Understanding python.analysis.displayEnglishDiagnostics in Pylance

June 23, 2026 · View on GitHub

Pylance is a fast and feature-rich language server extension for Python in Visual Studio Code, powered by the Pyright static type checker.

The python.analysis.displayEnglishDiagnostics setting forces Pylance to display diagnostic messages in English, regardless of VS Code's configured display language.

What is python.analysis.displayEnglishDiagnostics?

By default, Pylance localizes its diagnostic messages to match the VS Code display language. When displayEnglishDiagnostics is enabled, diagnostics are always shown in English even if the rest of the VS Code UI is localized to another language.

This exists primarily to make diagnostics easier to search and share. English messages are easier to look up online, paste into issue reports, and match against documentation, while the rest of your editor stays in your preferred language.

Type: boolean Default: false Scope: resource (can be set per workspace or folder)

Example

Suppose VS Code's display language is set to a non-English locale and your code has an undefined name:

print(value)   # `value` is not defined

With the setting disabled (the default), the diagnostic for this line is localized to match your VS Code display language.

With the setting enabled, the same diagnostic is always shown in English (for example, "value" is not defined), even though the rest of the VS Code UI stays in your chosen language. This makes the message easier to search for or paste into a bug report.

How to Change python.analysis.displayEnglishDiagnostics

Using the Settings UI

  1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run Preferences: Open Settings (UI).
  2. Search for python.analysis.displayEnglishDiagnostics.
  3. Check the box to enable it.

Using settings.json

{
    "python.analysis.displayEnglishDiagnostics": true
}

When to Use It

  • Enable if you use a localized VS Code but want diagnostics in English to search for them online or include them in bug reports.
  • Keep disabled if you prefer diagnostics localized to match the rest of your editor.

For more information on Pylance settings and customization, refer to the Pylance Settings and Customization documentation.

This document was generated with the assistance of AI and has been reviewed by humans for accuracy and completeness.