How to change input language

Change the default input language for Windows

Office uses the default input language in the Windows operating system to determine the default language for Office programs. For example, if the default input language for the Windows operating system is Japanese, the default language for all Office programs is also Japanese.

It is NOT usually necessary to change the Windows input language to work with multiple languages in Office. Most language needs can be met by doing one of the following:

If you’re having trouble with languages and you’re not sure if you want to change the language in Windows, read Troubleshoot checking spelling and grammar in multiple languages first.

If you have a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription, or a one-time purchase of Office 2016, and you want to permanently change the language of your Office installation, see Choose or change the language of your Office installation for another option.

Change the default input language for Windows

From the Start menu, search for Control Panel, and open Control Panel.

Under Clock, Language, and Region, click Change input methods.

Note: If you don’t see Clock, Language, and Region, click Category in the View by menu at the top of the page.

Optional: Click Add a language to add a new language. Select the language you want to add, and click Add.

Select your language, click Options, and then click Add an input method to add the input language you want. The default input language will be the first language in your language list.

Click Start > Control Panel.

Under Clock, Language, and Region, click Change keyboards or other input methods.

Note: If you don’t see Clock, Language, and Region, click Category in the View by menu at the top of the page.

In the Region and Language dialog box, on the Keyboards and Languages tab, click Change keyboards.

In the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box, under Default input language, click the language that you want to use as the default language.

If the language that you want to use as the default input language is not listed, complete Steps 5 through 8.

Under Installed services, click Add.

Expand the language that you want to use as the default input language, and then expand Keyboard.

Select the check box for the keyboard or Input Method Editor (IME) that you want to use, and then click OK. The language is added to the Default input language list.

To preview the keyboard layout, click Preview.

Under Default input language, click the language that you want to use as the default language.

Click Start > Control Panel.

Under Clock, Language, and Region, click Change keyboards or other input methods.

Note: In Classic View, double-click Regional and Language Options, and then click the Keyboards and Languages tab.

In the Regional and Language dialog box, on the Keyboards and Languages tab, click Change keyboards.

In the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box, under Default input language, click the language that you want to use as the default language.

If the language that you want to use as the default input language is not listed, complete Steps 5 through 8.

Note: The default language that you select is applied to all programs on your computer that use this setting, including programs from other companies.

Under Installed services, click Add.

Expand the language that you want to use as the default input language, and then expand Keyboard.

Select the check box for the keyboard or Input Method Editor (IME) that you want to use, and then click OK. The language is added to the Default input language list.

To preview the keyboard layout, click Preview.

Under Default input language, click the language that you want to use as the default language.

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel.

Click Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options, and then click Regional and Language Options.

Note: In Classic View, double-click Regional and Language Options.

In the Regional and Language Options dialog box, click the Languages tab, and then under Text services and input languages, click Details.

In the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box, under Default input language, click the language that you want to use as the default language.

If the language that you want to use as the default input language is not listed, complete Steps 5 through 7.

Note: The default language that you select is applied to all programs on your computer that use this setting, including programs from other companies.

Under Installed services, click Add.

In the Add Input Language dialog box, click the language that you want from the Input language list, and then click OK.

Under Default input language, click the language that you want to use as the default language.

How to Switch Input Methods on Windows 10 PC

To switch which language you’re using in Windows, select the language abbreviation at the far right of your taskbar, and then select the language or input method you want to use. You can alsoВ use some hotkeys like: Windows logo + Spacebar, Shift + Alt, or Shift + Ctrl after changing key sequence.

How to Switch Between Input Language with Default HotKey

You can easily switch input methods on your Windows 10 PC with default hotkey.

Option 1: Use Windows key + Spacebar.

Option 2: Press Left Shift + Alt keys.

The default hotkey to change input language in Windows 10 isВ Left Alt+Shift. Press on these two hotkeys, you can quickly change input languages in Windows 10.

Option 3: Switch between input language using the Language bar.

Step 1: Simple click on Language bar icon, select the input language you want to switch to. If you are using Touch Keyboard, click on the Touch Keyboard icon at the bottom right corner of Taskbar.

How to Change Language Bar HotKeys in Control Panel

You can quickly change the input methods or input languages hotkeys, replace Ctrl + Alt with Shift + Alt.

Right-click on Start icon, click Control Panel from the menu.

Step 2: Click on Change Input Methods link under Clock, Language, and Region.

Step 3: Click Advanced settings in the right side list.

Step 4: Browse to Switching input methods section, then click on Change language bar hot keys link.

Step 5: Click on the Change Key Sequence button to set new hotkeys to switch input languages.

Step 6: Switch input language default hotkeys with Ctrl + Shift.

Press on Shift + Ctrl hotkeys, you can quickly change input languages in Windows 10.

How to change input-language in a windows forms application for a specific control?

How to change input-language in a windows forms application when a specific control is focused?

Here is what I tried, but I don’t want the user press any key, I want to change the language automatically.

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It’s enough to handle Enter event of your control and set the InputLanguage.CurrentInputLanguage to desired language and also handle Leave event of the control and set it back to previous selected input language.

In the below code, I set the input language to Persian when I enter TextBox1 and set it to previous language when I leave the control:

To test the example you should have fa-IR as input language installed on your OS, otherwise it will set the language to default input language. You can use another culture input-language which you know installed on your OS.

Note: If you extensively need such feature in your forms, as an idea you can create an Extender Provider component providing an InputLanguage property. This way you can set the property at design-time. That’s the way that components like ToolTip or HelpProvider works.

Change Input Language and Method on Windows 10 PC

Windows 10 as the latest Windows OS allows users to customize many aspects of the system to suit their needs. In this article, we will talk about how to add new language, set new default language, change input language and method in Windows 10. The system language and input method is essential when you are use multiple languages in the computer system and want a multilingual user interface.

