Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Word for Mac Keeps Changing Proofing Language to Hebrew

Olivia Miller Oct 9, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to prevent Word for Mac from automatically switching the proofing language of English text to Hebrew, which causes incorrect spelling suggestions.

How to Stop Word for Mac from Changing Proofing Language to Hebrew

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Typing or editing documents in English where the language suddenly switches, causing spelling errors to appear.
Observed behavior: Word for Mac randomly changes the selected text's proofing language to Hebrew and displays unrelated spelling suggestions despite system and document language settings being set to English.

Before you start

Ensure you have saved your current document to prevent any accidental data loss. It is also helpful to check if your Mac keyboard input source has accidentally been switched to Hebrew before modifying Word's internal settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Apply English to the Entire Document and Disable Auto-Detect

Since language settings in Word act like character formatting, you must select all text to apply the correct language and prevent Word from guessing incorrectly.

Language settings are applied to text similarly to font styles or colors. Modifying the default language will only affect new files, so for existing documents, you need to manually override the current text settings.

Select all text

Press Command + A on your keyboard to select all the text currently in your document.

Open Language tools

Navigate to the top menu bar, click on Tools, and select Language from the dropdown menu.

Choose your language

Scroll through the list and select British English, or your required English variant.

Disable automatic detection

Uncheck the box that says 'Detect language automatically' to stop Word from randomly switching the proofing language.

Apply changes

Click OK to apply the correct language to your selected text.

Apply English to the Entire Document and Disable Auto-Detect

Language Applied: Disabling automatic detection is the most effective way to prevent Word from unexpectedly changing your proofing language in the future.

Solution 2

Verify macOS Region and Input Source Settings

System-level keyboard configurations can sometimes override Word's internal settings, forcing the application to switch to Hebrew.

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Try WPS Office for a Bug-Free Writing Experience on Mac

If Microsoft Word for Mac continues to struggle with language auto-detection, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative with intuitive formatting and reliable spell-check features that stay exactly as you set them.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the macOS version of WPS Office.
2. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word (.docx) document directly.
3. Edit without interruption: Enjoy stable proofing language settings and continue editing your document seamlessly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word change my language to Hebrew when I type in English?

Word's 'Detect language automatically' feature attempts to guess the language based on what you type. Specific character combinations, pasted text from the web, or system input glitches can sometimes confuse the detector, causing it to incorrectly apply Hebrew formatting to your English text.

Does changing the default language fix existing documents?

No, changing the default language only applies to newly created documents. For existing documents, language settings are treated like text formatting. You must select all text (Command + A) and manually apply the correct language.

How do I permanently disable automatic language detection in Word for Mac?

Go to Tools > Language in the top menu bar, and uncheck 'Detect language automatically'. You may also need to click the 'Default...' button to apply this preference to your Normal template, ensuring it remains turned off for all future documents.

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