diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index a9562e8f2b..c707d302df 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ Want to know if a word you're proposing exists in codespell already? It is possi
     echo "word" | codespell -
     echo "1stword,2ndword" | codespell -
 
-You can select the optional dictionaries with the ``--builtin`` option.
+You can select the optional builtin dictionary with the ``--builtin`` option. Use ``--builtin=all`` to enable them all. This only works without custom ``-D`` dictionaries.
 
 Ignoring words
 --------------
diff --git a/codespell_lib/_codespell.py b/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
index c5b5b4e21b..f5418689fd 100644
--- a/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
+++ b/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
@@ -459,6 +459,7 @@ def convert_arg_line_to_args(self, arg_line: str) -> list[str]:
         metavar="BUILTIN-LIST",
         help="comma-separated list of builtin dictionaries "
         'to include (when "-D -" or no "-D" is passed). '
+        "Use 'all' to include every builtin dictionary. "
         "Current options are:" + builtin_opts + "\n"
         "The default is %(default)r.",
     )
@@ -1244,6 +1245,27 @@ def _usage_error(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser, message: str) -> int:
     return EX_USAGE
 
 
+def _select_builtin_dictionary(builtin_option: str) -> list[str]:
+    use = sorted(set(builtin_option.split(",")))
+    if "all" in use:
+        use = [u for u in use if u != "all"] + [
+            builtin[0] for builtin in _builtin_dictionaries
+        ]
+        use = sorted(set(use))
+
+    use_dictionaries = []
+    for u in use:
+        for builtin in _builtin_dictionaries:
+            if builtin[0] == u:
+                use_dictionaries.append(
+                    os.path.join(_data_root, f"dictionary{builtin[2]}.txt")
+                )
+                break
+        else:
+            raise KeyError(u)
+    return use_dictionaries
+
+
 def main(*args: str) -> int:
     """Contains flow control"""
     try:
@@ -1337,20 +1359,13 @@ def main(*args: str) -> int:
     use_dictionaries = []
     for dictionary in dictionaries:
         if dictionary == "-":
-            # figure out which builtin dictionaries to use
-            use = sorted(set(options.builtin.split(",")))
-            for u in use:
-                for builtin in _builtin_dictionaries:
-                    if builtin[0] == u:
-                        use_dictionaries.append(
-                            os.path.join(_data_root, f"dictionary{builtin[2]}.txt")
-                        )
-                        break
-                else:
-                    return _usage_error(
-                        parser,
-                        f"ERROR: Unknown builtin dictionary: {u}",
-                    )
+            try:
+                use_dictionaries.extend(_select_builtin_dictionary(options.builtin))
+            except KeyError as e:
+                return _usage_error(
+                    parser,
+                    f"ERROR: Unknown builtin dictionary: {e.args[0]}",
+                )
         else:
             if not os.path.isfile(dictionary):
                 return _usage_error(
diff --git a/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py b/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
index 5120e1e8a1..8887df0d99 100644
--- a/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
+++ b/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     EX_DATAERR,
     EX_OK,
     EX_USAGE,
+    _builtin_dictionaries,
     uri_regex_def,
 )
 
@@ -116,6 +117,11 @@ def test_basic(
         f.write("tim\ngonna\n")
     assert cs.main(fname) == 2, "with a name"
     assert cs.main("--builtin", "clear,rare,names,informal", fname) == 4
+    assert cs.main("--builtin", "all", fname) == cs.main(
+        "--builtin",
+        ",".join(d[0] for d in _builtin_dictionaries),
+        fname,
+    )
     with fname.open("w") as f:  # overwrite the file
         f.write("var = 'nwe must check codespell likes escapes nin strings'\n")
     assert cs.main(fname) == 1, "checking our string escape test word is bad"