Office Settings & Configuration

How to Change Language Preferences in Microsoft 365 and OneNote

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is attempting to change their language preference to English (US) but finds that Microsoft 365 and OneNote continue to display in Greek and flag English text as spelling errors.

Product: Microsoft 365, OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting preferred display and proofing languages within a university organization tenant environment.
Observed behavior: The applications ignore the user's preferred English setting, defaulting to Greek and incorrectly marking English words as misspellings.

Before you start

Ensure you are logged into your Microsoft 365 account through a web browser. If you are using an account provided by a school or university, note that some language policies might be locked by your organization's IT administrator.

Solution 1Recommended

Update Microsoft 365 Account and OneDrive Language Settings

Manually adjusting the language settings across both your main account profile and OneDrive can resolve synchronization issues causing incorrect display languages.

Access Account Settings

Log in to your Microsoft 365 account on the web, click on your profile picture in the top right corner, and select 'View account'.

Modify Language Policy

Navigate to 'Settings & Privacy' and select the 'Language' tab. Ensure that English (US) is set as your preferred display language.

Update OneDrive Settings

Open OneDrive from the Microsoft 365 app launcher. Click the gear icon for Settings, select 'OneDrive settings', go to 'More Settings', and click 'Language settings' to enforce English.

Solution 2

Contact Your University IT Administrator

Use this solution if your language settings keep reverting or are grayed out, which indicates an organizational policy restriction.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for Complete Control Over Language Settings

If your Microsoft 365 settings are locked by your university tenant, WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative. Enjoy full control over your display and spellcheck languages without administrator restrictions, ensuring a seamless workflow.

1. Download the Software: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your device.
2. Access Global Settings: Launch WPS Office and click on the global Settings icon located at the top right of the home interface.
3. Choose Your Language: Navigate to the Language section and choose English (US) or your preferred language to apply it immediately.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formatsEasily switch display and proofing languages without organizational tenant restrictionsLightweight design that runs smoothly on almost any deviceFamiliar user interface for a seamless, zero-learning-curve migration

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneNote keep reverting my language settings?

OneNote language settings can sometimes be overridden by your organization's Microsoft 365 tenant policies, or by conflicting language preferences within your browser or OneDrive account settings.

How do I change the spell check language in OneNote?

You can change the proofing language by selecting your text, navigating to the Review tab, clicking on Language, and then selecting 'Set Proofing Language' to English (US).

Does changing the language in Microsoft 365 change it for all desktop apps?

Changing the language in your web account primarily affects Microsoft 365 web applications. Desktop applications like Word and OneNote may require you to separately download and install the respective language accessory packs from the Office desktop settings menu.

Office App Problems