Creating lists in word

Create a bulleted or numbered list

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Create a list

To start a numbered list, type 1, a period (.), a space, and some text. Word will automatically start a numbered list for you.

Type* and a space before your text, and Word will make a bulleted list.

To complete your list, press Enter until the bullets or numbering switch off.

Create a list from existing text

  1. Select the text you want to change into a list.

  2. Go to Home> Bullets or Home> Numbering.

    Create a list

Note: Find different bullet styles and numbering formats by clicking the down arrow next to Bullets or Numbering.

See Also

Add and format text

Change the line spacing in Word

Apply styles 

Apply themes

Need more help?

Checklists and lists have become the staple of everything from grocery shopping to NASA launches. But they are boring.

Still, lists and checklists are also the simplest tools to reduce the complexity of information that assaults us every day. They are also the perfect antidote against forgetfulness. So, even as we swear to make perfect lists for productivity, let’s also get down to the basics with Microsoft Word and check off one daily office function—how to make those visually appealing lists and manage them.

1. Create Your First List

Most of the list-making tricks and tips lie within the Ribbon’s Paragraph group on the Home tab.

Select the text to which you want to add the numbered list and click the down arrows next to the Bullet Lists icon or the Numbered List icon to access the libraries for both. Preview each list format by hovering over the selections available.

Word List Types on Ribbon

Microsoft Word also automatically creates a list for you when you start a paragraph with an asterisk or a number 1, period, and space followed by a press on the Enter key. With an asterisk, Word creates a bulleted list. Word senses that you are trying to create a numbered list with a number.

If you don’t want your text turned into a list, you can click the AutoCorrect options button image that appears. To disable or enable this option, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type.

Word AutoFormatted List

To quickly change the style of a bulleted or numbered list, just click the style you want in the list that appears when you click the arrow next to Bullets or Numbering.

Word Bullet Library

General Tip: You can change the format of just one or some of the bullet or number styles in a list. Place the cursor at the start of the line that you want to change before opening the Bullets and Numbering dialog box. Your changes will apply only to the selected lines.

2. Use Just the Keyboard to Create a List

Use a handy Microsoft Word shortcut to create numbered lists quickly with the keyboard alone.

The keyboard shortcut for a bulleted list: Press Ctrl + Shift + L to apply the default bullets to a list. Press Ctrl + Shift + N to remove the bullets.

To customize a keyboard shortcut for a numbered list, right-click anywhere on the Ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon from the popup menu. You can also open Word Options from File > Options > Customize Ribbon.

Word Customize Ribbon

Click on the Customize button for Keyboard shortcuts.

Select All Commands in the Categories list. Scroll down the list on the left, and select FormatNumberDefault.

Customize keyboard shortcut for list

Place the cursor in the Press new shortcut key box and press the shortcut key combination you want to use to create a numbered list. For example, you could use Alt + N because it’s not assigned to anything else in Word. Click Assign.

The new keyboard shortcut is added to the Current keys list.

Click OK to exit the dialog box and test the new shortcut. Pressing «Alt + N» creates a numbered list. Pressing it again reverts it back to paragraph text.

General Tip: Do you want to skip numbering for a list item and convert it into a paragraph in the middle of a list? Select the specific list item and use the Alt + N shortcut to turn off the numbering.

3. Change the Default Numbered List Format

You can change, edit, or create a new numbered list. You have four Numbered List formats to choose from. But what if you want to use your own format other than the letters or Roman numerals, and it’s not available?

Go to Home > Paragraph group > Numbering. Click the down arrow. Choose Define New Number Format.

Word Define Number Format

Choose any chronological format. To change the font size, style, and color, click Font and choose a setting on the Font or Advanced tab.

When you want to add a dash, parentheses, or another value like a pound sign to the number, enter it in the Number format field. The little preview displays the changes. You can see the square brackets for a list you can tick off in the screenshot below.

Define New Number Format in Word

Choose Left, Centered, or Right under Alignment to change the number alignment. The default is Left-Aligned.

Click OK.

The new number format is applied to any selected text on your document.

