Apple has come to believe that this means you want invasive iOS style suggestion bubbles to appear. That would really annoy me. I prefer a setup where nothing happens except _precisely_ what is typed in. * * * 1. the option to use faux old fashioned superscript style ordinals is one exception.