Switch between different languages by using the Language bar
Use the Language bar to switch between languages that use different keyboard layouts. When you switch a language by using the Language bar, the keyboard layout changes to the native keyboard for that language.
Use the Language bar if any one of the following conditions is true:
- You want to switch between a Latin-based language (English, French) and a non-Latin-based language (Arabic, Chinese).
- You only want to switch between non-Latin-based languages (Greek, Russian).
- You prefer to use native keyboard layouts when typing in different Latin-based languages.
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Switch between languages using the Language bar
You must enable the keyboard layout for two or more languages in the Windows operating system before you can see and use the
Language bar. If you have not enabled the keyboard layouts for the languages that you want to use, enable them now following the steps in
Enable keyboard layouts for different languages. In most cases, when you enable a keyboard layout the
Language bar automatically appears in the taskbar or appears on the desktop. If the
Language bar does not automatically appear after you enable a keyboard, see
Where is the Language bar in this article.
- Open your document and place the cursor in the document where you want to start to type text in a different language.
- Click the language icon on the Language bar, and then click the language that you want to use.
Keyboard shortcut To switch between keyboard layouts, press ALT+SHIFT.
Note The
icon is an example, and it shows when English is the language of the active keyboard layout. The actual icon shown on your computer depends on the language of the active keyboard layout.
If you have set up more than one keyboard layout for a single language, you can switch between layouts by clicking the language icon
on the
Language bar, and then clicking the keyboard layout that you want to use. The name on the indicator changes to reflect the active keyboard layout.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 to switch between different languages.