diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
index ae415d0..15646b8 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer codes,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer codes,
             final CharSequence previousWord) {
         if (mNativeDict == 0) return null;
 
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
 
     // proximityInfo and/or prevWordForBigrams may not be null.
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
             final CharSequence prevWordForBigrams, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         final int count = getSuggestions(codes, prevWordForBigrams, proximityInfo, mOutputChars,
                 mScores, mSpaceIndices);
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/Dictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/Dictionary.java
index 5229d14..4b02e11 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/Dictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/Dictionary.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
      * @param proximityInfo the object for key proximity. May be ignored by some implementations.
      * @return the list of suggestions
      */
-    abstract public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer composer,
+    abstract protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer composer,
             final CharSequence prevWordForBigrams, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo);
 
     /**
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
      * @param previousWord the word before
      * @return the list of suggestions
      */
-    public abstract ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer composer,
+    abstract protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer composer,
             final CharSequence previousWord);
 
     /**
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/DictionaryCollection.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/DictionaryCollection.java
index dcc53c5..d2ddebf 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/DictionaryCollection.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/DictionaryCollection.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer composer,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer composer,
             final CharSequence prevWordForBigrams, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         final CopyOnWriteArrayList<Dictionary> dictionaries = mDictionaries;
         if (dictionaries.isEmpty()) return null;
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer composer,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer composer,
             final CharSequence previousWord) {
         final CopyOnWriteArrayList<Dictionary> dictionaries = mDictionaries;
         if (dictionaries.isEmpty()) return null;
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableBinaryDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableBinaryDictionary.java
index 1cda9f2..40d46a8 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableBinaryDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableBinaryDictionary.java
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
             final CharSequence prevWordForBigrams, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         asyncReloadDictionaryIfRequired();
         return getWordsInner(codes, prevWordForBigrams, proximityInfo);
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer codes,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer codes,
             final CharSequence previousWord) {
         asyncReloadDictionaryIfRequired();
         return getBigramsInner(codes, previousWord);
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableDictionary.java
index 55a2577..a3c183c 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableDictionary.java
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
             final CharSequence prevWordForBigrams, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         if (reloadDictionaryIfRequired()) return null;
         if (codes.size() >= BinaryDictionary.MAX_WORD_LENGTH) {
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer codes,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getBigrams(final WordComposer codes,
             final CharSequence previousWord) {
         if (reloadDictionaryIfRequired()) return null;
         final ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> suggestions = new ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo>();
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedContactsBinaryDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedContactsBinaryDictionary.java
index 9b20bd6..59bd249 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedContactsBinaryDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedContactsBinaryDictionary.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public synchronized ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
+    protected synchronized ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
             final CharSequence prevWordForBigrams, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         syncReloadDictionaryIfRequired();
         return getWordsInner(codes, prevWordForBigrams, proximityInfo);
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedUserBinaryDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedUserBinaryDictionary.java
index 5b2a6ed..7abc251 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedUserBinaryDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedUserBinaryDictionary.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public synchronized ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
+    protected synchronized ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer codes,
             final CharSequence prevWordForBigrams, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         syncReloadDictionaryIfRequired();
         return getWordsInner(codes, prevWordForBigrams, proximityInfo);
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/UserHistoryDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/UserHistoryDictionary.java
index d742e21..e263491 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/UserHistoryDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/UserHistoryDictionary.java
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer composer,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer composer,
             final CharSequence prevWord, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         // User history unigrams are not used at this moment. Implement this method to make them
         // useful.
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/WhitelistDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/WhitelistDictionary.java
index 24c9499..be2c80e 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/WhitelistDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/WhitelistDictionary.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer composer,
+    protected ArrayList<SuggestedWordInfo> getWords(final WordComposer composer,
             final CharSequence prevWord, final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         // Whitelist does not supply suggestions (actually it should not even implement the
         // Dictionary interface, as it responds to none of it, but it does for legacy reasons)