Spell check not working reliably across multiple languages on Mac

Question

Spell check not working reliably across multiple languages on Mac

Fredrik Ljungberg 30

I use a Mac for writing Word documents, PowerPoint presentations and emails in several different languages every day. My operating system is set to English.

The core issue is that spell checking no longer works reliably across languages within Microsoft 365 applications.

Previously in Outlook, I could select text in an email, manually set the proofing language, and then run spell check. Although I had to do this frequently, it worked. Since an update a few months ago, this option appears to have been removed or no longer functions.

The suggested workaround has been to add additional languages in System Settings > Keyboard and switch between them using Control + Space. However, this does not resolve the issue. Spell check does not consistently recognise or switch languages within Microsoft applications.

As a result, I now have to:

• Draft emails, PowerPoint content and chat messages in Word

• Apply a Normal style defined for the relevant language

• Run spell check

• Copy and paste the text into Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, or other applications

This is extremely inefficient. The issue affects all Office applications.

In Word, I have created different Normal styles assigned to different languages, which helps to some extent. However, this approach is not available in the other applications, meaning I must draft and proof text in Word before transferring it elsewhere.

In PowerPoint, even when language specific styles are defined in templates, they are not applied consistently. The application sometimes changes the language automatically or fails to run spell check at all. It is not reliable.

The Control + Space method is also inconsistent. Languages switch unpredictably and frequently revert without warning, so this is not a viable long term solution.

I am an experienced user and have worked with Microsoft products for decades. I have raised this issue previously and contacted Microsoft support several times over the years. The problem has worsened, and I am losing a significant amount of time every day.

Could someone please clarify:

• How to reliably switch the proofing language within Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams on Mac

• How to manage multilingual spell checking consistently across these applications

• Whether there is a configuration setting I may have overlooked

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

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3 answers

Answer 1

Kai-H 24,760 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi, Fredrik Ljungberg

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Sorry for this unwanted experience that you're facing. On Mac, Microsoft 365 spell check only behaves “multilingual” when the right proofing tools are installed and the text itself is tagged with the right language, keyboard switching (Control + Space) does not reliably do that across all apps.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

In any Office app, go to Review > Language > Language preferences, add each language and make sure it shows proofing installed (or install proofing tools), otherwise spell check will silently fall back to English.

In Outlook (Classic or Legacy), enable Edit > Language > Language > Detect language automatically, then restart Outlook so it actually remembers it.

If you’re on New Outlook and the above is missing or unreliable, switch to Legacy Outlook for now, multiple users report auto language detection works there while New Outlook regressed.

In Teams, use Settings > General > Editor Spellcheck > Manage to add your spellcheck languages (Teams only checks what’s in that list).

In PowerPoint, use Tools > Language > Set As Default, PowerPoint does not support Detect language automatically, so a fixed default is usually more stable.

Hope this helps. Feel free to get back if you need further assistance.

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Algonco 0 Reputation points

2026-05-19T14:00:25.05+00:00

It does not work in New Outlook, I have English an Spanish language installed and configured, I can change between them using crtl+ space bar, but there is not option in "language" to choose. Microsoft® Outlook for Mac,Version 16.109 (26051019),Licence: Microsoft 365 Subscription.
Kai-H 24,760 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-20T06:24:51.7133333+00:00

Hi, Algonco

In your case, this does not look like a missing language pack or a macOS keyboard issue. The Language command is visible but disabled in New Outlook for Mac 16.109, so there is currently no manual way to choose English or Spanish from that menu.

At this point, the practical workarounds seem to be:

If available, switch back to Legacy Outlook from Help > Revert to Legacy Outlook, since Legacy Outlook still has more complete manual language controls.

If this started after updating to 16.109, test whether rolling back to an earlier Office for Mac build, such as 16.107.x, restores the language menu. This is more suitable for managed/business devices where IT can control Office updates.

Use Outlook on the web in a browser with Spanish and English spell check enabled, since the browser spell checker may be more predictable than New Outlook’s current Editor behavior.

If your organization allows it, use a third-party proofing tool such as LanguageTool or Grammarly as a temporary workaround for multilingual email writing.

