Language default

[serendipity]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I am being driven mad by the language setting. When I go to Tools - Language and change from English (US) to English (UK) click default, ok it won't stick. The moment I go back into the setting it is back as English (US) As US English is somewhat bizarre (or different depending on your point of view) and keeps changing my 's' to a 'z' automatically it is very frustrating, ie organisation to organization!

Can someone please tell me how I can change the default language setting in Word to English UK so that it doesn't change.

Thanks

Ann

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Ann;

I'm not sure this is the complete answer, but changing the default Language
applies only to *new* documents created after changing the setting. It has
no effect on the content of existing documents.

It isn't clear from your post whether you're working in an existing file. In
an existing document it's necessary to select the content then apply
whatever Language formatting you prefer [regardless of whether or not it is
the default]. The best approach is to include the Language formatting
specification in the Styles used in the document.

Perhaps the details here & the related pages will be useful:

http://word.mvps.org/mac/SpellCheck.html#Fixes

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

Make sure your OS is set to English UK. Word sets the language of the OS as
its default when it first starts each morning

Cheers

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I am being driven mad by the language setting. When I go to Tools - Language
and change from English (US) to English (UK) click default, ok it won't stick.
The moment I go back into the setting it is back as English (US) As US English
is somewhat bizarre (or different depending on your point of view) and keeps
changing my 's' to a 'z' automatically it is very frustrating, ie organisation
to organization!

Can someone please tell me how I can change the default language setting in
Word to English UK so that it doesn't change.

Thanks

Ann

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[serendipity]

Thanks very much both of you. I have checked the language setting in the OS and it is correctly set to English UK. I think it is because I hadn't changed the default in Word before starting my current document. When I open a new blank page the default is set to UK English but when I open the document I am working on the default is US. Hopefully from now on I won't have this problem, but very annoying working on my current report.

PS to John - have seen the pictures of the red dust storm in Sydney and all I can say is wow! Doesn't look good. Have you seen any zombies?

 

[John McGhie]

Red dust storms are not unknown in Sydney, but they will become more
frequent as global warming increases.

No Zombies, unless you count George Bush

Thanks very much both of you. I have checked the language setting in the OS
and it is correctly set to English UK. I think it is because I hadn't changed
the default in Word before starting my current document. When I open a new
blank page the default is set to UK English but when I open the document I am
working on the default is US. Hopefully from now on I won't have this problem,
but very annoying working on my current report.

PS to John - have seen the pictures of the red dust storm in Sydney and all I
can say is wow! Doesn't look good. Have you seen any zombies?

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

Just for clarification: It may be better to not think of pre-existing
documents as having a "default language".

Instead, consider that Language is a formatting attribute similar to Bold,
Italic, etc. The language formatting for the document is applied based on
the *default* Language setting of the program when the document is first
generated because the Normal Paragraph Style carries that attribute.

Once the document is created, however, the Language can be changed just like
any other formatting can be changed -- both intentionally as well as
inadvertently. For many users, the latter is what most likely occurs, and
the primary cause is pasting content which is cut or copied from other
sources. That content often carries different Language formatting than what
is used elsewhere in the document. Unlike Bold, Italic, & other attributes
the user can't *see* the language formatting, so they never even know it's
there until they run into a problem with Spell Checking or other issues. [As
a side note, I've seen relatively small (6-20 page) documents which looked
like "plain English" from beginning to end which actually contained as many
as 8 different Language formats applied throughout.]

This is just one more reason why learning to properly use Styles for
formatting is essential... When you change the 'visible' attributes of the
text using direct formatting the Language attribute remains unchanged. OTOH,
pasting as Unformatted Text and/or reformatting by the use of Styles
addresses Language as well as whatever else the Style is designed to apply.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac