Formatting Issues

How to Fix Right-to-Left Text Alignment and Shortcut Keys in Microsoft Word

Huda Qurayshi Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is experiencing issues with right-to-left text alignment placing punctuation incorrectly, and keyboard shortcuts failing to work in Microsoft Word after an update.

How to Fix Right-to-Left Text Alignment and Shortcut Keys in Microsoft Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Typing in a right-to-left language (like Hebrew) and using custom shortcut keys after a recent Microsoft 365 or Office update.
Observed behavior: Punctuation marks like periods appear at the beginning of sentences instead of the end, and custom keyboard shortcuts no longer function properly.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrator access to your computer to view hidden files, as fixing the shortcut key issues requires accessing the Office Templates folder.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Office Editing Language Settings

Adjusting the Office language preferences specifically for right-to-left languages will resolve punctuation placement issues in newer builds.

In recent Office 365 versions, simply changing your system's writing language is no longer sufficient. You must explicitly set the language within the Office Options menu to ensure right-to-left text formatting behaves correctly.

Access Office Language Preferences

Open Microsoft Word, click on File in the top left corner, and select Options at the bottom of the menu. Choose Language from the left pane.

Set the Editing Language

Under the Office authoring languages and proofing section, ensure your right-to-left language (such as Hebrew or Arabic) is added and selected. This explicitly tells Office to handle the right-to-left formatting rules.

Apply Right-to-Left Paragraph Direction

Return to your document. Go to the Home tab and locate the Paragraph group. Click the Right-to-Left Text Direction button to ensure punctuation marks display correctly at the end of sentences.

Configure Office Editing Language Settings

Version Specifics: If you are on Microsoft 365 Apps Version 2303 or newer, modifying the language tab directly within Word is mandatory for right-to-left characters to format properly.

Solution 2

Restore the Normal.dotm Template for Shortcut Keys

If custom keyboard shortcuts vanished after an update, your Normal.dotm file may have been replaced. Restoring an older backup version will recover your shortcuts.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for Reliable Multi-Language Document Editing

If Microsoft Word updates continually disrupt your formatting or reset your custom shortcuts, consider switching to WPS Office. It's a free, lightweight alternative that supports right-to-left languages seamlessly and maintains excellent compatibility with all your existing Microsoft Office files.

Free to download and use without mandatory subscription updatesFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel, and PowerPoint filesReliable formatting and alignment for Right-to-Left (RTL) languagesFamiliar user interface makes migration seamless and easy

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do periods appear at the beginning of my sentence in Word?

This happens when the paragraph direction is set to Left-to-Right while typing in a Right-to-Left language. Changing the paragraph text direction to Right-to-Left from the Home tab will fix the punctuation placement.

Where are my custom keyboard shortcuts stored in Word?

Custom keyboard shortcuts are typically saved in the Global Template file named Normal.dotm, located in the Microsoft Templates folder on your device.

What causes Normal.dotm to be overwritten or replaced?

Major Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 updates can sometimes replace the existing Normal.dotm file with a fresh version. This causes your personalized settings, macros, and shortcut keys to disappear.

How do I enable Right-to-Left text direction in Word?

You need to add an RTL language (like Arabic or Hebrew) to your Office Language preferences under File Options. Once installed, the Right-to-Left and Left-to-Right paragraph direction buttons will appear in the Paragraph group on the Home tab.

Document & File Issues