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Microsoft Word won't let me change the document's language

Anonymous
2025-02-15T14:19:06+00:00

Ever since the new update with co-pilot (which I have turned off, I'm not sure if that detail is important, but I don't like AI so if the solution is to turn it on, I won't fix it) I have been unable to change the language of a Word document. I have tried the following:

  • Set my account to English
  • Add both English (US) and English (UK) to the top of my preferred languages
  • Delete Dutch from language settings

But still, it is set to Dutch (I am from the Netherlands so that part isn't strange.) No matter how many times I click on changing the language to English.

The only way I have managed to change it to English is by typing in something, selecting it, and then changing the language. But since I'm paying for my subscription while I know there are free alternatives, I expect Word to actually work as it is supposed to.

Any time I look up this issue, I either find solutions that don't work or old posts with older versions of Microsoft. I currently have the latest edition. And as I mentioned, the updates are all up to date, and the co-pilot one actually caused this issue. Before that I never had this problem.

I mostly write in English, so it is very annoying that I can't easily just change it to English anymore, even with now a completely English Microsoft account. Does anyone know what I can do to fix it? Or is it something only Microsoft can fix for me? When I tried to contact them, it sent me here.

I do not have this issue on my phone, only my laptop.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Stefan Blom 338.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-15T17:56:38+00:00

    To change the language in just one document, modify the Normal style. In the Styles pane (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S), locate Normal, click the arrow next to the style name and choose Modify. In the dialog box, click the Format drop down and choose Language. Specify the desired flavor of English.

    Note that if you are trying to change the default proofing language, that may be more tricky. Word/Office usually enforces the use of the system display language as the default proofing language in Office. I know this from experience.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-02-15T19:53:14+00:00

    Sadly this doesn't work either. It just keeps sticking to Dutch. I even created a new style with English as the default language and it still doesn't work... I'm starting to think maybe it's a bug that I need to contact Microsoft

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