diff --git a/src/constants.js b/src/constants.js
index d005963..6382690 100644
--- a/src/constants.js
+++ b/src/constants.js
@@ -50,4 +50,6 @@ export const DEFAULT_DICTIONARY = {
   createdOn: 0,
 };
 
-export const DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE = 50;
\ No newline at end of file
+export const DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE = 50;
+
+export const LOCAL_STORAGE_KEY = 'dictionary';
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 2965f89..10ab518 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
 import './main.scss';
 
-import { DEFAULT_DICTIONARY } from './constants';
 import setupListeners from './js/setupListeners';
 import { renderAll } from './js/render';
-import { cloneObject } from './helpers';
 import { generateRandomWords } from './js/utilities';
+import { loadDictionary } from './js/dictionaryManagement';
 
 function initialize() {
   console.log('initializing');
-  window.currentDictionary = cloneObject(DEFAULT_DICTIONARY);
+  loadDictionary();
   // generateRandomWords(100);
   setupListeners();
   renderAll();
diff --git a/src/js/dictionaryManagement.js b/src/js/dictionaryManagement.js
index f6dddda..c49b77f 100644
--- a/src/js/dictionaryManagement.js
+++ b/src/js/dictionaryManagement.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { renderDictionaryDetails, renderPartsOfSpeech } from "./render";
-import { removeTags } from "../helpers";
+import { removeTags, cloneObject } from "../helpers";
+import { LOCAL_STORAGE_KEY, DEFAULT_DICTIONARY } from "../constants";
 
 export function updateDictionary () {
 
@@ -38,18 +39,18 @@ export function openEditModal() {
   document.getElementById('editModal').style.display = '';
 }
 
-export function save() {
+export function saveEditModal() {
   window.currentDictionary.name = removeTags(document.getElementById('editName').value.trim());
   window.currentDictionary.specification = removeTags(document.getElementById('editSpecification').value.trim());
   window.currentDictionary.description = removeTags(document.getElementById('editDescription').value.trim());
-  window.currentDictionary.partsOfSpeech = document.getElementById('editPartsOfSpeech').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim());
+  window.currentDictionary.partsOfSpeech = document.getElementById('editPartsOfSpeech').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim()).filter(val => val !== '');
 
-  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.consonants = document.getElementById('editConsonants').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim());
-  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.vowels = document.getElementById('editVowels').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim());
-  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.blends = document.getElementById('editBlends').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim());
-  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.phonotactics.onset = document.getElementById('editOnset').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim());
-  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.phonotactics.nucleus = document.getElementById('editNucleus').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim());
-  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.phonotactics.coda = document.getElementById('editCoda').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim());
+  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.consonants = document.getElementById('editConsonants').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim()).filter(val => val !== '');
+  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.vowels = document.getElementById('editVowels').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim()).filter(val => val !== '');
+  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.blends = document.getElementById('editBlends').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim()).filter(val => val !== '');
+  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.phonotactics.onset = document.getElementById('editOnset').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim()).filter(val => val !== '');
+  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.phonotactics.nucleus = document.getElementById('editNucleus').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim()).filter(val => val !== '');
+  window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.phonotactics.coda = document.getElementById('editCoda').value.split(',').map(val => val.trim()).filter(val => val !== '');
   window.currentDictionary.details.phonology.phonotactics.exceptions = removeTags(document.getElementById('editExceptions').value.trim());
 
   window.currentDictionary.details.orthography.notes = removeTags(document.getElementById('editOrthography').value.trim());
@@ -61,15 +62,29 @@ export function save() {
   window.currentDictionary.settings.isComplete = document.getElementById('editIsComplete').checked;
   window.currentDictionary.settings.isPublic = document.getElementById('editIsPublic').checked;
 
+  saveDictionary();
   renderDictionaryDetails();
   renderPartsOfSpeech();
 }
 
-export function saveAndClose() {
-  save();
+export function saveAndCloseEditModal() {
+  saveEditModal();
   document.getElementById('editModal').style.display = 'none';
 }
 
-export function updateGeneralDetails() {
+export function saveDictionary() {
+  window.localStorage.setItem(LOCAL_STORAGE_KEY, JSON.stringify(window.currentDictionary));
+}
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+export function loadDictionary() {
+  const storedDictionary = window.localStorage.getItem(LOCAL_STORAGE_KEY);
+  if (storedDictionary) {
+    window.currentDictionary = JSON.parse(storedDictionary);
+  } else {
+    clearDictionary();
+  }
+}
+
+export function clearDictionary() {
+  window.currentDictionary = cloneObject(DEFAULT_DICTIONARY);
+}
diff --git a/src/js/setupListeners.js b/src/js/setupListeners.js
index c976f79..031f5d3 100644
--- a/src/js/setupListeners.js
+++ b/src/js/setupListeners.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { renderWords, renderEditForm, renderMaximizedTextbox, renderInfoModal }
 import { validateWord, addWord, confirmEditWord, cancelEditWord, confirmDeleteWord } from './wordManagement';
 import { removeTags } from '../helpers';
 import { getNextId } from './utilities';
-import { openEditModal, save, saveAndClose } from './dictionaryManagement';
+import { openEditModal, saveEditModal, saveAndCloseEditModal } from './dictionaryManagement';
 import { goToNextPage, goToPreviousPage, goToPage } from './pagination';
 
 export default function setupListeners() {
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ function setupEditFormInteractions() {
 }
 
 function setupEditFormButtons() {
-  document.getElementById('editSave').addEventListener('click', () => save());
-  document.getElementById('editSaveAndClose').addEventListener('click', () => saveAndClose());
+  document.getElementById('editSave').addEventListener('click', () => saveEditModal());
+  document.getElementById('editSaveAndClose').addEventListener('click', () => saveAndCloseEditModal());
 
   setupMaximizeButtons();
 }
diff --git a/src/js/wordManagement.js b/src/js/wordManagement.js
index 26f227f..4ebaa8e 100644
--- a/src/js/wordManagement.js
+++ b/src/js/wordManagement.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { renderWords } from "./render";
 import { wordExists } from "./utilities";
 import removeDiacritics from "./StackOverflow/removeDiacritics";
 import { removeTags } from "../helpers";
+import { saveDictionary } from "./dictionaryManagement";
 
 export function validateWord(word, wordId = false) {
   const errorElementId = wordId === false ? 'wordErrorMessage' : 'wordErrorMessage_' + wordId,
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ export function sortWords(render) {
     if (removeDiacritics(wordA[sortBy]).toLowerCase() === removeDiacritics(wordB[sortBy]).toLowerCase()) return 0;
     return removeDiacritics(wordA[sortBy]).toLowerCase() > removeDiacritics(wordB[sortBy]).toLowerCase() ? 1 : -1;
   });
+  
+  saveDictionary();
 
   if (render) {
     renderWords();
@@ -50,10 +53,12 @@ export function addWord(word, render = true) {
 
 export function deleteWord(wordId) {
   const wordIndex = window.currentDictionary.words.findIndex(word => word.wordId === wordId);
-  if (wordIndex > -1) {
+  if (wordIndex < 0) {
+    console.error('Could not find word to delete');
+  } else {
     window.currentDictionary.words.splice(wordIndex, 1);
+    sortWords(true);
   }
-  sortWords(true);
 }
 
 export function updateWord(word, wordId) {