How to Fix Immersive Reader Language Issues in Word and OneNote for Web
Question details
The user needs a solution for Immersive Reader using the wrong voice or pronunciation in the web versions of Word and OneNote.
- Product
- Microsoft Word and OneNote for Web
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Using Immersive Reader to read documents aloud in a web browser.
- Observed behavior
- Immersive Reader uses the incorrect voice or pronunciation, ignoring the correctly set proofing language of the document.
Ensure your document's default proofing language is correctly set before attempting these workarounds, and verify your internet connection since Immersive Reader for the web relies on cloud services.
Adjust Reading Preferences Translation Settings
Force Immersive Reader to use the correct language voice by applying a document-wide translation setting.
This workaround temporarily overrides the default reading voice by utilizing the Translate feature built into Immersive Reader. It effectively forces the tool to recognize the language profile you manually select.
Open your document in Word or OneNote for the Web, go to the View tab, and click on Immersive Reader.
Click on the Reading Preferences icon (represented by a book icon) located at the top right corner of the Immersive Reader interface.
Under the Translate section, open the dropdown menu and select the language that matches your document's text.
Toggle on both the 'By Word' and 'Document' options to apply the selected language settings to the entire text.
Open a View-Only Link in a Private Window
A secondary workaround for OneNote users to force the correct proofing language synchronization.
Switch to WPS Office for a Stable Document Experience
If web-based Office tools are causing frustrating language synchronization issues, try downloading WPS Office. It offers a powerful, lightweight desktop application with reliable document formatting and robust features without relying heavily on web browser sync.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Immersive Reader ignore my document's proofing language?
In the web versions of Word and OneNote, Immersive Reader sometimes fails to sync with the document's assigned proofing language due to browser caching issues or cloud synchronization delays. Using the Translate workaround forces the tool to recognize the intended language.
Can I use Immersive Reader for a document with multiple languages on the web?
While Immersive Reader officially supports reading different languages, the translation workaround required to fix voice issues forces the entire document into one language profile, meaning secondary languages in the same text might be pronounced incorrectly.
Does this language issue happen in the desktop versions of Word and OneNote?
This specific language synchronization bug is primarily reported in the web-based versions of Word and OneNote. The installed desktop applications typically handle proofing language transitions and text-to-speech more reliably.
