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Office for Mac Issues

How to Fix Incorrect Persian Font Display in Word on Mac

Maira MehtabMaira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are experiencing issues where Persian characters appear incomplete, disconnected, or incorrectly shaped when typing or opening documents in Microsoft Word on macOS.

Product
Microsoft Word
Device & OS
macOS
Scenario
Typing, editing, or viewing documents containing Persian (Right-to-Left) text on a MacBook.
Observed behavior
Persian text fails to render correctly; characters appear malformed, incomplete, or do not connect properly according to Right-to-Left language shaping rules.
Before you start

Ensure you have administrative privileges on your Mac to manage system fonts in Font Book, and verify that your macOS is updated to the latest version to avoid system-level bugs.

Solution 1Recommended

Install Complete Fonts and Enable Right-to-Left Support

Fix text shaping issues by removing damaged duplicate fonts in macOS and ensuring Right-to-Left language support is active in your system.

Incorrect shaping of Persian or Arabic characters is frequently caused by conflicting, duplicate, or incomplete font files on macOS. Cleaning up these fonts and verifying your language settings usually forces Word to render the text correctly.

1
Install a complete Persian font

Download a trusted and fully compatible Persian font package (such as Vazirmatn or standard Microsoft web fonts) to your Mac.

2
Resolve font duplicates in Font Book

Open the 'Font Book' app from your Mac's Launchpad. Select 'All Fonts', look for any fonts with warning symbols, right-click them, and choose 'Resolve Duplicates' to disable conflicting versions.

3
Enable Persian input on Mac

Navigate to the Apple Menu > System Settings > Keyboard. Under the 'Text Input' section, click 'Edit' and ensure the Persian keyboard layout is added.

4
Verify language settings in Word

Open Microsoft Word, go to 'Preferences' > 'East Asian Languages' or the language settings panel, and confirm that Right-to-Left (RTL) language features are enabled.

5
Restart applications

Completely quit Microsoft Word and restart your Mac to ensure the newly configured font caches and language settings are applied.

Font Cache Clearing: If the issue persists immediately after resolving duplicates, you may need to clear your Mac's font cache by starting up in Safe Mode and then restarting normally.
Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for Seamless Persian Text Display

If Microsoft Word continues to struggle with Persian font rendering on your Mac, WPS Office provides a reliable, lightweight, and free alternative. It features excellent built-in Right-to-Left (RTL) language support, ensuring your Persian documents display flawlessly without complex font troubleshooting.

  1. 1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS website and download the free macOS version.
  2. 2. Install WPS Office: Follow the on-screen instructions to install the application on your MacBook.
  3. 3. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document to view the Persian text formatted and connected correctly.
Native and accurate rendering for Persian, Arabic, and other RTL languages.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) document formats.Free, lightweight, and highly optimized for macOS.Familiar user interface requires no learning curve to switch.
microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are Persian letters disconnected in Word on Mac?

This usually occurs when Word fails to apply correct Right-to-Left (RTL) shaping rules. Common triggers include using incomplete font files, conflicting duplicate fonts in the macOS Font Book, or bugs present in specific outdated versions of Microsoft Word.

How do I fix duplicate fonts on my Mac?

Open the 'Font Book' application on your Mac. Select 'All Fonts', click on 'File' in the top menu, and choose 'Resolve Duplicates'. macOS will automatically disable or move the conflicting font files, which often resolves unexpected text shaping issues.

Should I install an older version of Word to fix Persian font issues?

No, installing an unsupported or older version of Word is not a reliable long-term solution. It exposes your Mac to security vulnerabilities and can cause broader compatibility problems. It is recommended to update Word to the latest version or switch to a compatible alternative like WPS Office.