Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Inverted Exclamation and Question Marks in Word

John Wilson Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is experiencing an issue where standard exclamation marks and question marks are being automatically typed as inverted punctuation in Microsoft Word.

How to Fix Inverted Exclamation and Question Marks in Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Typing punctuation at the end of sentences or lines within a Word document.
Observed behavior: Standard punctuation is automatically formatted as inverted exclamation points (¡) and question marks (¿), likely due to incorrect language detection or keyboard layout.

Before you start

Before modifying your settings, highlight the affected text and check the language indicator on the bottom status bar of Word to see if it mistakenly says 'Spanish' or 'Catalan' instead of 'English'.

Solution 1Recommended

Set Proofing Language to English and Disable Auto-Detection

This resolves the issue where Word automatically switches your text to a language that natively uses inverted punctuation.

Select the text

Press Ctrl + A to select the entire document, or manually highlight the specific lines of text affected by the issue.

Open Language Settings

Go to the Review tab on the ribbon, click on Language, and then select Set Proofing Language from the drop-down menu.

Choose your language

Select English (or your preferred working language) from the list of available languages.

Disable automatic detection

Uncheck the box that says 'Detect language automatically' at the bottom of the dialog box.

Apply changes

Click OK to save your settings. Delete the inverted punctuation marks and try typing them again.

Set Proofing Language to English and Disable Auto-Detection

Permanent Fix: Clicking 'Set As Default' in the language dialog box will apply these settings to all future documents you create.

Solution 2

Verify Your Windows Keyboard Layout and Input Method

A Spanish or Catalan Windows keyboard layout will natively type inverted punctuation marks when certain keys are pressed.

Solution 3

Copy and Paste Normal Text (Quick Workaround)

If the issue is isolated to a specific line in your document and you need an immediate workaround without navigating menus.

Use WPS Writer for Seamless Multilingual Word Processing

WPS Writer offers excellent compatibility with Microsoft Word documents and provides straightforward language controls, preventing unwanted automatic formatting like inverted punctuation.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Office and open your affected Word document in WPS Writer.
2. Select the document text: Press Ctrl + A to highlight all the text in your document.
3. Navigate to Language settings: Click on the Review tab on the top menu ribbon, then click the Spell Check icon and choose Set Language.
4. Configure the language: Select English from the list, ensure any automatic language detection is disabled, and click OK to resolve the formatting.

Free and lightweight alternative to Microsoft Word.Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats including .doc and .docx.Easy-to-use proofing and spell-check settings to prevent auto-correction errors.Familiar ribbon interface requiring zero learning curve.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my keyboard typing upside-down question marks?

Your keyboard or software has likely switched to a language layout that uses inverted punctuation, such as Spanish. This can happen if you accidentally hit the language toggle shortcut (like Windows Key + Spacebar) or if your word processor mistakenly auto-detects Spanish phrasing.

How do I stop Word from changing my language automatically?

You can disable this behavior by navigating to Review > Language > Set Proofing Language in Word, and unchecking the box labeled 'Detect language automatically'.

Can I type inverted question marks intentionally if I need to?

Yes, if you need an inverted question mark (¿), you can press Alt + 0191 on a numeric keypad, or use the Insert > Symbol menu in your word processor to insert the character manually.

Does this issue only happen in Microsoft Word?

While common in Word due to its auto-detect language feature, it can also occur in Excel, PowerPoint, or web browsers if your system-wide Windows keyboard layout is accidentally set to Spanish or Catalan.

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