Windows suggests words on a physical keyboard only in languages it has prediction data for, and as of October 2026 Microsoft does not publish a current list of them. If your language is not covered, the switch in Settings turns on and nothing appears. Check your language setup first; if Windows still has nothing to offer, use the prediction built into your writing app or a separate tool.
This guide is about language coverage. What the Windows feature does in general, and where it falls short in every language, is covered in When Windows text suggestions are not enough.
What Microsoft documents about supported languages
Microsoft’s current instructions, Enable text suggestions in Windows, explain how to turn the feature on but name no languages. The official record of which languages were added is in older Windows blog posts:
- In November 2017, Microsoft introduced suggestions for hardware keyboards in English (United States) only. See the Build 17035 announcement.
- In February 2018, when Microsoft introduced multilingual suggestions on the touch keyboard, it described them as working for up to three Latin-script languages, taken from the top of your installed languages. See the Build 17093 announcement.
- In September 2019, a Windows Experience Blog post listed 40 languages added for hardware keyboards, among them Arabic, Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi, Polish, Swedish, Turkish and Ukrainian. See Text suggestions expands language support.
These posts record what changed at the time. They are not a complete list for Windows 11 today, so a language missing from them may still work, and one listed in them may need an extra download. Microsoft’s deployment documentation places text prediction in each language’s basic component, "if available for the language". The reliable test is your own PC.
Check your language on your PC
- Open Settings → Time & language → Typing. Turn on Show text suggestions when typing on the physical keyboard. If you write in more than one language, also turn on Multilingual text suggestions.
- Open Time & language → Language & region. Make sure your language appears under Preferred languages. A keyboard layout added to another language is not the same thing. If the language is missing, select Add a language.
- Select the three dots next to your language, then Language options. Under Language features, download any feature that is offered and not yet installed.
- Switch to that language’s keyboard with Windows logo key + Spacebar.
- Type a few words in an app where you have already seen English suggestions. Microsoft’s instructions suggest a Teams chat, a Word document or a comment box in a browser.
If suggestions appear in English and stop when you switch to your language, Windows has no prediction for that language on this PC. No other Settings switch adds one. The steps for adding languages and keyboards are in Microsoft’s language and keyboard settings guide.
Why the switch is missing or does nothing
| What you see | Likely reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The switch is not under Time & language | You are on Windows 10, where the setting has an older name and place | Open Settings → Devices → Typing. Under Hardware keyboard, turn on Show text suggestions as I type. The multilingual option is Show text suggestions based on the recognized languages you’re typing in. |
| English works, your language shows nothing | Windows has no prediction data for that language on this PC | Install the offered language features. If nothing changes, use one of the options below. |
| Multilingual is on, one language is ignored | When Microsoft introduced the feature, it described it as covering up to three Latin-script languages from the top of your list | Move the languages you type in to the top of Preferred languages. This also changes the language Microsoft Store apps and websites use. |
| Suggestions appear in some apps only | The app’s text field does not show the Windows suggestion window | This is not a language problem; see the general guide. |
Word and Outlook have their own predictions
Office text predictions are a separate feature with a separate setting. Word and Outlook suggest words or phrases as you type, and Tab or Right arrow accepts a suggestion. See Microsoft’s pages for Word and Outlook.
Since September 2026, Microsoft has been rolling out a change that leaves text predictions off by default in Word for Windows and classic Outlook for Windows, among other versions, according to the Microsoft 365 Insider blog. If you do not see them, check the setting: in Word, Show text predictions while typing under Editing options (the Word guide has the full path); in new Outlook, Settings → Mail → Smart suggestions → Suggest words or phrases as I type.
As of October 2026, Microsoft’s support pages for Word and Outlook text predictions do not list supported languages. To find out, turn the setting on and write two or three sentences in your language. These predictions work only in Word and Outlook.
Compare the options
| Option | Where it works | Languages, as of October 2026 | How you accept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows text suggestions | Apps whose fields show the Windows suggestion window | No current list from Microsoft; test on your PC | Up arrow, Left or Right arrow to choose, then Enter |
| Office text predictions | Word and Outlook | Not listed on Microsoft’s support pages; test in the app | Tab or Right arrow |
| Typeahead | Text fields in Windows apps; test the ones you use | Follows your keyboard layout; quality differs by language | Tab or Right Arrow |
Typeahead when Windows does not cover your language
Typeahead suggests the rest of a sentence in Windows apps, using a language model that runs on your PC once you have downloaded it. It works out the language from the keyboard layout active in the window you are typing in and from the letters just before the cursor. Switch layouts with Windows logo key + Spacebar as you normally would.
There is no fixed list of languages it accepts, but the quality of its suggestions differs from one language to another. Test it on a non-sensitive draft in your language before relying on it, and read accepted text before sending, especially in a language you are still learning.
- Typeahead has no autocorrect. It proposes how to continue your text and does not fix spelling, so keep a spell checker for your language.
- While a Chinese, Japanese or Korean input method is composing characters, Typeahead shows no suggestion.
- Press Tab or Right Arrow to accept a suggestion. Keep typing to ignore it.
If Windows or Office suggestions do appear in your language and overlap with Typeahead’s, keep one of them on. The guide to overlapping suggestions shows where each setting lives.
Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft publish a list of languages for Windows text suggestions?
Why do multilingual suggestions show only one of my languages?
Which language does Typeahead suggest in?
Does Typeahead correct spelling in my language?
Try Typeahead on a non-sensitive draft in your own language and keyboard layout, then decide whether its suggestions save you typing.
Get Typeahead