diff --git a/pypdf/_reader.py b/pypdf/_reader.py
index 7215bc78f..75738fd17 100644
--- a/pypdf/_reader.py
+++ b/pypdf/_reader.py
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class PdfReader:
 
     @property
     def viewer_preferences(self) -> Optional[ViewerPreferences]:
-        """Returns the existing ViewerPreferences as a overloaded dictionniary."""
+        """Returns the existing ViewerPreferences as an overloaded dictionary."""
         o = cast(DictionaryObject, self.trailer["/Root"]).get(
             CD.VIEWER_PREFERENCES, None
         )
diff --git a/pypdf/_writer.py b/pypdf/_writer.py
index dc132349e..ae56fe76b 100644
--- a/pypdf/_writer.py
+++ b/pypdf/_writer.py
@@ -371,10 +371,10 @@ def set_need_appearances_writer(self, state: bool = True) -> None:
 
     @property
     def viewer_preferences(self) -> Optional[ViewerPreferences]:
-        """Returns the existing ViewerPreferences as a overloaded dictionniary."""
+        """Returns the ViewerPreferences as an overloaded dictionary."""
         o = cast(DictionaryObject, self._root_object).get(CD.VIEWER_PREFERENCES, None)
         if o is None:
-            return None
+            o = self._create_viewer_preferences()
         o = o.get_object()
         if not isinstance(o, ViewerPreferences):
             o = ViewerPreferences(o)
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ def viewer_preferences(self) -> Optional[ViewerPreferences]:
                 self._root_object[NameObject(CD.VIEWER_PREFERENCES)] = o
         return o
 
-    def create_viewer_preference(self) -> ViewerPreferences:
+    def _create_viewer_preferences(self) -> ViewerPreferences:
         o = ViewerPreferences()
         self._root_object[NameObject(CD.VIEWER_PREFERENCES)] = self._add_object(o)
         return o
diff --git a/tests/test_writer.py b/tests/test_writer.py
index 0d06f3f17..f39399d51 100644
--- a/tests/test_writer.py
+++ b/tests/test_writer.py
@@ -1724,7 +1724,6 @@ def test_damaged_pdf_length_returning_none():
 def test_viewerpreferences():
     """
     Add Tests for ViewerPreferences
-    https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/issues/140#issuecomment-1685380549
     """
     url = "https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/files/9175966/2015._pb_decode_pg0.pdf"
     name = "2015._pb_decode_pg0.pdf"
@@ -1776,10 +1775,13 @@ def test_viewerpreferences():
     v.print_pagerange = ArrayObject()
     assert len(v.print_pagerange) == 0
 
-    writer.create_viewer_preference()
-    assert len(writer._root_object["/ViewerPreferences"]) == 0
-
     del reader.trailer["/Root"]["/ViewerPreferences"]
-    assert reader.viewer_preferences is None
     writer = PdfWriter(clone_from=reader)
-    assert writer.viewer_preferences is None
+<<<<<<< HEAD
+    assert "/ViewerPreferences" not in writer._root_object
+=======
+    assert not ("/ViewerPreferences" in writer._root_object)
+>>>>>>> aef2c89 (fix unit tests)
+
+    writer.viewer_preferences.direction = "/R2L"
+    assert len(writer._root_object["/ViewerPreferences"]) == 1