Microsoft Word for Mac v. 16.107.3 converts backslash to Yen symbol

Question

Microsoft Word for Mac v. 16.107.3 converts backslash to Yen symbol

KF 0

This issue occurs only in Word. It occurs with the built-in keyboard on a Mac running MacOS 26.3.1 (Tahoe). It also occurs with a USB keyboard. Both MacOS and Word are up to date. How do I turn off this feature?

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3 answers

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Answer 1

Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 434.6K

Your description suggests that the conversion has been added to the AutoCorrect list in Word. Go to Tools> AutoCorrect Options in the main menu. On the AutoCorrect page type a slash into the Replace field to see whether the Yen symbol appears in the With field. If so, use the Delete button below the list to remove it.

Another way to remove the AutoCorrect item: Type a slash in a document then hover the pointer immediately below the ¥, click the AutoCorrect Options button & select the Stop automatically correcting "¥" command.

Another but less likely possibility is that you may have chosen a different keyboard Input Source. If the AutoCorrect suggestion doesn't provide the solution go to >System Settings> Keyboard> Input Sources to see which are listed. Provide that info in your reply here.

Stefan Blom 337.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-06T17:28:58.6066667+00:00

Not sure if/how it applies, but in the Windows version there is a built-in option for converting backslashes to yen signs.

Specifically, in the Windows version, there is a so-called Layout option at File > Options > Advanced. It displays even if no East Asian language support has been added. See the screen shot below.

Out of curiosity, could a similar setting exist in Word for Mac, if you enable (full) Japanese support?
Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 434.6K Reputation points

2026-04-06T19:16:27.89+00:00

Aw, c'mon Stefan — you know that if it's categorized as Advanced in Win Word it isn't included in Mac Word 😉 If it's there I sure can't find it even if I enable an East Asian Language.
Stefan Blom 337.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-06T19:53:52.1533333+00:00

Aw, c'mon Stefan — you know that if it's categorized as Advanced in Win Word it isn't included in Mac Word 😉 If it's there I sure can't find it even if I enable an East Asian Language.

I thought "Advanced" simply meant that Microsoft has lost all documentation of what the options really do. :-)

Answer 2

Dora-T 12,255 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi KF

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum and sharing your issue.

Based on my testing and research, there is no feature or setting in Word for Mac that allows you to directly turn off the conversion of a backslash () to a Yen (¥) symbol.

In my environment, which is macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 with Microsoft Word version 16.107.3, typing a backslash () displays correctly in Word, and I was not able to reproduce the behavior you described.

To better understand your situation, could you please confirm the following details?

-Does this occur with all fonts, or only specific ones? If you are using Japanese fonts such as Yu Gothic or MS Gothic, please try switching to standard Latin fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and check whether the behavior persists.

-Does this happen with all documents, or only specific ones?

-Do you currently have Japanese added as a system language or keyboard input source in macOS?

-Did this begin recently, for example after a Word or macOS update, or has Word always behaved this way on your system?

If the issue started after a recent update, you may also consider temporarily rolling back to a previous version of Word (if available in your environment) to see whether the behavior changes.

You can try following the steps below to roll back Word to a previous version:

+Open any Office app > Help > Check for Updates > clear the checkbox for “Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date.”

+Quit all Office apps.

+Go to Applications > choose Microsoft Word > Move to Trash.

+Install an earlier Word version from the official update history here: Update history for Office for Mac - Office release notes | Microsoft Learn

Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

KF 0 Reputation points

2026-04-06T19:50:53.7566667+00:00

Problem occurs identically with both built-in keyboard and accessory keyboard.

Restarting computer (and thus Word) does not resolve issue.

Problem occurs with standard TimesNewRoman font.

Typing OPTION-y produces Yen symbol.

Problem seems to depend on file. Starting with a new blank file, the issue does not occur. Converting from .docx to .rtf and back into .docx does not solve the problem.
Dora-T 12,255 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-07T01:15:13.47+00:00

Hi KF

Thank you for your update.

Since the issue occurs with both built-in and external keyboards, persists after restarting, and also happens with a standard font such as Times New Roman, we can reasonably rule out keyboard, font, and temporary system-related causes. The fact that the behavior does not occur in a newly created blank document suggests that this is document-specific, rather than a global Word or macOS setting.

Word for Mac does not appear to provide a setting to control this backslash-to-Yen display behavior, and in some cases, it can be influenced by settings or properties embedded within an individual document.

At this point, one possible workaround would be to create a new Word document and move the content from the affected file. When doing so, it is recommended to use Paste Special, such as “Keep Text Only,” to avoid carrying over any hidden or document-level settings.

Please let us know how it goes.
Dora-T 12,255 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-07T23:20:52.9566667+00:00

Hi KF

Just checking in to see if you've had a chance to check my previous response.

Please let me know if there are any updates on your end.
Dora-T 12,255 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-09T23:23:18.2666667+00:00

Hi KF

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

If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out again.

Answer 3

There is no way, in the provided material, to disable or change the behavior that converts the backslash character to a Yen symbol in Word for Mac. The available context only covers other Word for Mac issues (launch problems, rendering, comments UI, templates, keyboard shortcuts, etc.) and does not document this specific behavior or any setting to turn it off.

References:

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Microsoft Word for Mac v. 16.107.3 converts backslash to Yen symbol

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