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To enable another language in the display of 2007 Microsoft Office system programs, you must have a language pack installed on your computer. Language packs enable you to change the language of the Ribbon, menus, and Help in Microsoft Office programs. Language packs also enables you to use the proofing tools, such as the spelling and grammar checker, in various languages. This article can help you if you need to do the following:

• See the Microsoft Office display, for example, the text of menus, the Ribbon, and commands, and Help in another language.
• Set the language to check the spelling or grammar of text or get templates and fonts in another language.

To learn how to check the language and grammar, see Check spelling and grammar in another language.

• Understand what a language pack does

• Obtain and install a language pack

• Change the language of your display or Help

• Set the language priority

• More information

Understand what a language pack does

A language pack enables a Microsoft Office program to offer the following features in another language:

• Display   The display includes the text displayed on menus, commands, toolbars, and the Ribbon.

   Note   Another way to get the display in another language is to download (for free) and install a Language Interface Pack (LIP). To see a list of the LIP languages and the tools included with the LIP, see Microsoft Office 2007 Language Interface Pack overview.

• Help   Help includes the articles displayed in the Help window.
• Proofing tools   Proofing tools include the spelling and grammar checkers, although you can type and edit text in any language without a language pack. To use the proofing tools that are appropriate for a language, make sure that you computer has either:
  • A version of the 2007 Microsoft Office system that contains the proofing tools in the language that you want installed, or
  • A language pack in that language installed. To see a list of the proofing tool languages, see 2007 Office suites localized versions.
• Other language-specific features   Other features that can be customized for a specific language include fonts and templates.

 Important   A language pack is not necessary to type or edit text in another language. Regardless of what language pack is installed on your computer, you can enter and edit text in any of the supported languages. You can even enable various language-specific features without installing a language pack. For more information, see Type or edit text in another language and Add an input language.

  Notes  

• Some language packs include proofing tools for more than one language. For example, the English (United States) language pack includes the proofing tools for French and Spanish. To see a list of the language packs and their companion languages, see 2007 Office suites localized versions.
• Some language packs provide only partial translation of the menus and Help in their companion languages. In some cases, some Microsoft Office programs, proofing tools, or Help may not be translated into the language. For a list of the languages available and whether the proofing tools, display, and Help have been translated into that language, see Microsoft Office Language Pack 2007 feature comparison.

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Obtain and install a language pack

When Microsoft Office is installed on a computer, it includes at least one language. However, many people and companies need to use more than one language. You can get additional language packs in the following ways:

• Single Language Pack   A single language pack enables the interface of some or all programs to support a specific language. To purchase a single 2007 Microsoft Office Language Pack, go to the Buy Now page.
• Multi-Language Pack   The Multi-Language Pack enables the interface of each program to support all available languages for that program. Essentially, the Multi-Language Pack is a set of all the available single language packs bundled and sold together. This product is available for purchase in major retail stores and via their Web sites, as well as through Microsoft volume licensing programs.
• Mixed-Language Product   A Mixed-Language program or suite of Microsoft Office is sold as one language, but it contains programs in two or more languages. For example, Ukrainian Office contains some programs in Ukrainian, some in Russian, and some in English. This product is available for purchase in major retail stores and via their Web sites, as well as through Microsoft volume licensing programs.
• Multi-Language Product   In a Multi-Language program or suite of Microsoft Office, some programs are offered in more than one language.

To learn how to install or uninstall a language pack, see Buy, install, configure or uninstall a Microsoft Office 2007 Language Pack.

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Change the language of your display or Help

If your computer has two or more language packs installed, you can enable or disable the available languages, in addition to set options for those languages.

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office, point to Microsoft Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Office 2007 Language Settings.
2. Click the Display Language tab.

   I don't see the Display Language tab.

   If the Display Language tab is not displayed, you have only one Language Pack installed. For information about how to install another language pack, see Obtain and install a language pack.
3. Depending on your preferences, do one or more of the following:

   I want Microsoft Office to match the language displayed in Microsoft Windows for menus and dialog boxes.

   1. Select the Set the Microsoft Office display language to match the Windows display language check box. (This setting overrides the selection you make in the Display Microsoft Office menus and dialog boxes in list.)
   2. In the Display Help in list, click (same as menus and dialog boxes).

   How do I modify the language setting for menus and dialog boxes in Windows Vista?

   1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
   2. Under Clock, Language, and Region, click Change keyboards or other input methods.

       Note   In Classic view, double-click Regional and Language Options, and then click the Keyboards and Languages tab.

   3. • If a choice of languages is listed under Display language, select the language you want to use.
      • If the Install/uninstall languages button is available, the language used for menus and dialog boxes is the language of the Windows operating system that you are using.

   How do I modify the language setting for menus and dialog boxes in Microsoft Windows XP?

   1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
   2. Click Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options, and then click Regional and Language Options.

       Note   In Classic view, double-click Regional and Language Options.

   3. Click the Languages tab.
   4. • If the Language used in menus and dialogs list is shown, select the language that you want to use.
      • If the Language used in menus and dialogs list is not shown, the language used for menus and dialog boxes is the language of the Windows operating system that you are using.

   I want Microsoft Office to always use the language specified by me in the display and in Help.

   1. Make sure the Display Microsoft Office menus and dialog boxes in check box is cleared.
   2. In the Display Microsoft Office menus and dialog boxes in list, click the language that you want.
4. Click OK.
5. Exit and restart all Microsoft Office programs so that the new setting takes effect.

    Note   To exit Microsoft Office Groove, click the Groove icon in the Windows notification area, and then click Exit Groove.

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Set the language priority

If a language is not available for a particular proofing tool, Microsoft Office uses another language.

Why would a language not be available for a given program?

When your preferred language is not available for a given program, you can either specify which languages Microsoft Office should use or obtain a language pack or a language interface pack.

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office, point to Microsoft Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Office 2007 Language Settings.
2. Click the Display Language tab.

   I don't see the Display Language tab.

   If the Display Language tab is not displayed, you have only one language installed. To install a language pack, see Obtain and install a language pack.
3. To arrange the languages listed in the priority that you want, click each language in the Display language priority order list, and then click Up or Down to change the priority of the language.

   I don't see the Display language priority order list.

   The most typical reason for this is that you have only one language installed and you do not need to set the language priority. You can still specify the language that should be used to display the Ribbon, menus, and Help. For more information, see Change the language of the display or Help.

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More information

• Check spelling and grammar in another language
• What does limited support mean?
• Spell checking issues with Outlook Express 6.0
• Buy, install, configure or uninstall a Microsoft Office 2007 Language Pack
• Download, install, configure or uninstall a Microsoft Office Language Interface Pack 2007

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