Software & Apps > MS Office How to Change Language in Word Need to write or read in a different language? Follow these tips By Jacqueline Emigh Jacqueline Emigh Twitter Writer Emerson College Brandeis University Jacqueline Emigh is an award-winning writer whose writing appears in PC World, PC Magazine, and more. She's also held editorial positions at Newsbytes, ZDNet, and others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 15, 2022 Reviewed by Christine Baker Reviewed by Christine Baker Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Word Excel Powerpoint Outlook What to Know In Windows: Choose the desired Display and Help Languages in File > Options > Word Options > Language.Then, select Choose Editing Options in the same section to change the editing language.All but the proofing language in Office for Mac are the same as those for the operating system. To change it in Word: Tools > Language. This article explains how to change display and/or editing languages in Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, Word Online, and Word for Mac. In Windows—but not in macOS—you can choose them independently of the language installed for your operating system. How to Change the Display Language The display language in Word governs the ribbon, buttons, tabs, and other controls. To force a display language in Word that's different from that of your operating system: Select File > Options. In the Word Options dialog box, select Language. In the Choose Display Language section, choose the Display Language and Help Language you want to use. Languages installed in Windows 10 are listed. If a specific language is not listed, select Get more display and help languages from Office.com. If necessary, install a Language Accessory Pack, then close and re-launch Word. You may need to reboot your computer, as well. After a language pack loads, go to the Word Options menu and choose that pack in the Display Language and Help Language lists. Select Set as Default for both the Display Language and the Help Language lists. Select OK to save your changes. How to Change the Editing Language in Word The editing language—which governs spelling, grammar, and word sorting—can be changed in the Word Options screen. Go to the Choose Editing Languages section, and select a language from the list. If the language isn't listed, select the Add additional editing languages drop-down arrow and choose a language. To proofread in the selected language, highlight the text, then go to the Review tab and select Language > Set proofing language. Choose a language from the list. Word will consider the highlighted selection to be the non-default, selected language and will check the spelling and grammar accordingly. How to Change Language in Word Online Language options for Office Online are similar to those in desktop versions of Office. In Office Online, highlight the text for proofing in the non-default language. Select Review > Spelling and Grammar > Set Proofing Language, then choose your alternative language. All proofing in that selected block will be governed by the rules of the alternative language. How to Change Language in Word for Mac The display and keyboard layout languages used in Office for Mac are the same as the ones for the operating system. You cannot use separate languages for the OS and Office applications. However, you can specify a different proofing language for Office for Mac. To change the proofing language in Office for Mac, select Tools > Language in Word or another Office application. To change the proofing language for new documents, select Default. If you select OK instead of Default, the proofing language you chose will only apply to the current file. Normally, Word defaults to the language of the operating system. As a rule, you should use Windows to install language files rather than rely on an application like Word to do it for you. FAQ How do you delete a page in Word? To delete a page in Word, select View, then go to the Show section and select Navigation Pane. In the left pane, select Pages, choose the page you want to delete and tap the delete or backspace key. How do I check the word count in Word? To check the word count in Microsoft Word, look at the status bar. If you don’t see the number of words, right-click the status bar and choose Word Count. How do I insert a signature in Word? To insert a signature in Microsoft Word, scan and insert a signature image into a new Word document and type your information beneath the signature. Then, select the signature block and go to Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. Name the signature > AutoText > OK. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit