Change your Word display language or spell-check language in three steps

You can change the language Word uses in two ways: the language of the interface itself (menus, buttons, ribbons) or the language Word checks spelling and grammar against. Most people need to change the spell-check language, which takes 30 seconds. Changing the interface language is slower and depends on which version of Word you have.

Start by deciding which one you need. If the menus and buttons are in the wrong language, you want the interface language. If Word keeps flagging correct words as misspelled, you want the spell-check language. Many people need both.

Key Takeaways

  • To change spell-check language, select all text, go to Review tab, click Language, and choose your language from the list.
  • To change the interface language in Word on Windows, go to File > Options > Language and set your display language there.
  • On Mac, the interface language follows your system settings — change it in System Preferences, not in Word itself.
  • Word may need to download language packs for some languages, which happens automatically the first time you select them.
  • Spell-check language and interface language are separate settings and do not affect each other.

Change the spell-check language (works on Windows and Mac)

This is the fastest route and works the same way on both Windows and Mac. Open your document and select all the text by pressing Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac).

Go to the Review tab at the top of the ribbon. Look for a button labeled Language or Set Proofing Language — the exact name varies by Word version. Click it. A window will open showing a list of languages. Find the language you want and click it once to highlight it, then click OK. Word will now check spelling and grammar in that language for the entire document.

If you want only part of a document in a different language, select just that section before opening the Language menu. This is useful if you have a paragraph in French inside an English document.

Change the interface language on Windows

The interface is the menus, buttons, and all the text Word shows you. To change it on Windows, click File in the top left corner. Scroll down and click Options at the bottom of the menu.

In the Options window, click Language on the left side. You will see a section called Office Display Language. If your language is already listed there, click it and then click Set as Preferred. If it is not listed, click Add a Language, find it in the dropdown, and click Add. Then click Set as Preferred.

Word will ask you to restart the program. Close Word completely and open it again. The interface should now be in your chosen language. If it is not, restart your computer — sometimes Windows needs to catch up.

Change the interface language on Mac

On Mac, Word does not have its own language setting for the interface. Instead, it follows your system language. To change it, click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Preferences (or System Settings on newer Macs).

Click Language & Region. At the top, you will see Preferred Languages. Click the plus sign to add a language, or drag an existing language to the top of the list to make it primary. Close System Preferences. The next time you open Word, the interface will be in your system language.

What to do if your language is not in the list

If you select a language that Word does not have installed, it will download the language pack automatically. This usually takes a few minutes on a normal internet connection. You do not need to do anything — just wait and the language will appear.

If the download fails or stalls, restart Word and try again. If a language still does not appear after restarting, check that you have an internet connection and that your Windows or Mac is up to date. Very old versions of Word may not support some languages.

Spell-check language and interface language are separate

Changing one does not change the other. You can have an English interface with French spell-check, or a Spanish interface with English spell-check. They work independently.

This matters because you might want Word to show you menus in English but check spelling in the language you are writing in. Set them both to what you need, and they will stay that way until you change them again.

Why Word keeps flagging words as wrong after you change the language

If you changed the spell-check language but Word still marks words as misspelled, you may have missed some text. Select all text again (Ctrl+A or Command+A) and check the Language menu — it will show you what language is set for the selected text. If different parts show different languages, select all and set them to the same language again.

Another reason is that you changed the language for a new document but not for an old one. Each document remembers its own language setting. Open the old document, select all, and set the language again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing the language affect my document or just how Word displays it?

Changing the language affects only how Word checks spelling and grammar, and how the interface looks. Your actual document text does not change. You can open the same document in English or Spanish interface and the words stay the same.

Can I have different languages in different parts of the same document?

Yes. Select the section you want in a different language, go to Review > Language, and choose that language. The rest of the document keeps its original language. This is useful for documents with multiple languages mixed together.

What if I share a document with someone who uses a different language?

The language setting travels with the document. When they open it, Word will use the language you set. They can change it themselves if they want, and their change will not affect your copy.

Do I have to change the language every time I open Word?

No. Word remembers the language you set for each document. The interface language also stays set until you change it. You only need to set it once per document and once for the program itself.

Why is my spell-check language different from my keyboard language?

They are separate systems. Your keyboard language controls what characters appear when you type. Your spell-check language controls what dictionary Word uses to check your words. You may need to set both if you switch between languages while typing.