# I dumped Apple’s word list

- HackerByte page: <https://hackerbyte.net/en/stories/an-investigation-or-analysis-related-to-apple-s-word-list-50357782>
- Original source: <https://helgesver.re/articles/macos-vulgar-word-flags>
- Hacker News discussion: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50357782>
- Submitted to Hacker News: 2026-11-03T20:33:23.000Z

An investigation or analysis related to Apple's word list.

## AI-generated summary

An investigation into Apple's private Lexicon.framework reveals how macOS categorizes words as vulgar, offensive, or sensitive, along with topic flags. The author found that the system uses a database, VulgarWordUsage.db, to learn user\-specific swear word usage, though it often requires manual setup. The analysis includes a detailed breakdown of word classifications, notably flagging 'Trump' as sensitive while living politicians like Biden and Obama are clean.

## Key points

- Apple's macOS tracks swear word usage per app and recipient in \~/Library/Keyboard/VulgarWordUsage.db.
- Words are categorized into three tiers: vulgar, offensive, and sensitive, with up to eleven topic flags.
- There is no public API for accessing these flags; the author used private C functions from Lexicon.framework.
- Notable classifications include 'Oedipus' as vulgar, 'Trump' as sensitive \(politics topic\), and 'Biden/Obama/Putin' as clean.
- A missing \~/Library/Keyboard folder prevents the VulgarWordUsage.db from being created on many Macs.