General Tip: You can even prefix the numbered lists with descriptive text, e.g., Attendee 1, Attendee 2, Attendee 3…and so on.

4. Change the Default Bullet List Format

Just like the numbered list, you can also change the default look of any bulleted list. Again, visually appealing bullets (other than the boring black solid dots) help your documents stand out from the mundane.

A Beautiful Bullet List

Select the text you want the bulleted list for and follow these steps.

Go to Home > Paragraph group. Click the arrow next to Bullets.

When the bullet you want isn’t in the library, click Define New Bullet.

The Define New Bullet dialog box opens. Under Bullet Character, choose Symbol.

Another dialog opens, which lets you choose appropriate symbols from your installed fonts.

Define New Bullet in Word

The Wingdings fonts have the best variety that makes for stylized bullet lists. Like any other font, you can change the color, size, style, and other characteristics of your chosen bullet font. Click the Font button in the Bullet character section to enter the Font dialog box.

General Tip: Use an open box (Open box) or a three-dimensional box (3D box) from the Wingdings character palette to create a Word document with neat checkboxes.

5. Use a Picture Instead of a Bullet

Sometimes all the mystic symbols in Webdings might not be enough. You can also use your own reusable graphics for bullet points. Though picture and SmartArt bullets look better on a PowerPoint slide, they work just as well in Word.

Picture Bullet List

Select the bulleted list for which you want to change the bullets to pictures. Next, go to the Home tab > Paragraph group, click on the Bullets button, and select Define New Bullet from the dropdown menu. On the Define New Bullet dialog box, click Picture.

The Insert Pictures dialog box is displayed with different choices for your source file. You can insert a picture From a file on your PC or local network, from a Bing Image Search, or your OneDrive account.

Picture Bullets

Navigate to the location of your source file and click on Insert. The Preview window shows the selection.

General Tip: You can choose a graphic that matches the «theme» of your list. For instance, display a banana as a picture bullet for a list of fruits. Make sure images are transparent and have a good background. In my experience, simple graphics work best.

6. Line Up the Numbers in a List

Sometimes, the smallest of tweaks can make a big visual difference. For example, note the screenshot below, which shows a numbered list with Word’s default Left alignment. As soon as the list reaches double digits, the default left alignment seems skewed as the decimal points do not line up neatly. Microsoft Word allows you to control this alignment and flush the double-digit numbers to the right.

Line Up Numbered Bullets

Create your numbered list. Select the list items. Word can also control the alignment of a few selected items.

Go to Home > Paragraph. Then, click the dropdown arrow on Numbered list button.

Click on Define New Number Format. Choose Right alignment from the dropdown. Click OK.

Right Align a Numbered List

General Tip: Even if there is no decimal, it is preferable to have them aligned on the right edge of the number. Try it with brackets.

7. Adjust Microsoft Word’s Automatic List Indent

Every Word list comes with an automatic indent. Depending on the visual look you want, you may want to adjust the space.

Double-click any number in the list to select all of the numbers in the list.

Right-click the selection and choose Adjust List Indents from the context menu.

Adjust List Indent

Change the distance of the bullet indent from the margin with the Number position box. Change the distance between the bullet and the text with the Text indent box.

Click OK.

8. Apply Formatting to a Single Number or Bullet on a List

You may want to format (changing the bullet style, color, or the size) a single bullet or number on a list without affecting any text on the list or any other succeeding bullets or numbers. Here’s an easy way.

Show formatting marks by clicking Home > Show/Hide.

Formatting Single Number or Bullet in a list

Select just the paragraph marker (pilcrow) at the end for the list item whose bullet or number you want to change. Apply any formatting. The formatting affects only the bullet or number; the text in the list item retains its original format.

New bulleted or numbered items on the list coming after this will reflect this too. The text in the new list item will have the same font characteristics as the previous text, and the new bullet/number will have the same font characteristics as the previous bullet/number.

9. Create a Multilevel Numbered List

A multilevel list can be a mix of numbers, alphabets, and bullets arranged on different levels, as shown below. You can use multilevel lists to break down a list into its hierarchies or sub-points. Such an alignment is also used to create outlines. Word 2016 gives us a dedicated button on the Ribbon to create a multilevel list.

