Using Dragon and Spellex together.

Using Dragon and Spellex together.

🧠 Importing Your Own Word List into Dragon

You can bulk-add words and phrases to Dragon via a TXT or XML file:

  1. Prepare your word list

    • Create a .txt file. Each word or phrase on its own line.
    • Optionally, specify spoken forms using two backslashes:
      Darya Alexandrovna\\Dollys proper name
      (this makes Dragon enter “Darya Alexandrovna” when you say “Dollys proper name”) [er.educause.edu]

  2. Open your Dragon user profile

  3. Import the list

Sharing Existing Vocabulary Between Profiles or Computers

Dragon allows exporting from one profile and importing into another:

đź’Ľ Enhancing Dragon with Spellex Dictionaries

If you need specialized vocabulary (medical, legal, bioscience, veterinary, etc.), Spellex offers pre-built dictionaries that integrate seamlessly with Dragon:

  • Spellex Dictation Gold packages provide extensive terminology libraries and spell-check enhancements for Dragon [spellex.com], [spellex.co.uk]
    • Spellex supports British, American, Australian, and Canadian English.
    • Once installed, these terms appear in your Dragon vocabulary and can be used automatically.

đź›  Summary Comparison

MethodCustom List (.txt/.xml)Export/Import Between ProfilesPre-built Spellex Dictionaries
Setup EffortMedium (create file manually)Low–MediumLow (install and activate)
Terminology CoverageWhatever you includeProfile-specificTens of thousands of specialized terms
Easy SharingYes (via file)Yes (built-in wizard)Yes (install on multiple machines)

Default Locations for Vocabulary Files

Dragon stores custom vocabulary and word lists inside your user profile directory. Typical paths:

  • Windows
    C:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking15\Users\<YourProfileName>\current\vocabs
    or
    C:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking15\Users\<YourProfileName>\current\mycmds.dat
    (Exact version number may vary: 13, 14, 15, etc.)

File Types

  • Exported word lists: .txt or .xml
  • Vocabulary backup files: .dat (Dragon’s internal format)
  • Spellex dictionaries: Usually installed into Dragon’s vocabulary folder or registered via Spellex installer.

Manual Recovery or Import

If the wizard fails:

  1. Locate your exported TXT/XML file (where you saved it).
  2. Copy it into a safe location (e.g., Documents\DragonCustomWords).
  3. In Dragon, retry Vocabulary → Import list of words or phrases and point to that file.
  4. If Dragon cannot see the file, ensure:
    • File encoding is ANSI or UTF-8 without BOM.
    • Each word/phrase is on its own line.
    • Spoken forms use \\ as separator.

Spellex Integration

Spellex usually installs its dictionaries automatically, but if not:

  • Check C:\Program Files (x86)\Spellex\ for dictionary files.
  • Use Dragon’s Vocabulary Center → Add words from external source and browse to Spellex dictionary files.