How to change the language in Word
Word lets you change the language for spell-checking, grammar-checking, and the interface itself. The steps differ depending on whether you want to change the language for a single document, specific text within a document, or the entire application. Most users need to change the proofing language — the language Word uses to check your spelling and grammar — which takes about 30 seconds.
The fastest route is to select the text you want to change, then use the Review tab to set a new language. If you want to change the language for your entire copy of Word, you adjust the display language in your account settings, though this requires signing in with a Microsoft account.
Key Takeaways
- You can change the proofing language (spell-check and grammar-check) for specific text or an entire document without affecting the interface language.
- To change the language for selected text, go to the Review tab, click Language, then choose Set Proofing Language and pick your language from the list.
- To change the language for a whole document, select all text with Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A on Mac), then set the proofing language the same way.
- Changing the display language of Word itself requires signing into your Microsoft account and adjusting settings in account.microsoft.com.
- Word must have the language pack installed on your computer to use that language for spell-checking and grammar-checking.
Change the proofing language for text in your document
Open your Word document and highlight the text you want to change the language for. If you want to change the entire document, press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) to select all text. Then click the Review tab at the top of the ribbon.
In the Review tab, look for the Language button — it usually shows a speech bubble with lines in it. Click it and select Set Proofing Language from the dropdown menu. A dialog box will open showing all available languages. Find and click the language you want, then click OK. Word will now check the spelling and grammar of that text in the language you chose.
If you do not see your language in the list, your computer may not have that language pack installed. Windows and Mac both allow you to add language packs through system settings, though the steps vary by operating system version.
Change the display language of Word itself
The display language is the language you see in the menus, buttons, and dialog boxes. To change it, you must be signed into Word with a Microsoft account. If you are not signed in, click your profile picture or initials in the top right corner of Word and select Sign In, then enter your Microsoft account email and password.
Once signed in, go to File, then Options. In the Options window, click Language on the left side. Under Office Display Language, you will see a dropdown menu showing your current language. Click it and choose a new language from the list. Word will ask you to restart the application for the change to take effect. Close Word completely and open it again — the interface will now display in your chosen language.
If your language does not appear in the dropdown, it may not be installed on your computer. You can also change the display language through your Microsoft account online at account.microsoft.com by going to Settings and then Language & Region, though changes made there may take time to sync to your desktop version of Word.
Change the language for spell-check only
Sometimes you want Word to check spelling in one language but keep the document text in another. This is common when writing in English with occasional words or phrases in another language. Select just the text you want checked in a different language, then follow the same steps: Review tab, Language button, Set Proofing Language, choose your language, and click OK.
Word will now check only that selected text against the dictionary of the language you chose. The rest of your document will continue to use whatever proofing language was set before. You can repeat this process for different sections of your document if needed — for example, marking French dialogue as French and English narrative as English.
What to do if your language is not in the list
If you cannot find your language in the Set Proofing Language dialog, your computer does not have that language pack installed. On Windows, go to Settings, then Time & Language, then Language. Click Add a Language and search for the language you want. Windows will download and install the language pack, which may take several minutes.
On Mac, go to System Preferences, then Language & Region. Click the plus sign at the bottom left and choose your language. Mac will download the language pack in the background. After installation completes, restart Word and your language should appear in the proofing language list.
Some languages require additional steps or may not be fully supported for spell-checking on older versions of Windows or Mac. If you have installed the language pack and it still does not appear in Word, check that you are running a recent version of Word — older versions may not support newer language packs.
Difference between proofing language and display language
These are two separate settings that do different things. The proofing language controls which dictionary Word uses to check your spelling and grammar. If you set the proofing language to Spanish, Word will flag English words as misspelled and suggest Spanish corrections. The display language controls what language you see in the Word interface itself — the menus, buttons, and dialog boxes.
You can have a document in English with English spell-checking while your Word menus appear in French. Or you can have a document in French with French spell-checking while your menus stay in English. They work independently, so changing one does not affect the other. Most people only need to change the proofing language, unless they prefer to work in Word's interface in a language other than English.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the language for just one paragraph instead of the whole document?
Yes. Select only the paragraph or text you want to change, then go to Review, Language, Set Proofing Language, and choose your language. Word will check only that selected text in the new language and leave the rest of the document unchanged.
Will changing the language affect how my document looks or prints?
No. Changing the proofing language only changes which dictionary Word uses to check spelling and grammar. It does not change fonts, formatting, or how the document prints. Changing the display language only changes what you see in the menus — it does not affect the document itself.
What if I want to write in a language that uses a different alphabet, like Arabic or Chinese?
You can type in any language your keyboard supports. Install the language pack for that language through your system settings, then set the proofing language in Word the same way. You may need to add a keyboard layout for that language through your operating system so you can actually type in it.
Does changing the language in Word on my computer change it on my phone or online version?
No. The language settings in the desktop version of Word are separate from Word Online and Word on mobile. You must change the language in each version separately. In Word Online, click Settings (the gear icon) and look for Language options. On mobile, go to Settings within the Word app.
Can I undo a language change?
Yes. Select the text again, go to Review, Language, Set Proofing Language, and choose your original language. If you changed the display language, go back to File, Options, Language and select your previous language, then restart Word.