Change Excel's display language in three steps

Excel's interface language — the menus, buttons, and error messages you see — is set through your Microsoft account or your computer's regional settings. The fastest way to change it is through Excel's File menu, where you can pick a new display language without touching your system settings. The change takes effect the next time you open Excel.

If you are using Excel through Microsoft 365 (the subscription version), your language choice syncs across all your Microsoft apps on that device. If you use a standalone copy of Excel, the language setting stays local to that installation.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Excel, go to File > Options > Language, and select your preferred display language from the list.
  • After you pick a new language, close and reopen Excel for the change to take effect.
  • If your language does not appear in the list, your version of Excel may not include that language pack.
  • Changing Excel's display language does not change the language of your documents or spreadsheets — only the software menus.
  • On Mac, the process is similar but located under Excel > Preferences > Language instead.

Steps to change language on Windows

Start by opening Excel and clicking the File tab in the top left corner. This opens a menu with options like New, Open, and Save. At the bottom of this menu, you will see Options — click it.

In the Options window, look for Language in the left sidebar. Click it. You will see a list of available languages under "Office Display Languages." Find the language you want and click the Set as Preferred button next to it. A message will appear confirming the change. Close the Options window and close Excel completely.

When you reopen Excel, the interface will display in your chosen language. All menus, buttons, tooltips, and dialog boxes will appear in that language. Your spreadsheets and data remain unchanged — only the software itself switches languages.

Steps to change language on Mac

On a Mac, the process is similar but the menu location is different. Open Excel and click Excel in the top menu bar (next to the Apple logo). From the dropdown, select Preferences.

In the Preferences window, look for and click Language. You will see a list of available languages. Select the one you want and close the Preferences window. Close Excel completely and reopen it. The display language will now be set to your choice.

What happens if your language is not in the list

If the language you want does not appear in Excel's Language settings, your version of Excel does not include that language pack. This is most common with older versions of Excel or with regional editions that ship with a limited set of languages.

Your options are limited in this case. You can check whether a language pack is available for read from Microsoft's website, though availability varies by version and region. Alternatively, you can use Excel in English or another available language, or consider upgrading to a newer version of Excel that may include more language options.

The difference between display language and document language

Changing Excel's display language affects only the software interface — menus, buttons, and messages. It does not change the language of the text or data inside your spreadsheets. If your spreadsheet contains English text, it will remain English even if you switch Excel's interface to Spanish or French.

Similarly, changing the display language does not affect spell-check language or autocorrect settings. Those are controlled separately through the Proofing options in the same File > Options menu. If you want spell-check to work in a different language, you will need to set that separately.

Reverting to the original language

If you change Excel's language and want to switch back, the process is identical. Go to File > Options > Language, find your original language in the list, and click Set as Preferred. Close and reopen Excel.

If you cannot remember which language you started with, English (United States) or English (United Kingdom) are the defaults for most installations. You can always try one of those and reopen Excel to see if it looks familiar.

Why Excel might not show your language choice when ready

Excel caches its interface language in memory while the program is running. straightforward closing the Options window and continuing to work will not trigger the change. You must close Excel completely — not just minimize it or close a spreadsheet window, but exit the entire process.

After you reopen Excel, the new language will be active. If you see the old language still displayed, check that you actually clicked Set as Preferred (not just selected the language) and that you fully closed Excel before reopening it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing Excel's language affect my spreadsheets or formulas?

No. The display language changes only the menus and buttons you see. Your data, formulas, and any text in your spreadsheets stay exactly as they are. A formula like =SUM(A1:A10) will work the same way regardless of whether Excel's interface is in English, Spanish, or French.

Can I have Excel in one language and my computer in another?

Yes. Excel's display language is independent of your operating system language. You can run Windows in English and Excel in German, or vice versa. Each process manages its own language setting.

What if I share a spreadsheet with someone who uses a different language?

The spreadsheet itself is language-neutral. When your colleague opens it, they will see the same data and formulas you created, but Excel's menus and buttons will appear in whatever language they have set on their copy of Excel. No translation or conversion happens to the file itself.

Do I need to restart my computer for the language change to take effect?

No. You only need to close Excel completely and reopen it. Restarting your computer is not necessary and will not speed up the process.

Can I change the language of specific parts of Excel, like just the ribbon or just the menus?

No. Excel's display language is an all-or-nothing setting. When you change it, the entire interface — menus, ribbon, dialog boxes, and messages — switches to that language at once. You cannot mix languages within a single installation.