Here’s some general information about what a language pack and language interface pack (LIP) are. For more specific questions about when to use them, please see the tables below.
Language packs let you see menu items, commands, and tabs, as well as use Help and proofing tools such as the spelling checker, grammar checker, and thesaurus in different languages. The language pack also includes tools for English and any companion languages. For example, if you purchased a Spanish version of Microsoft Office, it includes the Spanish language pack as well as the proofing tools for Spanish, Basque, Catalan, English, French, Galician, and Portuguese (Brazil). To see what you have installed, please see the Check which language packs are installed on your computer section. Or to buy a language pack, please go to Buy an Office 2013 language pack or Buy an Office 2010 language pack.
Language interface packs (LIPs) let you change the display language for Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word, as well as use a dictionary and some proofing tools in the LIP language. The available tools vary between languages but include, at a minimum, a spell check dictionary that can be used together with an installed version of the Office programs. The LIPs can be downloaded for free from Office Language Interface Pack (LIP) downloads.
Language packs
| If you want to do this: |
Is a language pack required? |
|
Only type and edit text in a different language.
You don’t want to use proofing tools like the spelling checker or grammar checker and don’t want to see menus or Help in a different language.
|
No.
To change the input language of your keyboard, see Enable keyboard layouts for different languages.
|
| Type and edit text in a different language and use proofing tools, like the spelling checker and grammar checker. |
No, if your Office includes the proofing tools for the languages you want to use.
To find out how to customize your computer to use another language, see Step-by-step: Preparing your computer to type and edit text in a different language.
Yes, if your Office version doesn’t include proofing tools for the languages you want to use.
Buy an Office 2010 language pack
Buy an Office 2013 language pack
|
| See display elements, such as commands, tabs menus, and dialog boxes in a different language. |
Yes, or you need to get a language interface pack.
Buy an Office 2010 language pack
Buy an Office 2013 language pack
|
| See Help in a different language. |
Yes, or you might need to get language interface pack.
Buy an Office 2010 language pack
Buy an Office 2013 language pack
|
Check which language packs are installed on your computer
- Open an Office program, such as Word.
- Click File > Options > Language.
- In the Set the Office Language Preferences dialog box, in the Proofing (Spelling, Grammar) list, if you see the Spelling & Grammar icon
next to the language you want, then that language pack is installed.
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Language interface packs
You must install the LIP version that matches your version of Office. For example, if you are using Office 2013, you must install the Office 2013 LIP. The 2010 version of a language interface pack doesn’t work with the Office 2013 programs. For example, if you have the Spanish primary language version of Office 2013 installed and you want to see the UI and be able to edit documents in Catalan, you can download and install the Catalan LIP, then change your UI to Catalan.
See Download, install, configure or uninstall a Microsoft Office language interface pack for information about where to download, how to install and configure, or uninstall the language interface packs software.
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