Word doesn’t have its own Malayalam keyboard. To type Malayalam in Word, add a Malayalam keyboard to your device, switch to it, and start typing in any document. On Windows, the easiest choice for most people is Malayalam Phonetic, which turns English spelling (Manglish) such as thottam into Malayalam script. The same setup works in Word for Windows, Word for Mac, Word for the web, and the Word mobile apps, as well as in Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Choose a Malayalam keyboard
- Malayalam Phonetic (Windows): you type the sounds with English letters and pick the matching Malayalam word from a suggestion list. Best if you don’t know a Malayalam layout.
- Malayalam INSCRIPT (Windows): the government-standard layout, where each key produces one Malayalam letter or vowel sign. It’s faster once learned but takes practice.
- Malayalam or Malayalam – QWERTY (Mac): the Mac’s built-in options. The QWERTY version maps Malayalam letters to similar-sounding English keys.
All of these produce Unicode text, so what you type displays correctly on other computers and phones.
Type Malayalam in Word on Windows 11 or 10
- Open Settings and go to Time & language > Language & region. On Windows 10, choose Time & Language > Language.
- Select Add a language, search for Malayalam, select it, and choose Next.
- Choose Install. You don’t need to make Malayalam your display language; leave that option unchecked if you want Windows to stay in English.
- Next to Malayalam in the list, select the … menu and choose Language options.
- Under Keyboards, select Add a keyboard and pick Malayalam Phonetic (or keep Malayalam INSCRIPT, which is usually added automatically).
- Open Word and click where you want to type.
- Press Windows logo key+Spacebar to switch keyboards, or click the language indicator in the taskbar. It shows മല when a Malayalam keyboard is active.
- Start typing. With Phonetic, type a word in English letters, then press Enter to accept the top suggestion or use the arrow keys to pick another one.
Press Windows logo key+Spacebar again to go back to English. Microsoft’s Malayalam IME documentation shows the INSCRIPT key map if you want to learn that layout.
Type Malayalam in Word on a Mac
- Open System Settings and select Keyboard. On older macOS versions, open System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources.
- Under Text Input, click Edit, then click the + button.
- Search for Malayalam, select Malayalam – QWERTY or Malayalam, and click Add.
- Open Word and click in the document.
- Choose the Malayalam input source from the Input menu in the menu bar, or press Control+Spacebar to switch between your last two input sources.
The Input menu appears in the menu bar once you’ve added a second input source. Apple’s guide to writing in another language on Mac covers other switching shortcuts, such as using the Globe key.
Type Malayalam in Word on a phone or tablet
The Word app uses your phone’s keyboard, so add Malayalam there.
- iPhone or iPad: go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard and choose Malayalam. In Word, tap the globe key to switch to it.
- Android: in the Gboard keyboard, open its settings, choose Languages > Add keyboard, and pick Malayalam. Gboard offers both a Malayalam-script layout and a layout that converts English letters to Malayalam. Switch languages with the globe key or by pressing and holding the spacebar.
Other ways to get Malayalam into Word
- Online Manglish converters: type in a web-based transliteration tool, then copy and paste the result into Word. Use Keep Text Only when pasting so the website’s formatting doesn’t come along.
- Voice typing: the Malayalam voice input in Gboard or other phone keyboards can dictate into the Word mobile app. Check the language list in Word’s own Dictate button before relying on it on a computer, because supported languages vary.
Pick a Malayalam font
Windows includes Unicode fonts that can show Malayalam, such as Kartika and Nirmala UI. Word often switches to one of these automatically while you type Malayalam. To choose a different Malayalam font:
- Select the Malayalam text.
- Press Ctrl+D to open the Font dialog.
- Under Complex scripts, choose the font you want and click OK.
If you installed a Unicode Malayalam font from elsewhere, restart Word so it shows up in the list. See how to download and install fonts for Word for the steps.
Fix common Malayalam problems in Word
The text shows as boxes or random English letters
Boxes mean the current font can’t display Malayalam; switch to Kartika or Nirmala UI. Random Latin characters usually mean the document was typed with an older non-Unicode font (such as the ML-TT family). That text only reads correctly in the same font, so either install that font or retype or convert the text to Unicode.
Some conjuncts or chillu letters look wrong
Try a different Unicode font first. Rendering of certain combinations varies between fonts, and a font change often fixes letters that appear split apart.
Every Malayalam word has a red underline
Word is checking the text as English. Select the text, go to Review > Language > Set Proofing Language, choose Malayalam, and click OK. If the lines remain, check Do not check spelling or grammar in the same dialog. Our guide to changing the spell check language in Word explains more.
That’s a separate setting from typing. See how to change the language in Word for display and editing language options.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com