How to Fix Opening Quotation Marks Appearing as Subscripts in Word
Question details
The user needs to stop opening quotation marks from automatically formatting as subscript characters.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Typing or pasting text into existing or new Microsoft Word documents.
- Observed behavior
- Opening quotation marks appear as subscripts at the bottom of the line (similar to German formatting). Removing the German keyboard layout and copying text to a new document does not resolve the issue.
Ensure you know which specific paragraphs are affected, and right-click your Word status bar to ensure the 'Language' indicator is visible for quick monitoring.
Disable Automatic Language Detection and Reset Text Language
This is the primary solution to prevent Word from incorrectly identifying your typing as a foreign language (like German) and applying its native quotation styles.
Microsoft Word often tries to guess the language you are typing in. If it incorrectly detects German, it will automatically switch opening quotation marks to subscripts. Disabling this auto-detection prevents the unwanted formatting.
Highlight the text containing the subscript quotation marks, or press Ctrl + A to select the entire document.
Navigate to the Review tab on the top ribbon, click on Language, and select Set Proofing Language from the drop-down menu.
In the Language dialog box, uncheck the box that says 'Detect language automatically'.
Scroll through the language list, select English (or your preferred language), and click OK.
The existing subscript quotes will not change automatically. Delete the affected quotation marks and retype them to apply the corrected standard formatting.
Modify the Language of the Normal Style
If the issue persists in brand new documents, the underlying default style template may have been accidentally set to a foreign language.
Manage Document Language and Formatting Easily in WPS Writer
WPS Writer offers an intuitive and stable environment for managing document formatting and proofing languages. You can easily set your desired language globally to prevent quotation marks from appearing as unexpected subscripts, without fighting aggressive automatic language detection.
- 1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document where you want to fix the quotation marks.
- 2. Access language tools: Navigate to the Review tab on the main top ribbon.
- 3. Open language settings: Click on the Spell Check drop-down menu and select Set Language.
- 4. Set the default language: Choose your desired language from the list and click Set as Default to ensure all new text adheres to your preferred quotation mark style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my quotation marks look like commas at the bottom of the text?
This happens when your word processor identifies the text as a language that uses subscript opening quotation marks, such as German. This is usually triggered by the 'Detect language automatically' feature incorrectly identifying the language you are typing.
Why didn't removing the German keyboard layout fix the quotation marks?
Removing the keyboard layout only stops future inputs from being flagged as German by your operating system. However, the existing text in your document, or the document's underlying style template, still retains the German proofing language setting until manually changed.
How do I permanently change the default language for new Word documents?
You can permanently change it by modifying the 'Normal' style template. Right-click the Normal style in the Styles pane, select Modify, go to Format > Language, choose your preferred language, and check the option for 'New documents based on this template' before clicking OK.
