How to Fix Word Apostrophes Assigned the Arabic Proofing Language
Question details
The user needs to change the proofing language of apostrophes in received Word documents from Arabic back to English to prevent formatting and text direction errors when importing text into other software.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Importing text from received Word documents into design applications like InDesign, where incorrect language metadata causes layout disruptions.
- Observed behavior
- Apostrophes retain the Arabic (Saudi Arabia) proofing language even when the surrounding text language is changed to English, causing right-to-left text direction or incorrect sizing.
Ensure you save a separate backup copy of the received document before performing bulk replacements to prevent accidental changes to intended formatting.
Replace Affected Apostrophes Using Find and Replace
Since manually changing the language from the ribbon often fails to update existing punctuation, overwriting the apostrophes themselves is the most reliable fix.
This method forces the word processor to recreate the apostrophes, automatically applying your current default language and stripping the incorrect Arabic proofing metadata.
Press the Ctrl + H shortcut on your keyboard to open the Find and Replace dialog box.
Type a standard single apostrophe (') into the 'Find what' field, and type the exact same apostrophe (') into the 'Replace with' field.
Click the 'Replace All' button. The application will scan the document and overwrite all existing apostrophes with new ones mapped to your current default dictionary.
Set Default Proofing Language for All Text
Ensure the document's regional language is actively set to English so that newly pasted or typed text doesn't default to Arabic.
Quickly Fix Document Formatting with WPS Writer
You can easily resolve proofing language metadata issues using WPS Writer's advanced Find and Replace utility to safely correct formatting for seamless export to design software.
- 1. Open the Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the problematic .docx file containing the Arabic apostrophes.
- 2. Use Find and Replace: Press Ctrl + H to bring up the Replace tool, enter an apostrophe in both fields, and click Replace All.
- 3. Adjust Language Settings: Highlight your text, go to the Review tab, select Spell Check > Set Language, and choose your preferred English dialect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do apostrophes change to Arabic in received files?
This typically occurs when the original author's system or keyboard default language is set to an Arabic region, which embeds that specific language metadata into the punctuation marks during creation.
Will copying text to a new English document fix the apostrophes?
Not usually. If you use standard copy and paste, the source formatting (including the hidden proofing language) is carried over to the new document. You must either use Find and Replace or paste the content as unformatted plain text.
How do I check my current proofing language in Word?
You can check the active proofing dictionary by looking at the language displayed in the bottom status bar, or by navigating to the Review tab and selecting the Language option.
