diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/compat/SuggestionSpanUtils.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/compat/SuggestionSpanUtils.java
index 4929dd948b7d53b07aec951d97c3e2794adcc9db..5c54fa5480f4bfc1c531ea2f93e25f730dcd0af6 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/compat/SuggestionSpanUtils.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/compat/SuggestionSpanUtils.java
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ public class SuggestionSpanUtils {
     public static CharSequence getTextWithSuggestionSpan(Context context,
             CharSequence pickedWord, SuggestedWords suggestedWords) {
         if (TextUtils.isEmpty(pickedWord) || CONSTRUCTOR_SuggestionSpan == null
-                || suggestedWords == null || suggestedWords.size() == 0) {
+                || suggestedWords == null || suggestedWords.size() == 0
+                || suggestedWords.getInfo(0).isObsoleteSuggestedWord()) {
             return pickedWord;
         }
 
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/CandidateView.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/CandidateView.java
index 85870f38e61441b0fefcd726c3915fcfb946627c..bc626072a8fbf603fcb8e6a22d03c31294746319 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/CandidateView.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/CandidateView.java
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ public class CandidateView extends LinearLayout implements OnClickListener, OnLo
 
             final SuggestedWordInfo info = (pos < suggestions.size())
                     ? suggestions.getInfo(pos) : null;
-            if (info != null && info.isPreviousSuggestedWord()) {
+            if (info != null && info.isObsoleteSuggestedWord()) {
                 return applyAlpha(color, 0.5f);
             } else {
                 return color;
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SuggestedWords.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SuggestedWords.java
index c1c46fa4783ca1721a848815614f7aaad91a192c..b177d144ab842ff044630270cbae2d90e0016600 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SuggestedWords.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SuggestedWords.java
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public class SuggestedWords {
             }
         }
 
-        public boolean isPreviousSuggestedWord () {
+        public boolean isObsoleteSuggestedWord () {
             return mPreviousSuggestedWord;
         }
     }