How to Add Another Language to Your Computer Keyboard

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Last Updated: October 22, 2022

Whether you're attempting to learn a foreign language or talking online in another language it can often be easier to switch the entire keyboard to that language. Instead of trying to search for the symbols and others. Start at step one to learn how to do this.

Steps

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Navigate to and open the control panel.
Navigate to the regional and language options tab.

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There should be a section labeled text services and input methods.
This will open another box with default input language and below that installed services. It's the option under installed services that you want.
Click 'Add'. (Here you can also remove keyboards that you have previously installed, if you no longer wish to have them on your PC, by clicking on them and selecting 'remove').
Check that you have picked the language you want and click OK.
This is important for the change to be saved.
Locate (on an English/American keyboard) on the bottom right-hand-side the 'EN' symbol.
Select the language you have just installed. You should now be able to type in that language.

Community Q&A

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Question

I did these steps, but I still can't type in that language! What do I do?

Community Answer

You change the language for one of two reasons. Either you already speak that language or you have a keyboard from another country. It's not Google Translate. If you can't speak the other language, changing the computer's language setting is pointless, as it only changes the dictionary database from one language to another -- it's not going to recognize English.

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Question

How can I get the computer to use Ukrainian?

Community Answer

You should follow the same steps, but select Ukrainian from the list of languages.

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Question

How can I add the Korean language to my keyboard?

Kayo

Community Answer

Follow the same steps on the list, only choose Korean when you’re picking the new language.

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Tips

For European languages, be aware that the position of some letters that aren't accented will be changed as well (for example, a French keyboard will reverse the a and the q) to reflect how commonly the letters occur in the language. Do not be alarmed if some of your letters seem to be reversed - it probably hasn't gone wrong, it's just that the foreign keyboard is arranged differently and you've told your computer that that's the keyboard you're using!

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Note: for Asian languages, you will write by typing in the Romanized version of the language (for Chinese, Pinyin) and you will be able to select from suggested characters the one you wish to use.

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