How to Change Alexa’s Language

She’s fluent in Spanish, French, Chinese, and more

If you want to speak and listen to Alexa in a language besides the one she came with, it’s easy to do. North American Echo devices come programmed in American or Canadian English, but she’s fluent in German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and several other languages, too.

How Changing Alexa’s Language Works

Although the process is very easy, you do need to follow the process separately for each device you want to change. That’s because the update will not apply universally to all the devices you might own. For example, you can change the language to Spanish on the Echo Dot in your bedroom, but the Echo Show in your kitchen will still speak English.

If you want to change the language on every device, just follow the steps separately for each one.

Note: Certain features might not work in languages that are different from the region where you reside.

How to Change Language on the Alexa App

While the language change can be made for individual Echo devices, you still need to make the change in your Alexa app. (There’s an Alexa app for iPhone, too.)

Open the app, then follow these steps:

–> At the bottom left of your screen, tap Devices. Scroll to find the device you would like to change the language on.

–> Tap the device name. This opens the Device Settings screen.

–> Scroll down and tap Language.

–> Tap the language you want to use on the device. You might see a warning window pop up indicating the language is not fully supported in your country and that certain capabilities, skills, music and content could become unavailable. Tap OK.

–> The app will pop up with another window that says your device will tell you when the language has changed but, for most people, this doesn’t actually happen. Instead, after the language is updated, you’ll see the change reflected with a checkmark next to the language you chose in the app.

Note: If you don’t like the language you selected or just want to change it back, simply follow the instructions above and select the original language of your device and region.

It’s Okay to Play With Different Languages

There are multiple English versions to choose from. For example, if you’d like Alexa to speak English with an Australian accent you can select English (Australia) to achieve that.

Have some fun with it, too, and try different English accents. Or, if you’re looking to improve your own skills in a new language, select one you need practice and converse with Alexa in that language.

She’s optimized to understand native speakers, though, so don’t be surprised if she can’t understand you in a new language you’ve selected. If she’s not responding or seems confused, simply select a new language you’re better at speaking.

She can speak in nine different English dialects, three French dialects, Deutsch (German), Spanish, Italian, and some Chinese and Japanese dialects.