diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 5f4cc244..1cd692ea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -92,3 +92,11 @@ jobs:
           PGPASSWORD: postgres
           PGHOST: localhost
         run: ./ci/bin/build-and-test
+  spellr:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
+      with:
+        ruby-version: 3.1
+    - run: gem install spellr; spellr
diff --git a/template.rb b/template.rb
index 96e389a4..180c36f1 100644
--- a/template.rb
+++ b/template.rb
@@ -131,10 +131,6 @@ def apply_template!
     template "rubocop.yml.tt", ".rubocop.yml"
     run_rubocop_autocorrections
 
-    copy_file ".spellr.yml"
-    copy_file ".spellr_wordlists/english.txt"
-    # TODO: add the @app_name to the wordlist then clean it
-
     apply "variants/frontend-audit-app/template.rb"
     apply "variants/frontend-base/js-lint/fixes.rb"
 
@@ -156,6 +152,13 @@ def apply_template!
     # we deliberately place this after the initial git commit because it
     # contains a lot of changes and adds its own git commit
     apply "variants/devise/template.rb" if $config.apply_variant_devise?
+
+    copy_file ".spellr.yml"
+    FileUtils.mkdir_p ".spellr_wordlists"
+    wordlist = run_with_clean_bundler_env "bundle exec spellr --wordlist", capture: true
+    File.write('.spellr_wordlists/english.txt', wordlist)
+    git add: '.spellr_wordlists'
+    git commit: "-m 'Add Spellr wordlist'"
   end
 end
 
@@ -250,16 +253,18 @@ def preexisting_git_repo?
   @preexisting_git_repo == true
 end
 
-def run_with_clean_bundler_env(cmd)
-  success = if defined?(Bundler)
-              Bundler.with_unbundled_env { run(cmd) }
+def run_with_clean_bundler_env(cmd, **options)
+  result = if defined?(Bundler)
+              Bundler.with_unbundled_env { run(cmd, **options) }
             else
-              run(cmd)
+              run(cmd, **options)
             end
-  unless success
+  unless result
     puts "Command failed, exiting: #{cmd}"
     exit(1)
   end
+
+  result
 end
 
 def run_rubocop_autocorrections