Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processor in the world. With over 1 billion users, it offers features to help users easily write, edit, and share documents. One useful but often overlooked feature is the ability to change the interface and proofing language in Word.
Whether you need to write documents in multiple languages or simply prefer using Word in your native language, changing the language settings is easy. This article will walk you through the steps.
Change Display Language in Word
The display language controls the Word interface language, including menus, buttons, and dialog boxes.
To change display language on Windows:
- Open Word and select the Review tab
- Click Language > Language Preferences
- Under Choose Display and Help Languages, select your preferred language
- Click Set as Default
To change display language on Mac:
- You’ll need to change system language preferences through System Settings. Word display language cannot be changed independently.
Change Editing Language in Word
The editing language controls the language Word uses for checking spelling and grammar.
To change editing language on Windows:
- Go to File > Options > Language
- Under Editing Language, choose your language
- Click Set as Default
To change editing language on Mac:
- Go to Tools > Language
- Choose your language
- Click Default to set it as default for new documents
Tips for Using Multiple Languages
- Use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Shift or Cmd+Shift to quickly toggle between languages
- Translate specific words or passages using the Translate feature under the Review tab
- Add multiple languages under Editing Languages to enable switching between them
- Turn off automatic language detection to prevent Word from changing languages automatically
Conclusion
The ability to change interface and proofing languages makes working in Word much easier for multilingual users.
By following these simple steps, you can configure Word to display menus and check spelling/grammar in your preferred language. This can help boost productivity and ensure accuracy while writing.
Changing language settings is just one of many ways Word adapts for diverse needs. Be sure to also check out accessibility features like Read Aloud and Learning Tools to see how else Word can support your work.