Language: Set the document language

Why Proofing Language Matters

Proofing language tells M365 what language your document is in. Checking that your document is set to the correct language ensures it can be understood by everyone.

How to set document language step-by-step

Follow these detailed instructions to properly set your document's language for better accessibility:

Microsoft Word/PowerPoint

1. Open your document
2. Go to the Review tab in the menubar
3. Select Language in the Proofing section
4. Select Set Proofing Language
5. Choose your document's main language from the list (e.g., "English (Canada) or French (Canada)")
6. Choose "Selected text" or "Entire document" to apply the setting to a specific word, text block, or your document as a whole
7. Click OK to apply the language setting

Note on Template Settings: In M365 Desktop applications, templates will adopt the language of your overall M365 settings. If M365 is set to English, even if you open a French template, you will have to manually update the proofing language.

How to mark passages in different languages

When your document contains words or phrases in a different language, follow these steps:

1. Highlight the word or phrase containing foreign text
2. Right-click and choose Set Proofing Language (or select Proofing Language from the Review menu)
3. Select the correct language from the list
4. Select OK

Check your work

• Run your tool’s accessibility checker
• Verify your document language settings (incluing on foreign words and phrases) to ensure the correct language for all written content.
• Test with a screen reader (e.g., NVDA) to verify the correct pronunciation of your text content.

Related WCAG resources