Alex Ruben
How To Switch Language Settings in Excel 2025
If someone’s tried to switch the language in Excel and it’s just not changing or the menus are in a weird language, it’s kinda frustrating. The steps sound simple enough, but sometimes things get tricky, especially if you’re on a different version or don’t have admin rights. Here’s what’s worked for me—though, not necessarily on the first try. Sometimes you gotta restart or tweak a setting after the fact.
Step 1: Open Your Excel Document
Start by opening Excel as usual. Whatever document you’re working on doesn’t matter too much, but make sure you’re in the right version of Excel. If it’s a fresh install or you upgraded recently, some options might be in different spots.
Step 2: Access the File Menu
Click on File in the top left. Then, look for Options. Sometimes it’s tucked under ‘More’ or ‘Advanced,’ depending on your version. On Office 365 or newer, it’s usually straightforward: File > Options.
Step 3: Go to Language Settings
Inside the Options window, find the Language tab on the left. If you don’t see it right away, try searching in the box or just check every tab. Here, you’ll see your current display language, editing language, and a list of potential additions.
Step 4: Add a New Language (if needed)
Click Add a Language. A list pops up—scroll or search for your preferred language (say, Greek or Japanese). Highlight it, then hit Install. Sometimes, this kicks off a download in the background—so you might see some progress bar pop up, or a prompt asking to download the language pack. That’s normal.
Step 5: Set Your Language as Default
Once installed, go back to the list, select your new language, and hit Set as Preferred or Set as Default. On some setups, you also need to check the box for Display Microsoft Office in this language, then click OK. After that, it’s a good idea to restart Excel. Sometimes the change sticks immediately, sometimes not.
Step 6: Install Language Pack if Requested
If Excel prompts you to download a language pack or suggests installing it, follow those instructions. It can be a bit of a pain—because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary. Sometimes the language pack installs properly after one restart, other times it takes a second try. A bit of patience doesn’t hurt.
Step 7: Restart Excel and Verify
Close Excel completely, then reopen it. If the language change worked, you should see menus, options, and even the spell checker now in your chosen language. If not, go back into the options, double-check the settings, and maybe repeat the install process. On some machines, quite a few reboots are needed before it’s fully applied.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Stuff that’s helped me sometimes:
- If your language doesn’t show up, check if your Office version is up to date. Sometimes newer language packs need the latest Office updates.
- Admin rights can be a pain. If you don’t have them, installing language packs might be blocked—so you’ll need to ask your IT or use a machine where you have permissions.
- Sometimes, after setting the language, you gotta clear any residual cache or state. Restarting the PC or Office background processes (via Task Manager) can help.
- Another thing that can confuse matters: if you’ve set the language but it’s still not showing, check Windows language settings too (Settings > Time & Language > Language)—sometimes Office relies on Windows language config.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the language in Excel for just one document?
Not really—Excel’s language settings are per-app, not per-document. Changing the display language affects the entire Office suite, not just one spreadsheet.
What if the language I want isn’t listed?
Chances are, you’ll have to download the official language pack from Microsoft’s site—or, if you’re on Office 365, it might automatically appear after updating. If not, go to Microsoft’s language pack page.
Will changing the display language affect formulas or functions?
Nope. The formulas and functions stay the same, only the menu and help text change. So, numeric formulas won’t break when you switch languages.