Want to change language in Word to write or read in another language? Follow these steps
What to Know
- In Windows: Click File > Options > Language, and select the desired Display and Help Languages.
- Then, click Choose Editing Options in the same window to switch to a different editing language.
- Except for the proofing language, all of the options in Office for Mac are the same as those in the operating system. To change it in Word on Mac, go to Tools > Language.
How to Change Language in Word
This article teaches you how to change display or editing languages in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, Word Online, and Word for Mac.
You can select them regardless of the operating system language in Windows but not in macOS.
How to Change the Display Language
The display language in Word governs the ribbon menus, buttons, and other controls. To set a display language in Word than the one used by your operating system:
Step 1: Open Word Options.
In Word, click File > Options.
Step 2: Choose the Language tab.
In the Word Options window, select the Language tab.
Step 3: Choose your desired language.
In the “Choose Editing Languages” section, select the language you want to use for the display language. You can also add other languages if necessary.
Step 4: Set the display language as default.
Once you’ve decided on a language, click Set as Default to make it the default display language for all documents.
Step 5: Restart Word.
Click OK, and restart Microsoft Word to see the changes take effect.
Congratulations! You have successfully changed the display language in Word.
How to Change the Editing Language in Word
By changing the editing language, you can ensure that Word checks your spelling and grammar in the correct language and provides accurate suggestions for autocomplete and autocorrect. Let’s dive in!
Step 1: Open Word Options.
Open Microsoft Word, and click File > Options.
Step 2: Select the Language tab.
In the Word Options window, choose Language from the left menu.
Step 3: Choose your desired language.
In the “Choose Editing Languages” box, choose the language you want to use for document editing.
To add a new editing language, click the Add a Language button. Select the language, and click Add.
Step 4: Set the editing language as default.
Once you’ve decided on a language, click Set as Default to make it the default editing language for all future documents.
Step 5: Select OK.
Click OK to see the changes take effect.
Step 6: Check your spelling and grammar.
After changing the editing language, check your spelling and grammar, as they may have changed. You can do this by clicking the Spelling & Grammar or Editor button in the Review tab.
Congratulations! You have successfully changed the editing language in Word. Now, Word will check your spelling and grammar in the language of your choice and provide suggestions accordingly.
How to Change Language in Word Online
Language settings in Office Online are comparable to those in desktop versions of Office. To change language in Word Online:
Step 1: Open your document in Word Online.
Open Word Online in your web browser and open/upload the document for which you want to change the language.
Step 2: Open the language settings.
Select Review > Editor > Set Proofing Language. It will open the Language settings window.
Step 3: Choose your desired language.
The Language window displays a list of available languages. Choose your proofing language for:
- Selected text: To change the proofreading language only for the highlighted text.
- Current Document: Only change the proofreading language for this document.
Then, click “OK” to save changes and make it your default language for all documents.
Tip: Click the “Don’t check spelling or grammar” box and Word Online won’t scan your document for spelling and grammar errors.
Congratulations! You have successfully changed the language in Word Online. Now, you can use Word Online in the language that suits you best.
How to Change Language in Word for Mac
Office for Mac uses the same display and keyboard layout languages as the operating system.
It is not possible to use separate languages for macOS and Office programs. However, you can choose a different proofreading language for Office for Mac.
Step 1: Launch Word.
First, open Microsoft Word on your Mac.
Step 2: Open Word Preferences.
In the top menu bar, select Word > Preferences.
Step 3: Select the Language tab.
In the Word Preferences window, click on the “Language” icon.
Step 4: Choose your desired language.
In the “Preferred languages” section, choose the proofing language you want to use. You can also add other languages if necessary.
Step 5: Set the language as default.
Click the “Default” button to make it the default for all future documents.
If you select OK rather than Default, the proofreading language you selected will only apply to the current document.
Step 6: Restart Word.
To see the changes take effect, quit and restart Microsoft Word.
To delete a page in Word, select View, then in the Show section, click Navigation Pane > Pages, select the page you wish to delete, and hit the delete key.
To check the word count in Word, look at the status bar of a document. If the amount of words isn’t visible, right-click the status bar and select the Word Count option.
