Office Settings & Configuration

How to Change the Language for Figure Captions in Microsoft Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to change the language of figure captions from a foreign or translated label back to the standard English label.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Inserting figure captions or generating a table of figures within a document.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Word automatically displays a translated caption label, such as 'ilustracion', instead of the expected English label 'Figure'.

Before you start

Check your current keyboard layout language in the Windows taskbar, as Microsoft Word frequently pulls formatting behaviors directly from your active system input settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Word and Windows Default Language Settings

Because Word captions often default to the Windows system language rather than the specific document language, updating both ensures the correct caption labels appear.

Microsoft Office relies heavily on the Windows operating system's default language settings to generate automated labels for fields like captions and tables of figures. Resolving this mismatch requires synchronizing the application and system languages.

Update Word Display and Authoring Languages

Open Microsoft Word and navigate to File > Options > Language. Ensure your preferred language (e.g., English) is set as the default for both 'Office display language' and 'Office authoring languages and proofing'. Click OK.

Check Windows Default Language

Open your Windows Settings by pressing Win + I. Go to Time & Language > Language. Verify that your preferred language is at the top of the list and set as the 'Windows display language'.

Restart and Re-insert Caption

Restart Microsoft Word to apply the changes. Go to the References tab, click Insert Caption, and check if the label dropdown now displays correctly as 'Figure'.

Manual Updates Required: Changing these language settings will only apply to new captions. You may need to manually update or re-insert existing captions and regenerate your table of figures to reflect the correct label.

Solution 2

Create a Custom Caption Label

If changing system settings is not possible or does not resolve the issue, you can manually create a new caption label with the exact wording you need.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Document and Caption Formatting

If you are tired of Microsoft Word's complicated language settings syncing with Windows unexpectedly, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides an intuitive, lightweight, and free alternative with robust support for customizing figure captions and multi-language documents without system interference.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free WPS Office suite and install it on your computer.
2. Open Your Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document. WPS ensures complete formatting compatibility with your .docx files.
3. Insert Custom Captions Easily: Navigate to the References tab, click Insert Caption, and easily select or create your preferred label without unexpected system language overrides.

Easily insert and customize figure captions without complex system-language dependencies.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats, ensuring your existing tables of figures remain perfectly intact.Free, lightweight, and fast-loading office suite that runs smoothly on any device.Familiar user interface that requires zero learning curve for experienced Word users.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my figure captions suddenly change to another language?

This typically happens if your Windows system language or active keyboard layout was changed. Microsoft Word frequently overrides its own document language settings with the Windows default language when generating automated fields like captions.

Will changing the language automatically translate my existing captions back to English?

No, changing the language settings will only apply to newly inserted captions. Existing captions are saved as plain text fields and will retain their old labels. You must manually replace them or use the Find and Replace tool.

Can I have captions in two different languages in the same document?

Yes, you can create custom labels for each language by clicking 'New Label' in the Insert Caption dialog box. This allows you to use both 'Figure' and a foreign equivalent simultaneously in the same file.

How do I update the Table of Figures after correcting my caption labels?

Once you have updated all your captions in the text to use the new label, right-click the existing Table of Figures and select 'Update Field', then choose 'Update entire table'. If you created a completely new custom label, you may need to insert a new Table of Figures specifically targeting that new label.

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