How To Set the Default Spellchecker Dictionary in Microsoft Word 2003

If you find the default language changing in MS Word 2003, you need to change the normal.dot template.

To do this, open a new Microsoft Word document, cut and paste some text into it from somewhere, and then click on Tools/Language/Set Language and select English (whatever).

Next, whilst English (whatever) is highlighted, and the option Detect language automatically is selected, click on the Default button.

You should get a message indicating that the template.dot template will be changed and that all new documents from now on will use the whatever dictionary by default. NB: New documents.

I suspect that this needs to be done each time you change the underlying template.

Thanks to Liz Jamieson: How To Set the UK Dictionary as Default Spellchecker in Microsoft Word 2003