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Old 05-29-2025, 05:10 PM
Metta Metta is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2016
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The UK English was greyed out in word, so I downloaded that particular language pack. I went to file, more, options, and added UK English. It now shows up on the list, but I still can't edit my documents in UK English. Word only allows US English. What can I do please? I believe I have the latest version of word because I've only just paid for another year and Microsoft surely wouldn't load an old version. I have Windows 11. Thank you.
Metta
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Old 05-30-2025, 06:11 AM
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In Word, you can change the language via the Language dialog box (Review tab > Language group > Language > Set Proofing Language). Select the relevant content in the document before you visit the dialog box.

You can also use the dialog box to change the default language, which applies to future documents based on your template.


P.S. Make sure that you downloaded the correct language accessory pack for your version of Office.
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Last edited by Stefan Blom; 05-30-2025 at 10:24 AM.
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Old 05-30-2025, 09:23 AM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2021
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It is important that the language setting in Windows be the language you want as your default in Word.
Proofing Language Keeps Changing - Solutions - How can I keep my proofing language from changing?
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Old 05-30-2025, 02:52 PM
Metta Metta is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2016
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Default I can't change language from US English to UK English in Word

Hi Charles
Thank you for your tip. If I change, or try to change the language in Windows, won't that change my keyboard settings. I tried this once before with a different laptop and it scrambled the keyboard setting. A technician had to fix the problem for me and set everything back the way it was.
Metta
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Old 05-30-2025, 03:02 PM
Metta Metta is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2016
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'I can't change US English to UK English in Word'
Thank you Stefan Bloom and Charles Kenyan for your replies. The steps you suggesteed, Stefan are what I tried. Those steps have aways worked before on other laptops and different versions of Windows and Word. I need to be able to change the language in Word to UK English because I'm a writer and the publishers I will be aiming my work at use UK English.
Metta
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Old 06-01-2025, 10:16 AM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2021
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There is a cumbersome workaround that can be used when you must have a different system language or keyboard language than the language you want to use in Word. It is discussed in these two forum threads.
This solution requires that you use a different template from the Normal template when creating a new document that uses the other language.
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Old 06-01-2025, 10:20 AM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Metta View Post
'I can't change US English to UK English in Word'
Thank you Stefan Bloom and Charles Kenyan for your replies. The steps you suggesteed, Stefan are what I tried. Those steps have aways worked before on other laptops and different versions of Windows and Word. I need to be able to change the language in Word to UK English because I'm a writer and the publishers I will be aiming my work at use UK English.
Metta

Even simpler, for such a document, once you start writing, select all text in the document and change the proofing language to English UK. You could have a macro that does this.
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Old 06-01-2025, 02:39 PM
Metta Metta is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2016
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Hi Charles Kenyon
I'm only just starting to try and learn about macros. If you know how to write one so that I can change my documents in word to UK English, that would be fantastic. Thank you.
Metta
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Old 06-01-2025, 03:07 PM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2021
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Please read the linked threads.

See Install/Employ VBA Procedures (Macros) by Greg Maxey.

Here is a macro that will change the language setting for everything in a document to English UK:



Code:
Sub ProofingLanguageEnglishUKAllStory()    ' based on field updater by Greg Maxey
    ' https://gregmaxey.com/word_tip_pages/word_fields.html
    ' Charles Kenyon 6 November 2018
    ' https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/force-all-documents-to-be-edited-in-uk-english/df6d1f8e-5426-49d9-bea0-5620d0208294
    ' Changes proofing language to English UK in all stories of document
    ' Language IDs https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/word.wdlanguageid
    Dim rngStory As Word.range
    Dim lngValidate As Long    ' do not know purpose of this
    Dim oShp   As Shape
    Let lngValidate = ActiveDocument.Sections(1).Headers(1).range.StoryType
    For Each rngStory In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
        'Iterate through all linked stories
        Do
            On Error Resume Next
            Let rngStory.LanguageID = wdEnglishUK
            Select Case rngStory.StoryType
                Case 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
                    If rngStory.ShapeRange.Count > 0 Then
                        For Each oShp In rngStory.ShapeRange[/HTML]
                            If oShp.TextFrame.HasText Then
                                Let oShp.TextFrame.TextRange.LanguageID = wdEnglishUK
                            End If
                        Next
                    End If
                Case Else
                    'Do Nothing
            End Select
            On Error GoTo -1
            'Get next linked story (if any)
            Set rngStory = rngStory.NextStoryRange
        Loop Until rngStory Is Nothing
    Next
End Sub

You could attach the macro to a keyboard shortcut or a QAT button if you want.
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Old 06-02-2025, 01:28 PM
Metta Metta is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2016
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Hi Charles Kenyon
Thank you so very much for your information and the macro. I will definitely try that today.
Metta
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Old 06-03-2025, 04:13 PM
Metta Metta is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2016
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Hi Charles Kenyon
Thank you so very much for the macro. I tried it yesterday, but when I went to run it, a message showed the words syntax error. What do I do next please?
Metta
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Old 06-03-2025, 06:58 PM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2021
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It does not give an error here. It changes the language in the document.
You are using the Window version, correct?
Office 2016?


Does it give a button to debug?
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Old Yesterday, 09:25 PM
Metta Metta is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2016
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Hi Charles Kenyon
I think there was a debug button, but I don't know what to do with it. Also, how can I find out what the version of my microsoft word is. Maybe that is the problem stopping the program from running. I'm so sorry to be such a pest with this problem, but I must get it fixed somehow.
Metta
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Old Yesterday, 10:20 PM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2021
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If you click the Debug button, it takes you to the place in the macro that is giving the error.


To find your version in the Windows desktop application:
File > Account > About Word
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Old Today, 08:18 PM
Metta Metta is offline I can't change US English to UK English in Word Windows 11 I can't change US English to UK English in Word Office 2016
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Hi Charles
Thanks for the instructions. Now I know I have version 365 in microsoft word. Does this make a difference? I will now test out the debug button and let you know what happens. When I discovered there was an error before, the first line was highlighted. I didn't highlight it, but something, or someone on the other side of the machine did, to let me know there was an error. I didn't know how to fix it though, and still don't. I hope the debug button will tell me what to do so I can run the program again, and finally change my documents into UK English.
Metta
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