Microsoft Word refuses to change it's UI Language, despite me having done so.

PoggersJoe 0 Reputation points
2026-08-27T14:08:28.75+00:00

Word lingua

Microsoft Word has suddenly set it's UI language to English, despite me having gone to preferences and set it to portuguese. I have restarted Word and my PC, however it still remains in english. That screenshot was taken after a full PC restart, and me having clicked OK to those same preferences, and the language of the UI is still english. When I opened Word again, it was this same way, with portuguese being set as the Preferred language.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Input and language
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-27T14:08:47.85+00:00

    On Windows, Word’s UI language and authoring/proofing language are separate settings. The screenshot shows Portuguese set as the preferred display language, which is the correct place for menus and buttons.

    Use this exact check path in Word:

    1. Open Word.
    2. Go to File > Options > Language.
    3. Under Office display language, select Portuguese and choose Set as Preferred.
    4. Under Office authoring languages and proofing, set Portuguese as preferred as well if needed.
    5. Click OK.
    6. Close all Office apps, not just Word.
    7. Open Word again and check whether the UI changes.

    If Word still opens in English after that, the supported next check is to make Windows use the same language as the default display language, because changing Office permanently to another language works best when Windows is also set to that language.

    If the language needed for display is not actually available in Office, install the correct Language Accessory Pack for Office for that language, then set it again in File > Options > Language.

    If this is Office 2016, there is also a separate path:

    1. Close all Office applications.
    2. Open Start > All apps > Microsoft Office 2016 Tools > Office 2016 Language Preferences.
    3. In Display Language, select Portuguese and choose Set as Default.
    4. Do the same for Help Language.
    5. Click OK.
    6. Restart Office apps.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. TaoLi 110.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-27T14:47:29.7133333+00:00

    Thanks for the screenshot. Your setting is already correct: Portuguese is shown as the preferred Office display language, and Windows is also using Portuguese. So repeatedly changing “Set as Preferred” is unlikely to fix this.

    This usually means the Portuguese Office display files are missing or damaged.

    Please close all Office apps, then reinstall the exact Portuguese Language Accessory Pack you want (Portuguese Brazil or Portuguese Portugal). Make sure you choose the same 32-bit/64-bit version as your Office installation:

    https://support.microsoft.com/pt-br/office/languages/language-accessory-pack-for-microsoft-365

    After installing it, restart Windows, open Word > File > Options > Language, set Portuguese as Preferred again, then restart Word. Microsoft confirms that both Portuguese (Brazil) and Portuguese (Portugal) include the full Office display language.

    If Word still remains in English, I would next run an Office Online Repair, as this can restore damaged language/display components:

    Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft 365 > three dots > Modify > Online Repair.

    https://support.microsoft.com/pt-br/office/lifecycle/repair-an-office-application

    One detail I noticed in your screenshot: the authoring language is Portuguese (Brazil). If Brazilian Portuguese is the UI you want, please make sure you install the Portuguese (Brazil) accessory pack specifically, rather than Portuguese (Portugal).

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