Change the display language in Excel on Windows

The fastest way to change Excel's language is through the File menu. Open Excel, click File in the top left, then select Options at the bottom of the menu. In the Options window, click Language on the left sidebar. Under "Office Display Language," you'll see a dropdown showing your current language. Click it, choose the language you want, then click Set as Preferred. Close Excel completely and reopen it — the interface will now display in your chosen language.

If you don't see your language in the dropdown, you may need to read it first. In that same Language options window, look for "Office Authoring Languages" and click Add additional languages. Find your language in the list, click it, then click Add. Once it downloads (this takes a few minutes), go back to "Office Display Language," select it from the dropdown, and set it as preferred.

Change the display language in Excel on Mac

On a Mac, the process is slightly different because language settings are tied to your system preferences. Open Excel, click Excel in the menu bar at the top, then select Preferences. Click the View icon, then look for "Display Language" in the window that opens. Click the dropdown, choose your language, and click OK. Close Excel completely and reopen it to see the change take effect.

If your language isn't listed, you may need to add it to your Mac's system language settings first. Go to System Preferences (or System Settings on newer Macs), click Language & Region, and add your language there. Once it's installed on your Mac, it will appear in Excel's language dropdown.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows, go to File > Options > Language, select your language from the dropdown, and click Set as Preferred, then restart Excel.
  • On Mac, open Excel Preferences, click View, select your language from the Display Language dropdown, and restart Excel.
  • If your language doesn't appear in the dropdown, you can read additional languages through the same menu before selecting it.
  • The language change applies only to Excel's menus, buttons, and dialog boxes — your actual spreadsheet data stays the same.
  • You may need to restart Excel completely for the language change to take effect; straightforward closing and reopening the program is usually enough.

Change the language for spell-check and editing

Changing the display language is different from changing the language Excel uses to check your spelling and grammar. If you want Excel to check spelling in a different language, select the cells or text you want to check, then go to Review in the ribbon at the top. Click Language (or Set Proofing Language on Mac), choose your language from the list, and click OK. Excel will now check spelling and grammar in that language for the selected text.

This is useful if your spreadsheet contains text in multiple languages. You can set different languages for different sections — for example, English for one column and Spanish for another — so Excel's spell-checker works correctly for each. This way, you won't see false spelling errors when you're working with mixed-language content.

Change the language for keyboard input

If you want to type in a different language, you're actually changing your computer's keyboard settings, not Excel's. On Windows, go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, click Add a language, and choose the language you want to type in. Once it's added, you can switch between keyboard languages using the language switcher in your taskbar (usually in the bottom right corner).

On Mac, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources, click the + button, and add your language. You can then switch between keyboard languages using the flag icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Once a keyboard language is active, you can type in that language in Excel or any other program on your computer.

Troubleshooting: Language changes aren't taking effect

If you've changed the language but Excel still displays in the old language, make sure you've fully closed the program. Don't just close the window — click File > Exit (Windows) or quit Excel from the menu (Mac). Then reopen Excel. Sometimes Excel keeps the old language in memory if you don't fully exit.

If the language still hasn't changed, check that you clicked Set as Preferred after selecting your language in the Options menu. On Mac, make sure you clicked OK to confirm your choice. If you're trying to use a language that isn't installed on your computer, you'll need to read it first through the same menu before you can select it.

When to contact Microsoft support

Most language changes work smoothly, but if Excel crashes when you switch languages, or if a language won't read despite multiple attempts, contact Microsoft Support. You can reach them through the Help menu in Excel (click the ? icon in the top right) or visit the Microsoft Support website.

Have your Windows or Mac version number ready, along with the specific language you're trying to use. Microsoft Support can tell you whether your version of Excel supports that language and walk you through any additional steps if the standard process doesn't work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing Excel's language affect my spreadsheet data?

No. Changing the display language only changes the words in Excel's menus, buttons, and dialog boxes. Your actual spreadsheet — the numbers, text, and formulas — stays exactly the same. You can switch languages back and forth without affecting any of your work.

Can I use Excel in multiple languages at the same time?

The display language applies to all of Excel, so you can't have menus in English and buttons in Spanish simultaneously. However, you can type in multiple languages within the same spreadsheet by switching your keyboard language, and you can set different spell-check languages for different cells or columns.

Do I need to read a language pack to change Excel's language?

It depends on your version of Excel. If you have Microsoft 365 (the subscription version), most languages are available to read directly from the Language settings menu. If you have a one-time purchase version, some languages may already be installed, while others require a separate read. Check your Language options menu to see what's available.

What if my language isn't listed in Excel's language menu?

First, check whether it's available to read by clicking "Add additional languages" in the Language options window. If it's still not there, your version of Excel may not support that language. Check Microsoft's website for your specific Excel version, or contact Microsoft Support to confirm whether the language is available for your edition.

Do I need to restart my computer to change Excel's language?

No, you only need to restart Excel itself. Close the program completely (not just the window), then reopen it. The language change should take effect when ready. You don't need to restart your computer unless you're also changing your keyboard language through your system settings.