Formatting Issues

How to Stop Excel from Changing English Numbers to Arabic Numerals

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 9, 2026 874 views

Question details

The user wants to prevent the spreadsheet from automatically converting English numbers into Arabic numerals in certain cells, keeping standard English numerals as the default.

How to Stop Excel from Changing English Numbers to Arabic Numerals

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Entering and formatting numeric data in a workbook where numerals display in an unintended language or format.
Observed behavior: Some cells display English numerals as Arabic numerals while other cells remain unchanged.

Before you start

Ensure that you have not applied a custom number format with a specific locale tag (such as [$-ar-SA]) to the affected cells, as this will override general settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Excel Language Settings and Cell Formats

Set English as the default editing language in Excel and ensure the affected cells are using a standard Number format.

Excel sometimes changes the numeral display if the authoring language or specific cell locale dictates a different regional format. Standardizing both will resolve the issue.

Change Excel Editing Language

Open Excel and click on 'File', then select 'Options' at the bottom left. In the Excel Options dialog, click on 'Language'.

Set English as Preferred

Under the 'Office authoring languages and proofing' section, select English and click 'Set as Preferred'. Click 'OK' and restart Excel if prompted.

Format Affected Cells

Highlight the specific cells that are displaying Arabic numerals, right-click them, and select 'Format Cells'.

Apply General or Number Format

Go to the 'Number' tab. Select either 'General' or 'Number' from the Category list, ensuring no custom Arabic locale is selected, and click 'OK'.

Adjust Excel Language Settings and Cell Formats

Cell-Specific Settings: If only a few cells are affected, the issue is almost certainly due to individual cell formatting rather than the global Excel language setting.

Solution 2

Verify System Region and Language Settings

Update your operating system's region settings, as Excel often adopts the default system locale for number formatting.

Manage Number Formats Easily in WPS Spreadsheet

Use WPS Spreadsheet for Seamless Number Formatting

WPS Office offers intuitive language and cell formatting controls, allowing you to easily maintain standard English numerals without unexpected regional changes. It is fully equipped to handle advanced data formatting quickly.

1. Open Your Workbook: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the file containing the mixed numerals.
2. Select the Cells: Highlight the specific cells or columns that are displaying Arabic numerals.
3. Open Format Cells: Right-click the highlighted area and choose 'Format Cells' from the context menu.
4. Adjust the Number Format: Navigate to the 'Number' tab, select the 'General' or 'Number' category, and verify the locale settings.
5. Apply Changes: Click 'OK' to instantly revert the formatting back to standard English numerals.

Easily apply General, Number, or Custom formats to cellsFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsIntuitive multi-language support for regional settingsLightweight application with a familiar user interface

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do only some cells change to Arabic numerals while others don't?

This typically occurs when individual cells have been manually formatted with a specific locale or custom number format that overrides the default workbook settings, often as a result of copying and pasting data from another source.

Will changing my system region affect other applications?

Yes, adjusting your Windows or macOS regional settings will change the default date, time, currency, and number formats for all applications on your device that rely on the system locale.

How can I apply the English numeral format to the entire workbook at once?

You can press Ctrl+A to select all cells in the current worksheet, right-click, select 'Format Cells', and apply the 'General' format. Repeat this for each sheet to uniformly reset the display.

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