How to Stop Office from Automatically Switching Proofing Language to English
Question details
The user wants to prevent Office from automatically switching the proofing and authoring language back to English, particularly when another language is preferred.
- Product
- Microsoft Office
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Typing or pasting text in a document where the preferred authoring language is set to a non-English language (such as Indonesian), but the system keeps reverting the spell checker to English.
- Observed behavior
- The spell checker and proofing language repeatedly switch to English (United States) or English (Indonesia) against the user's preference, often triggered by pasting content from other sources.
Before modifying your system language settings, save your current documents and close all active Office applications to ensure the new language configurations apply correctly upon restart.
Remove English (United States) from Windows Language Settings
The most effective way to stop Office from forcing English proofing is to remove the English (US) language pack from your Windows system settings, leaving only your preferred languages.
Windows language settings often override local application settings. If English (United States) is installed on your operating system, Office may default to it during automatic language detection. Removing it stops this behavior without affecting your overall Windows display language, provided you have another English variant or local language set as the primary display.
Press the Windows key + I to open Windows Settings, then navigate to 'Time & Language' and select 'Language' (or 'Language & region' in Windows 11).
Scroll down to the 'Preferred languages' section and look for 'English (United States)'.
Click on 'English (United States)' (or click the three dots next to it) and select 'Remove'. Ensure your preferred language (e.g., Indonesian or a localized English) remains at the top of the list.
Disable Automatic Language Detection in Office
Prevent Microsoft Office from automatically changing the proofing language based on what you type or paste.
Paste Text Without Language Formatting
Pasting text from web pages or other documents often brings hidden English language formatting into your document. Pasting as plain text prevents this issue.
Use WPS Office for Hassle-Free Spell Check and Proofing
If automatic language switching in Microsoft Office disrupts your workflow, try WPS Office. Setting your preferred spell check language in WPS Writer is straightforward, and it respects your default settings without arbitrarily switching languages when pasting text.
- 1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open a new or existing document in the WPS Writer application.
- 2. Access Spell Check Settings: Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the top ribbon, click on 'Spell Check', and choose 'Set Language' from the dropdown menu.
- 3. Choose Preferred Language: Select your desired language from the dialog box, click 'Set as Default', and confirm to apply it permanently to all new documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Word document keep changing the language to English?
This usually happens because the 'Detect language automatically' feature is enabled in your Office proofing settings. It can also occur if you paste text copied from a website or document that was originally authored in English, as Word copies the hidden language formatting along with the text.
Will removing English (US) from Windows change my overall display language?
Not necessarily. If your Windows display language is already set to a different English variant (like English UK or English Indonesia) or another local language, removing English (US) only removes that specific keyboard layout and proofing pack, leaving your system interface unchanged.
How do I add a new preferred proofing language in Office?
Open an Office application, go to File > Options > Language. Under the 'Office authoring languages and proofing' section, click 'Add a Language', select your desired language from the list, and follow the prompts to install the associated proofing tools.
Can I turn off the spell checker completely in Office?
Yes. In Microsoft Word, go to File > Options > Proofing. Uncheck the boxes for 'Check spelling as you type' and 'Mark grammar errors as you type', then click OK.
