Proofing tools for Office 2010

Word2010: File\Options\Language, Choose Editing Language section

There are several languages in the list, only English (US) <default> is marked as installed, all other have Not installed link. Click on that link brings me to this page:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/language-packs/microsoft-office-language-options-multilingual-support-FX102851176.aspx

Note I'm using Office 2010, but this page about 2013. In this page it is possible to select a language and absolutely for free download proofing tools package for this language. For example proofing tools for German language: http://www.microsoft.com/de-de/download/details.aspx?id=35400

I don't think German can be treated as "exotic".

And this downloaded package obviously cannot be used with Office 2010 because of different version.

The way to add an additional language to the proofing tools is to purchase and install a language pack. I don't believe the proofing tools have ever been free. Some Language Interface Packs are free, but they are offered only for "exotic" languages for which there is not a language pack.

Link you provided is pointing to the language pack that customize MS office interface itself for particular language and it ISN'T FREE. It isn't link to "proofing tools"

Proofing tools provide spell-checking functionality without changing language of MS Office interface and it always was free, but now all link pointing to proofing tools 2013 that isn't compatible with 2010.

There no any way right now to add additional language to the proofing tools in MS office 2010.

Period.

I have just had a reply from Microsoft that appropriate teams are working to address this problem, but it is more complex than they initially thought. Take heart, though: MS is aware of the problem and working on it!

Update: This is now fixed. The link to Download a Language Pack for Office 2010 now actually goes to a site to download a language pack for Office 2010. Hooray!

Edit 9/29/15: Now goes to an error page. Sorry.

Indeed, this is frustrating and absurd. The article "Do I need a language pack or language interface pack?" at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote-help/do-i-need-a-language-pack-or-language-interface-pack-HA010354264.aspx says, "Or to buy a language pack, please go to Buy an Office 2013 language pack or Buy an Office 2010 language pack." And both those links go to the same page, for Office 2013.

 

FWIW, it appears that what you need is not the language pack but the Proofing Tools Kit, which includes proofing tools for all languages. If you google for Office 2010 Proofing Tools Kit, what you find from Microsoft is a series of service packs, but there are numerous sites that claim to offer the kit itself for download (free in most cases). Although I would view these sites with caution, there doesn't appear to be any official channel for getting this package.

I agree this is at the least completely absurd. Any other software package, for office, browser, non Microsoft offers this for free, without any hassle. So, know I just type in my text in a Google word document and copy past this in an Office document.