Office Settings & Configuration

How to Display Turabian Referencing Style in Microsoft Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to use the Turabian referencing style in Microsoft Word, but only APA and MLA styles are visible in the References tab, even though the Turabian style files exist on the computer.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Adding citations and formatting bibliographies for an academic paper using the Turabian referencing style.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Word's bibliography drop-down menu restricts available options to APA and MLA, failing to load or display the installed Turabian citation style.

Before you start

Verify that your Turabian style file (TURABIAN.XSL) is securely placed in the correct Bibliography folder, and avoid renaming it to APA, as this can corrupt your document's citation metadata.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Windows and Word Language Settings

Word bibliography styles are highly dependent on your system's locale. Setting both Windows and Word to a matching, supported English configuration can restore missing citation styles.

Often, language or regional settings conflict with Office's internal referencing database, causing certain styles like Turabian or Chicago to hide by default. Ensuring that your operating system and application locales match resolves this.

Change Windows Regional Settings

Open Windows Settings, navigate to 'Time & Language', and select 'Region'. Change the Regional format to 'English (United States)' or 'English (United Kingdom)'.

Configure Windows Language

Under the 'Language' tab in Windows Settings, ensure that English (United States or United Kingdom) is moved to the top of the preferred languages list.

Match Microsoft Word Language

Open Microsoft Word, click on 'File', and select 'Options'. Navigate to the 'Language' tab and ensure the Office display language and authoring/proofing languages match the English setting you chose for Windows.

Restart and Verify

Restart your computer to apply the regional changes, then reopen Microsoft Word. Navigate to the 'References' tab and check the 'Style' drop-down menu to see if Turabian is now displayed.

Testing Multiple English Locales: If English (United States) does not display the Turabian style, try switching both Windows and Word settings to English (United Kingdom) to see if it triggers the style file to load.

Solution 2

Repair or Update Microsoft Office

If adjusting the language settings does not force the Turabian style to appear, the Office installation or the specific bibliography style folder might be corrupted.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the bibliography style files located in Windows?

In Microsoft Word, the bibliography styles (XSL files) are typically located in the `%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Bibliography\Style` directory, or within the Office installation path under `Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\Bibliography\Style`.

Can I rename my Turabian style file to APA to force it to show up?

No. It is highly recommended not to rename TURABIAN.XSL to APA.XSL. Doing so can cause internal XML conflicts, corrupt your document's citation metadata, and lead to formatting errors when generating the final bibliography.

Why does Word only show APA and MLA citation styles?

This commonly happens when Word's language or the Windows regional settings are set to a locale that fails to natively trigger the other installed citation styles. Adjusting the system locale to a supported English version usually resolves the issue.

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