Unfortunately, Ctrl + Space only changes the macOS input language. It does not necessarily set Outlook’s proofing language, which is why it does not solve this particular issue. Given that the menu is disabled, I would also submit feedback from Help > Feedback in Outlook and mention “New Outlook for Mac 16.109, Language menu disabled under Spelling and Grammar.”
Stefan Blom 349K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-05-20T09:19:50.56+00:00

@Algonco

The new versions of Outlook (for macOS and Windows) are more limited when it comes to multiple language support. See other replies in this thread.

What you can try is to start the Microsoft Editor and look for additional settings (click the button shown in your screen shot).

Also, I would recommend that you post feedback for Microsoft; go to https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/forum/89a8afa3-2e1c-ec11-b6e7-0022481f8472 .
Stefan Blom 349K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-05-20T09:23:10.3566667+00:00

@Algonco

Since you are asking specifically about Outlook, I recommend that you start a new thread in the Outlook section of Q&A. That way, your question will get more attention from people who knows Outlook for Mac. Use the Ask a question option.

The current thread is more about language settings in general in Microsoft Office apps.

The thread will be closed.

Answer 2

Fredrik Ljungberg 30

Hello and thank you. The “detect language automatically” doesn’t work in my experience, unfortunately. I have (since long) had the languages I use installed, but the applications more or less consistently fail to recognise the correct language. Sometimes the “don’t check speeling” is enabled, seemingly randomly. I guess I just have to accept the limited features for this in Office. Unfortunately, this creates considerable frustration and inefficiency in daily work. I had assumed that many users work across multiple languages in Office and that there would therefore be a more reliable solution, but that does not seem to be the case. Thank you again for your response.

Kai-H 24,760 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-04T13:35:10.9+00:00

Hi, Fredrik Ljungberg

You are not imagining it. On Mac, spell check can fail when the text gets tagged with the wrong language, or when Outlook randomly flips on “Do not check spelling or grammar”, and some users are also seeing language auto detection regress specifically in New Outlook.

You can try these following options:

In Outlook, open a new email > Edit > Language > Language, click Default, and make sure “Do not check spelling or grammar” is unchecked. This directly fixes the random no spell check flag some users see.

In macOS Settings > General > Language & Region, set English to a specific variant (English UK or US), and if available set Outlook under Applications too. This can stop Office from mismatching dictionaries.

In macOS Settings > General > Privacy & Data, enable “Turn on experiences that analyze your content”. People report this brings spell check back when it randomly stops.

If you are on New Outlook, test Legacy Outlook as a workaround, multiple reports say New Outlook auto detection is inconsistent even when enabled.

For Teams, use Settings > General > Editor Spellcheck > Manage to add up to 5 languages. This avoids the Word copy paste loop for chat.

For PowerPoint, try Review > Language > Set Proofing Language > All Text, or Tools > Language > Set as Default. This reduces slide by slide manual fixes.

If Outlook remains flaky, Outlook on the web leans on the browser’s proofing or a plugin instead of Outlook’s own proofing path, which can be more stable for multilingual work.
Kai-H 24,760 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-05T06:57:00.2466667+00:00

Hi, Fredrik Ljungberg

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated.
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Answer 3

Stefan Blom 349K MVP Volunteer Moderator

In Word (the desktop version for Windows and macOS), setting up multiple styles, one per language, is the recommended approach. This ensures that proofing works properly.

Unfortunately, as you have noticed, the other apps are less flexible when it comes to using multiple languages in one and the same file.

The classic Outlook has functionality comparable to Word, but new Outlook does not (note that I am a lot more familiar with Outlook for Windows than Outlook for Mac). The new Outlook seems to assume that you only need one proofing language. You can send feedback to Microsoft via the portal at https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback .

Fredrik Ljungberg 30 Reputation points

2026-03-10T13:07:03.8966667+00:00

Thank you for your reply. Regarding Word: yes, that is essentially the approach I use. It is not very efficient, but it works. My main issues are with Outlook and PowerPoint, where multilingual spell checking seems much harder to manage. As you mention, there does not appear to be a proper solution for these applications.

I find this quite unfortunate and difficult to understand, particularly considering how many users regularly work in multiple languages. One would expect Microsoft to provide a more reliable and consistent solution across its applications.