How to add a new language to Windows 10?

If the Windows 10 PC you bought does not come with your preferred language in the system, you can go to install your own language on it. Click the Start menu, then choose Settings >> Time & language >> Region & language, you can then see the list of all installed languages on your Windows 10 PC. Click on the “Add a language” button at the top of the languages list to find and install a new language in Windows 10.

How to change default or primary language in Windows 10?

Go to Settings >> Time & language >> Region & language, you can also select an existing language and click “Set as default” button to set it as your default or primary language in Windows 10.

When you set a new language as the default or primary language in Windows 10, the default input language and method will be changed to this new language accordingly.

On some computers however the Windows 10 version pre-installed may not allow you to change the Windows display language. You can contact the PC seller for more information. Also you have different methods to change default language in Windows 10. Except the above mentioned methods, you can also access your Control Panel >> Clock, Language, and Region >> Change input methods to add new language, change new primary language, change input method and language, etc.

Click the ‘Change input methods’ link from above screen, you will open a window like below. You can also add new language to your language list, move a language to the top of your language list to make it the new primary language, and your default input method and language will be changed to the primary language by default.

Change default input language or method on Windows 10

When you follow above steps to change primary language in Windows 10, your default input language will be changed accordingly. Sometimes however we may need the Windows system language or Windows display language to be different from our primary or default input language. For example, your Windows display language is English, but you may change the default input language and method to be another language, such as Finnish, Chinese, or else.

In such case, you can go to the Windows 10 Control panel >> Change your language preferences >> Advanced settings.

From the Language and Input methods advanced settings screen in Windows 10, you can choose a different language to override Windows display language determined by the order of your language list in Windows 10 language preferences. You can also select a different input method that is different than your default or primary language, or the first one in your language list in Windows 10. For example, if your system primary language in Windows 10 is English, you can set the default input language and method to Chinese, Japanese, Finnish, or else.

Hot Keys to change input language or method in Windows 10

If you do not like to change the primary language in Windows 10, or change default input language in Windows 10, you can click on the Language icon at the bottom right corner of your Windows screen, then choose and change input language in Windows 10.

DEFAULT HOT KEY to switch input language, method in Windows 10

The default shortcut or hot key to change input language in Windows 10 is Left Alt+Shift. Press on these two hot keys, you can quickly change input languages in Windows 10. To change the input methods or input languages hot keys, you can go to the Windows 10 language and input advanced settings screen, browse to the “Switching input methods” section, then click on the “Change language bar hot keys“, you will open below “Text Services and Input Languages” dialogue. Select the current Hot keys, then click on the “Change Key Sequence” button to set new hot keys to switch input languages.

How to Change the Keyboard Language in Windows

Modify a few settings in the Windows Control Panel

Are you looking for a way to change the keyboard language in Windows? There are occasions where you might need to do this such as when you buy a used computer and the keyboard is set to another language or if you need to type something in a foreign language instead of English.

You can easily change the keyboard language from French to English, US to UK, etc. by modifying a few settings in the Windows Control Panel. You can do this by changing the language and keyboard settings.

It’s worth noting that when you switch languages in Windows, the settings are configured per application. You have to change the input language depending on which program you are using. This is very easily done using the language bar that shows up automatically when you add another language in Windows. I’ll also explain using the language bar at the bottom of this article.

Change Keyboard Language in Windows 8/Windows 10

For Windows 8 and Windows 10, open the Control Panel and click on Language.

Click on the Add a language button that is located above the list of installed languages.

Windows 8 and 10 have a much better interface for browsing the languages as compared to Windows 7 and earlier. Here you get a nice preview of a few characters for each language.

Pick the language and then click on the Add button at the bottom. You should now see it as an installed language. You might also get some messages from Windows as it installs any necessary files for the language.

You can click on Options to download the language pack for the newly installed language, which will allow you to change the Windows display language. You can also add additional input methods for the language.

Change Keyboard Language in Windows 7

For Windows Vista and Windows 7, open the Control Panel and click on Region and Language.

Now click on the Keyboards and Languages tab and then click on Change keyboards.

You’ll see the current default input language and installed services. To add a language, go ahead and click on the Add button.

Now scroll down to the language you want to add and expand the keyboard section. Depending on the physical keyboard you are using, choose the correct keyboard option. You might have to play around with the different options because sometimes one keyboard doesn’t work properly.

You can also click on the Preview button to see how the characters for your language are mapped to the keyboard you are using.

In my example, I chose Hindi Traditional for the keyboard language. Scroll down to the Using the Language Bar section to see how to type into different applications using the new language.

Change Keyboard Language in XP

For Windows XP, you want to go to the Control Panel and click on Regional and Language Options.

Next click on the Languages tab and then click on the Details button.

This will load up the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box. Here you will see the list of installed services and keyboards on your computer. You can click Add to install a new keyboard layout and input language.

Choose the input language and choose the type of keyboard that you have attached to your computer. If you want to type Spanish on an English keyboard, choose Spanish as the Input language and United States-Dvorak.

Using the Language Bar

When you install a new language in Windows, it automatically enables the language bar. This is really useful for quickly switching between languages in Windows. You’re probably not going to be typing in one language for every application, so the language bar makes it easy to switch.

You’ll see the language bar in your taskbar with letters to denote the language you are currently using. If you click on it, a list will appear and you can simply click on another language to select it.

Now you can open an application like Word, select the language from the language bar and start typing. You should see the characters for your language appear as you type.

That’s about it! So if you want to type in another language, such as a foreign language, or if you want to switch the keyboard language back to English, the above steps should solve your problem! Enjoy!

Founder of Online Tech Tips and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications. Read Aseem’s Full Bio