To change the language in Excel on Windows, open File > Options > Language, select the language you want under Office display language, choose Set as Preferred, and restart Excel. The same window has a second list, Office authoring languages and proofing, that controls the language used for typing and spell checking.
Applies to: Excel in Microsoft 365 on Windows, with notes for Excel on a Mac and Excel for the web. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 6, 2026.
Which Excel language setting do you need?
Excel does not have one single language switch. Four different settings affect what you see, and they are changed in different places. Pick the row that matches your problem before you start.
| What you want to change | Setting that controls it | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| Menus, ribbon tabs, buttons and dialog boxes | Office display language | File > Options > Language |
| Spell checking and text layout for what you type | Office authoring languages and proofing | File > Options > Language |
| Decimal and thousands separators | Use system separators | File > Options > Advanced |
| The characters your keyboard types | Windows keyboard layout | Windows Settings |
The display language and the authoring language are independent. You can keep English menus while spell checking in Spanish, or the other way around. Both are Office-wide settings, so a change you make in Excel also shows up in Word, PowerPoint and the other Office desktop apps.
Before you start
- Save any open workbooks. The new display language only takes effect after Office restarts.
- You need an internet connection if the language is not installed yet, because Office downloads it.
- On a work or school computer, your organization may manage Office languages. Microsoft’s guidance in that case is to ask your IT department to install language packs.
Change the Excel display language on Windows
These steps change the language of the menus and buttons.
- Open Excel and select the File tab. The File menu opens in place of your worksheet.
- Select Options. The Excel Options window opens.
- Select Language. You see two lists: Office display language and Office authoring languages and proofing.
- Under Office display language, select the language you want. If it is not in the list, select Add a Language, pick the language in the dialog box, and select Add. Office downloads the language files.
- With the language selected, choose Set as Preferred. The preferred language moves to the top of the list and appears in bold.
- Select OK, then close and reopen Excel and any other open Office apps. The ribbon and menus now appear in the new language.
The display list also contains an entry named Match Microsoft Windows. Choose it if you want Excel to follow whatever language Windows itself is using, so you only have to manage one setting.
The authoring language controls spell checking and how text is laid out, including right-to-left and vertical text. Change it when Excel flags correctly spelled words in your language.
- Go to File > Options > Language.
- Under Office authoring languages and proofing, look for your language. If it is missing, select Add a language, choose it, and select Add.
- Check the status next to the language. Proofing installed means spell checking is ready. Proofing available is a link you can select to download the proofing tools. Proofing not available means Microsoft does not offer proofing tools for that language.
- Select the language and choose Set as Preferred.
- Select OK and restart your Office apps.
Microsoft notes that changes to this list are applied to other Microsoft products in your account, so expect Word and PowerPoint to pick up the same proofing language. If you also need Word to check a different variety of English, see our guide on changing Word spell check to UK English.
If the language you want is not listed
When Add a Language cannot download the language, Microsoft offers a separate download called the Language Accessory Pack for Microsoft 365. It adds display, help and proofing tools for a language.
- Open Microsoft’s Language Accessory Pack for Microsoft 365 page.
- Choose your version of Office, pick the language from the drop-down list, and select the 32-bit or 64-bit download that matches your Office installation.
- Open the downloaded file to install it.
- Return to File > Options > Language in Excel and set the new language as preferred in both lists, as described above.
- Restart all Office programs.
Some packs are described as having partial localization. With those, parts of Office can still appear in the original language of your copy. Only download language packs from Microsoft. Files offered on other sites are not needed and may not be safe.
Change the Excel language on a Mac
On a Mac, app languages are managed by macOS. Apple documents a per-app setting, so you can change Excel without changing the rest of your Mac.
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click General in the sidebar, then click Language & Region.
- Go to Applications and click the Add button.
- Choose Microsoft Excel and a language from the pop-up menus, then click Add.
- Quit and reopen Excel.
To undo it, select Excel in the same Applications list and click the Remove button, or choose a different language from its pop-up menu. Apple’s steps are in Change the language your Mac uses.
Change the language in Excel for the web
Excel for the web follows the display language of your Microsoft 365 account rather than a setting inside the workbook. Microsoft documents these steps for work or school accounts:
- Sign in to Microsoft 365 with your work or school account.
- At the top corner of the screen, select Settings, then select Change your language.
- Under Display Language, select the pencil icon and choose your language from the list.
Be patient after saving. Microsoft says a new display language can take up to 24 hours to appear in Excel and other Microsoft 365 web apps. In some organizations only an administrator can change this setting.
Confirm the change or switch back
Reopen Excel and look at the ribbon. The tab names should be in the new language. Then go back to File > Options > Language. The language you chose should be at the top of each list in bold.
To undo the change, select your previous language in the same list, choose Set as Preferred, and restart Excel. Nothing in your workbooks is altered by switching back and forth.
If the menus are in a language you cannot read, the route itself does not change: the File tab, then Options, then Language. Ask someone who reads the language to point out those three items, or change the Windows display language first and choose Match Microsoft Windows afterward.
Troubleshooting
Excel is still in the old language after restarting
Close every Office app, not just Excel, and open Excel again. If the preferred display language is Match Microsoft Windows, Excel follows Windows. Either pick a specific language in the Office list, or change Windows itself: select Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region, choose a language next to Windows display language, and select Sign out.
Windows says only one display language is allowed
A message such as “Your Windows license supports only one display language” means your edition of Windows cannot switch its own display language. Leave Windows alone and set a specific language in Excel’s Office display language list instead.
You cannot add or install a language at work
Organizations can control which Office languages are installed. If the download fails or the option is unavailable on a managed computer, contact your IT department.
Decimal points and commas look wrong
Number separators come from your computer’s regional settings, not from the display language. To override them in Excel, go to File > Options, open the Advanced tab, and under Editing options clear the Use system separators check box. Type the characters you want in the Decimal separator and Thousands separator boxes and select OK. Select the check box again to return to the system separators.
The keyboard types the wrong characters
That is the Windows keyboard layout, which is separate from Excel’s language. Press Windows logo key + Spacebar to cycle through installed layouts, or follow our guide to change the keyboard layout in Windows 11.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing the Excel language translate my workbook?
No. Text you typed in cells, sheet names and chart titles stay exactly as written. The display language only changes Excel’s own interface.
Will my formulas break if I change the display language?
No. Microsoft’s developer documentation states that worksheet function names are translated internally for most language versions of Excel. In practice that means a workbook built in one language version of Excel keeps working when it is opened in another.
Does the change affect Word and PowerPoint too?
Yes. The display and authoring languages are Office settings, not Excel-only settings, so the other Office desktop apps use the same choice.
Do I have to restart my computer?
No. Restarting your Office programs is enough for an Office language change. You only need to sign out of Windows if you change the Windows display language.
Can I use one language for menus and another for spell checking?
Yes. Set the menu language under Office display language and the spell-check language under Office authoring languages and proofing. Each list has its own preferred language.
Once Excel is in the language you want, check the proofing status on the same Language page so spell checking matches. Microsoft’s full reference is Add an editing or authoring language or set language preferences in Office.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.