In the Open Office word processing software, you will have access to a number of different editing options. One of these features is the universal spell checker, which corrects your document from start to finish. A nice feature that Open Office has included in the program is the ability to change the language of the Open Office spell checker. Much like changing the language of your computer, you can do the same for the spell checking system. Follow the following steps in changing the language for your installation of the Open Office spell checker.
Steps to Change the Language for the Open Office Spell Checker
Begin by opening the word processing software, Open Office Writer. You can do this by going to the start menu and navigating to the program listing. Alternatively, if you already have a document file, simply open it up. If you opened the program, you need to choose the document you would like to edit.
At the top, you will see a number of editing options for your document. Click on the spell checker to check your document for any errors. On this new dialog box that appears, you should select dictionary language in the menu. This menu will be a drop down menu listing all the languages you have installed on your computer.
Every single language dictionary on your computer is based on the ones you have installed. Without installing a non-default language pack, you won’t be able to run the spell checker in that language.
Once you’ve changed the language in the drop down menu, the tool will automatically begin using the new language pack. Complete the spell check and save your file. If this is just a onetime change, you should go back and change the language to your default one.
How to Get a Language Pack for Open Office
There are no foreign language packs that come preinstalled with Open Office, so you will have to download them on your own. You can download a language pack for Open Office by going to the Download section of their main site.
If you want to change the language of the complete Open Office interface, you would need to go into Tools and select Language Settings from the options. Under the Language settings option, select User Interface and make your preferred language selection.
Adding text that is in a different language would be fine, but you Open Office will just show it as an error. If your computer has a preinstalled language pack, you can implement it into your Open Office software by going to the Language Settings mentioned above.