Thunderbird: switch dictionaries automatically based on recipients

The Thunderbird email client just like the Firefox web browser and other Mozilla based products support dictionary files that power the software's spell checking component. Only one dictionary is installed by default and it is always based on the interface language of the program. If you have installed the English language version of Thunderbird, you end up with the English dictionary.
You can add dictionaries to the email client, which can be useful if you correspond in multiple languages, say English and German, and want to use a spell checker for both languages.
One of the issues that you will run in to though is that only one dictionary can be active at a time, and that there is no built-in option to switch dictionaries automatically.
Here is how you switch manually between dictionaries:
- Click on reply or compose to start writing your message.
- You will notice a spelling link at the top toolbar.
- A click on the down arrow icon next to it displays all dictionaries currently installed in Thunderbird.
- Select one to switch to it.
You can change the dictionary in the preferences as well:
- Click on Tools > Options to open the preferences window.
- In here switch to Composition > Spelling and change the language shown here to another one.
Switching dictionaries manually every time you write in a different language can be quite the nuisance if you have to do so several times a day.
The Thunderbird extension Automatic Dictionary Switching makes life a lot easier by remembering the selected dictionary for each contact that you have in the browser. It saves the selection that you make under spelling when you are in a compose window so that it will be remembered and automatically selected the next time you write that particular user or users a messages.
The extension displays a notification message at the bottom of the compose window whenever you change dictionaries in the email client.
You may want to open the preferences of the extension after installation to make a couple of modifications.
Here you can change limits in regards to how many data sets are stored in the browser and how many recipients are processed in a single email. You may also want to disable the collection of statistical data (you are reminded about that in a prompt as well on first run), and suggestions for ways to promote the product.
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You said that Outlook isn’t your main email client, so which is your main one?
I think its thunderbird
It is Mozilla Thunderbird.
Awesome! This actually solved my problem… what a stupid bug.
If this is the same bug that I’ve encountered, there may be another fix: (1) hover over open Outlook item in Taskbar, cursor up to hover over Outlook window item, and right-click; (2) this should give you Restore / Move / Size / Minimize / Maximize — choose Move or Size; (3) use your cursor keys, going arbitrarily N/S/E/W, to try to move or size the Outlook window back into view. Basically, the app behaves as though it were open in a 0x0 window, or at a location that’s offscreen, and this will frequently work to resize and/or move the window. Don’t forget to close while resized/moved, so that Outlook remembers the size/position for next time.
THANK YOU Claude!!! I could get the main window to launch but could not get any other message window to show on the desktop. You are my hero!!!!
Solved my issue! 6 years later and this is still problem…
Fantastic. Thank you. Size did the trick.
This solved my Outlook problem, too. Thank you. :)
Thank you so much, this started happening to me today and was causing big problems. You are a life saver, I hope I can help you in some way some day.
You are a god – thank you!
thanks a lot…. work like charm.. :-)
Yah…thanks Claude. I’ve been having the same problem and tried all the suggestions…your solution was the answer. It had resized itself to a 0/0 box. Cheers
Excellent post. This had me baffled even trying to accurately describe the problem. This fixed it for me.
Thank you
Thanks a lot for the article. Don’t know why it happenend, don’t know how it got fixed, but it was really annoying and now it works :-)
Thanks a lot. I was facing this issue from past 3 week. I tried everything but no resolution. The issue was happening intermittently and mainly when I was changing the display of screen ( as i use 2 monitors). The only option i had was to do system restore. But thanks to you.
I’ve been tried to sole this problem for 12hours. Your comment about changing the display of screen helped me a lot!! Thanks!!
Thank you…don’t know why this happened but your instructions helped me fix it. Running Windows 10 and office pro 2007
Great tip! Thanks!
Worked for me, too – thank you!!!
It’s Worked for me, too
thank you very much!
I had a similar issue with Outlook 2013 on Windows 10 and this helped me to fix it. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much. Solved!
Considering you published this in 2012, incredible not been debugged by Microsoft.
Thank you again. M
This problem was faced by only one user logging to TS 2008 r2 using outlook 2010.The issue was resolved.
Thanks.
Great tip. Thank you!!!! If it helps, I had to use the Control Key and the arrow keys at the same time to bring my window back into view. Worked like a charm.
Thank you, this worked !!!!
Man, you are a fucking god. Thanks a lot, what an annoying bug!!
Awesome, this post solved the issue. Many thanks!