List of features and settings that are affected in Word when the default editing language in Office 2010 or the primary editing language in the 2007 Office system is changed

Note Microsoft Office 2010 uses "default editing language" to describe the default editing language. The 2007 Microsoft Office system uses “primary editing language" to describe the default editing language.

This article describes how to change editing languages in Office 2010 and in the 2007 Office system. It also provides the list of changes that occur in Microsoft Office Word when the default editing language is changed. 

How to change the default editing language in Office 2010

1. Open an Office program, such as Word.
2. On the File tab, click Word Options, and then click Language.
3. In the Set the Office Language Preferences dialog box, under Choose Editing Languages, select the editing language that you want to use, click the name of the language that you want to be the default language, and then click Set as Default.
4. For the change to take effect after you change the default editing language, you must close all Office 2010 programs and then open them again.

How to change the primary editing language in the 2007 Office system

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft Office, click Microsoft Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Office 2007 Language Settings.
2. Click the Editing Languages tab.
3. In the primary editing language list, click the language in which you plan to do most of your work.

Features and settings that are affected by changing the editing language settings

1. Replaces Normal Template: When you change the default editing language in Office 2010 or the primary editing language in the 2007 Office system, the Normal template is replaced if the Normal template is incompatible with the language that you set as the default. Some languages need certain specific settings in the Normal template. Therefore, Word must replace the existing Normal template by using the new Normal template. If you customized the Normal template, you lose those customizations.
2. Bullets and Numbering: In Word 2007, this setting displays native numbers or alphabets that are based on the primary editing language. Word 2010 does not display native numbers.
3. AutoFormat As You Type: The change in the default editing language resets all settings in the AutoCorrect dialog box on the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
4. Fonts and Fonts Dialog: The change in the default editing language causes fonts to be sorted based on the default language.
5. Hide / Show Editing Marks: In Word 2010 and in Word 2007, this setting is affected for certain languages. For example, in the Japanese language, the Show/Hide option is enabled by default.
6. Japanese Consistency Checker: In Word 2010 and in Word 2007, the Japanese Consistency Checker option is enabled when you set the editing language to Japanese. This option is available on the Review tab on the Ribbon.
7. Chinese Translation: In Word 2010 and in Word 2007, when you set the default editing language to Simplified Chinese or to Traditional Chinese, you see group name Chinese Translation on the Chinese conversion tab. This tab is available on the Review tab on the Ribbon.
8. Theme Gallery: In Word 2010 and in Word 2007, when you change the default editing language, your theme gallery is localized to the default editing language. And, any localized themes are added to the gallery.
9. Create New/Edit Theme Fonts Dialog: In Word 2010 and in Word 2007, if the default editing language is set to an East Asian or to a Complex Script language, the East Asian text or the Complex script section is displayed in the Create New/Edit Theme Fonts Dialog. The default editing language also pre-fills the respective default theme fonts. And, the Sample section displays the localized sample text.
10. English Assistance: This feature is enabled when you change the default editing language to the Japanese language. This feature provides an English explanation of the Japanese text.