Change the display language or spell-check language in Word

Microsoft Word lets you change two separate language settings: the language Word itself displays (menus, buttons, help text) and the language it uses to check your spelling and grammar. Most people need to change the spell-check language, which takes 30 seconds. Changing the display language is slower and requires restarting Word.

The spell-check language is what matters most. If you write in French but Word is set to English, every French word will show a red underline. Changing this setting tells Word to stop marking your actual language as wrong.

Key Takeaways

  • To change spell-check language, select your text, go to Review tab, click Language, and choose your language from the list.
  • Word remembers your spell-check choice for that document only — you will need to set it again in new documents.
  • Changing the display language (menus and buttons) requires going to File > Options > Language and restarting Word.
  • If your language does not appear in the spell-check list, you may need to install a language pack from Windows Settings first.

Change spell-check language in three steps

Open the document you want to work in. Select all the text you want to check in a different language — you can select everything by pressing Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A on Mac), or just highlight the section you want to change.

Go to the Review tab at the top of Word. Look for a button labeled Language or Set Proofing Language (the exact name varies by Word version). Click it. A box will open showing available languages. Find and click your language. Word will now check spelling and grammar in that language for the text you selected.

If you want the same language for the whole document going forward, select all text first (Ctrl+A), then set the language. Word will remember this choice only for that document — when you open a new document, you will need to set it again.

Change the language Word displays on screen

This changes the menus, buttons, and help text from English to another language. It is slower than changing spell-check language and requires you to close and reopen Word.

Click File in the top left corner. Select Options at the bottom of the left menu. In the Options window, click Language on the left side. You will see a list of installed languages under "Office Display Languages". If your language is not there, click Add a Language and choose from the list. Once added, click the language and select Set as Preferred. Close Word completely and reopen it. The display will now be in your chosen language.

If the language you want does not appear even in the full list, you may need to install it through Windows. Go to Windows Settings, search for "Language", click Add a Language, and install the language pack. Once installed in Windows, it will appear in Word's language list.

When Word does not have your language

Word includes spell-check for dozens of languages, but not all. If you type in a language that Word does not recognize, the spell-check list will not include it, and you cannot add it manually from Word itself.

Check whether your language is available by opening the Language menu (Review tab > Language) and scrolling through the full list. If it is not there, you have two options: install a language pack through Windows Settings (which may add it to Word), or turn off spell-check for that document by selecting all text and choosing Do Not Check Spelling or Grammar from the Language menu. This stops Word from underlining words in that language, though it also stops catching real typos.

Spell-check language versus display language

These two settings do different things and work independently. You can have Word display in English while checking spelling in French, or display in Spanish while checking spelling in English. They do not affect each other.

Most people only need to change spell-check language. Change display language only if you want the menus and buttons themselves to appear in a different language. If you write in multiple languages in the same document, you can set different languages for different sections — select each section and set its language separately.

Why Word forgets your language choice

Word stores spell-check language settings inside each document file, not as a permanent program setting. When you open a new blank document, Word reverts to its default language (usually English). This is why you have to set the language again in each new document.

If you frequently write in the same language, you can create a template with that language already set. Write a document, set the spell-check language, then go to File > Save As and choose Word Template as the file type. Name it something clear like "French Template". The next time you want to write in that language, open this template instead of a blank document, and the language will already be set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word keep underlining words in my language?

Word is set to check spelling in a different language than the one you are typing. Select your text, go to Review > Language, and choose the language you are actually writing in. If your language does not appear in the list, it may not be installed on your computer.

Can I set different languages for different parts of the same document?

Yes. Select the section you want to change, go to Review > Language, and choose that section's language. Repeat for each section. Word will check spelling separately for each part based on its assigned language.

What if I want Word menus in one language but spell-check in another?

You can do this. Change the display language through File > Options > Language, and change the spell-check language through Review > Language. They work independently, so you can mix them however you need.

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

No, but you do have to set it for each new document. Word remembers the spell-check language within that specific file. If you always write in the same language, create a template with the language already set and use that template for new documents.

My language is not in the spell-check list. What do I do?

Go to Windows Settings, search for "Language", and install the language pack for your language. Once installed in Windows, it will appear in Word's Language menu. If it still does not appear, your version of Word may not support that language.