Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix PowerPoint Page Numbers Displaying in the Wrong Language

Rana Garcia Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to correct presentation page numbers that are displaying localized text or labels in an incorrect language.

How to Fix PowerPoint Page Numbers in the Wrong Language

Product: Microsoft PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing or formatting slide numbers and footer labels within a presentation file.
Observed behavior: The slide page numbers display foreign or unintended language text alongside the digits.

Before you start

Ensure you have saved your presentation progress and determine if the incorrect language appears on every slide or just a few specific layouts before making global changes.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove Localized Text in the Slide Master

In most cases, wrong-language words are not system glitches but hardcoded text manually added to the presentation's Slide Master template.

PowerPoint page numbers themselves do not inherently contain language-specific words. Usually, when downloading third-party templates, the original creator might have typed a localized word (like 'Page' in another language) directly into the slide number placeholder.

Open Slide Master View

Navigate to the 'View' tab on the top ribbon and click on 'Slide Master'.

Inspect the Main Master

Scroll to the very top of the left thumbnail pane and select the main master slide (the largest thumbnail). Check the bottom right corner for the slide number placeholder.

Edit the Text

Click inside the placeholder and delete or change the foreign language text to your preferred language, ensuring the <#> symbol remains intact for the automatic numbering.

Apply and Close

Click 'Close Master View' on the Slide Master ribbon to return to your normal presentation view and verify the changes.

Remove Localized Text in the Slide Master

Check Sub-Layouts: If some slides still show the wrong language, check the individual layout thumbnails below the main master in the Slide Master view and repeat the edit.

Solution 2

Adjust Microsoft Office Language Options

If the issue extends beyond the Slide Master to dates, footers, or the application interface, you need to verify your Office language settings.

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Manage Slide Layouts and Languages Easily with WPS Presentation

If you frequently work with templates from various sources and struggle with language settings, WPS Office provides an intuitive, lightweight environment to seamlessly edit Slide Masters and format your presentations.

1. Open Your Presentation in WPS: Launch WPS Office and open your .pptx presentation file.
2. Access Slide Master: Navigate to the 'Design' tab and click on 'Edit Slide Master' to view all template layouts.
3. Fix Localized Page Numbers: Locate the number placeholder, highlight any foreign text, and delete or translate it, keeping the <#> tag.
4. Save and Apply: Click 'Close Master View' to instantly update the page numbers across your entire presentation.

Fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) formats.Easily access and edit Slide Masters to fix page numbers and footers.Built-in multi-language spell check and seamless UI language switching.Free and lightweight alternative to traditional heavy office suites.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my PowerPoint page numbers suddenly change language?

This usually happens when you apply a downloaded template that was created in another language. The creator may have manually typed localized words into the Slide Master's footer placeholders.

Does my Windows system language affect PowerPoint page numbers?

Yes, if your Office language settings are set to 'Match Microsoft Windows', your automated dates, times, and certain system-generated fields may default to the Windows display language.

What does the <#> symbol mean in the Slide Master?

The <#> symbol is the automatic slide number placeholder. You should leave this symbol exactly as it is when deleting surrounding foreign text, as it tells the software to insert the sequential page number.

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