Using the User Dictionary

I'm running Android 2.2 (Froyo) on a Motorola Atrix 4G so Motoblur is running on top of Froyo.
To add a word to my user dictionary, I currently have to type the word out by choosing each letter, press space then backspace to get the word to showup in the prediction bar to long click it to add.
Is there an easier way to do this?

I don't understand why you have to press space then backspace (if that's your problem). The word appears in the prediction bar (on the left) at the same time you type letters, doesn't it?

No. If I have to select each letter, the word I've typed in does not show in the prediction bar, and as of today even if I backspace it doesn't show up, so not sure what happened there.

So what do you see in the prediction bar when you type? And is it with QWERTY or T9 layout?

While typing normally, I see the words it is predicting. However, if I try to type the word buzzkill for instance it doesn't have that word, so I select the letters individually. Then the only things in my prediction bar are the individual letters to select. the word I've typed never pops up.

I'm in T9.

I'm not sure I understand... If you want to type "buzzkill", you have 2 options:
- T9 key is on: in that case you will try to type "atwwjgjj", and you will get no predictions, as there is no matching word in your dictionary, and there is no way the keyboard can guess you wanted to type "buzzkill"
- T9 key is off: then you type "buzzkill" using the multitap method, and unless I'm missing something, this word will appear in the prediction bar as long as you type it

I was not aware I had to turn t9 off. That fixed my problem. Thank you.