What to Know
- Press Win+I to launch Windows Settings, then select Time & Language > Language > Add a preferred language.
- The new language appears under Preferred Languages, where you can drag each language you install into a rank order.
- Windows (not IE) controls the language, and the selections you make in the Language settings govern all other browsers.
This article explains how to change the language in Internet Explorer in Windows 10. Internet Explorer 11 supports dozens of global dialects, so it's straightforward to set a default language to match your preference through settings changes within Windows.
How to Specify a Preferred Language for Browsing
Before a web page is rendered, IE11 checks to see if it supports your preferred language. If it doesn't and you have additional preferred languages chosen, it checks them in the order in which you list them. If it turns out that the page is available in one of these languages, IE11 displays the page in that language.
To modify your preferred language:
-
Press Win + I to launch Windows Settings then select Time & Language.
-
Select the Language group from the left side of the window.
-
Under Preferred Languages, select Add a preferred language.
-
Select a language followed by Next.
-
Each language offers slightly different customization features. Select the components you need then select Install.
-
The new language appears under Preferred Languages. Drag each language you install into a rank-order. Websites will default to the highest-ranked language on your list.
Browser Language Defaults
Internet Explorer does not independently control its language selections. Although you can launch the Language settings app through IE 11's menus, the operating system itself controls the language, and the selections you make in the Language settings app govern all other browsers, too.
The process for changing the display language for Windows 7 is similar, but the steps are a bit different.