Fix Excel Worksheet Opening in Arabic Right-to-Left Layout
Question details
A new Excel worksheet opens with an Arabic sheet name and right-to-left orientation instead of the default English layout.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating a new Excel worksheet directly from the desktop context menu (Right-click > New).
- Observed behavior
- The newly created Excel file displays its first worksheet name in Arabic and formats the grid layout from right to left, ignoring the user's default English settings.
Before modifying Office settings, check your Windows system regional and language settings to ensure that English is set as the primary system language, as Office sometimes inherits default locales from the operating system.
Adjust Office Display and Proofing Language Settings
Use this solution to force Microsoft Excel to use English for both its display interface and newly generated worksheets.
Often, Excel applies an unintended language layout if a secondary language pack (like Arabic) was installed or set as the default authoring language. Resetting the preferred language back to English usually resolves the right-to-left grid behavior.
Launch Microsoft Excel. Click on 'File' in the top-left corner, scroll down to the bottom of the sidebar, and select 'Options'.
In the Excel Options dialog box, click on the 'Language' tab from the left-hand pane.
Under the 'Office display language' section, select 'English' from the list and click the 'Set as Preferred' button. If English is missing, click 'Add a Language', choose English, and install it.
Scroll down to the 'Office authoring languages and proofing' section. Select 'English' and click 'Set as Preferred'.
Click 'OK' to save the changes. Close completely out of Microsoft Excel and reopen it to ensure the new language preferences are applied.
Manually Toggle Right-to-Left Sheet Layout
Use this solution if you only need to quickly correct the layout of an already created worksheet without changing global language settings.
Workaround for the Desktop Context Menu Bug
Use this method if the issue only occurs when right-clicking the desktop to create a new file, which is a known Microsoft bug.
Try WPS Office for a Bug-Free Spreadsheet Experience
If you are tired of unexpected language layout bugs and context menu template glitches in Microsoft Excel, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly stable, lightweight, and completely free spreadsheet alternative without unexpected right-to-left layout changes.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the free download button.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded executable file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
- 3. Open Your Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and instantly open your existing .xlsx files with perfect formatting and layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Excel sheet open right-to-left?
This happens when the default Office authoring or display language is set to a Right-to-Left language like Arabic or Hebrew, or when a localized template is accidentally triggered by the Windows right-click context menu.
How do I fix the Arabic sheet name when creating a new Excel file?
If only the first sheet name is in Arabic, it is likely a known bug with the Windows 'New' context menu template. To avoid this, open the Excel application first and create a new blank workbook from there, rather than right-clicking the desktop.
Can I permanently change the Excel layout back to Left-to-Right?
Yes. Navigate to File > Options > Language in Excel. Ensure English is selected and set as 'Preferred' for both the Office display language and the Authoring languages. Restart Excel for the change to take full effect.
Does WPS Spreadsheet support right-to-left layouts?
Yes, WPS Spreadsheet fully supports right-to-left layouts for languages like Arabic and Hebrew, but it strictly respects your selected default language settings, preventing accidental layout flips.