Word-Multilevel List

Click the Multilevel List button and type the list.

Press the Tab key to indent and create a sublevel. Press Shift + Tab to unindent and promote an item to a higher level.

General Tip: You can also write the entire list in advance. Select it, and click the Multilevel List button to align it using the Tab and Shift + Tab keys to organize the topics. You can also use the Increase or Decrease Indent commands on the Ribbon.

10. Create Reusable Styles for Multilevel Lists

You can change the bullets, letters, or numbers’ style, color, and alignment like any other list type. Save these changes as a new style and use it again and again.

Go to Ribbon > Home > click the arrow next to Multilevel List > Define New Multilevel List.

Define New Multilevel List

Click on More to expand the options.

Define New Multilevel List Style

For customizing any of the levels, click the level number you want to modify. 1 is the default.

Use the options provided to change the appearance of the list. For example:

  • In Number style for this level, type (1) if you want to style the numbers with parentheses or (A) to style the letters with parentheses.
  • In Start at, choose the number, letter, or bullet where you want to start the list.

When you’ve finished the customizations, give the list a name under the ListNum field list name. This name will appear wherever you see the ListNum field.

Choose a style under Link level to style. This lets you use an existing style in Word for each level in the list.

Choose where you would like to apply your changes by clicking on Apply changes to and selecting from Selected text, Whole list, or This point forward.

11. Convert a List to a Table

First, select the list. Next, go to Home > Insert. Click the Table option in the Tables group.

Choose Convert Text to Table from the dropdown list.

Convert Text to Table in Word

Microsoft Word estimates the table structure based on the list’s contents. Word creates the columns based on the separators between the items on the list.

Convert Text to Table Options

When Word doesn’t get it right, you have to modify the settings and make it easier for Word to convert the list. Once the table has been created, you can use the Table design tools to format the appearance.

General Tip: In most cases, the results aren’t perfect. The best way is to remove the numbering or the bullets and then create the table from the list of items. The serial numbers can easily be added to the table later.

12. Continue Your Numbering When a Paragraph Cuts It Short

Sometimes, a paragraph of text needs to interrupt the sequence of the list. Follow these steps to continue the list after the paragraph with the same number format.

Enter the rest of your numbered list after the paragraph and format it. The list begins with 1 again. Right-click on the list that comes after the paragraph. Choose Continue Numbering from the Context menu. The list is modified instantly.

Continue Numbering Word List

The list numbering continues from where the paragraph broke it off.

The Importance of Lists as Timesavers

Lists are time savers when a document has to be an exercise in economy. They instantly become a little less boring than blocks of text. Use them as the organizational backbone of a document and see your document better organized.

Lesson 10: Working with Lists

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Introduction

Lesson 12

Bulleted and numbered lists can be used in your documents to format, arrange, and emphasize text. In this lesson, you will learn how to modify existing bullets, insert new bulleted and numbered lists, select symbols as bullets, and format multilevel lists.

Using bulleted and numbered lists

When you want to organize lists in Word, you can format them as either bulleted or numbered lists. Word offers a variety of bullet options that allow you to customize your lists to suit your needs.

Optional: You can download this example for extra practice.

To create a list:

  1. Select the text you want to format as a list.
  2. Click the Bullets or Numbering drop-down arrow on the Home tab.

    The Bullets and Numbering commands and drop-down arrows The Bullets and Numbering commands and drop-down arrows

  3. Select the bullet or numbering style you want to use, and it will appear in the document.
  4. To remove numbers or bullets from a list, select the list, then click the Bullets or Numbering commands.

When you’re editing a list, you can press Enter to start a new line, and the new line will automatically have a bullet or number. When you’ve reached the end of your list, press Enter twice to return to normal formatting.

Bullet options

To use a symbol as a bullet:

  1. Select an existing list.
  2. Click the Bullets drop-down arrow.
  3. Select Define New Bullet from the drop-down menu. The Define New Bullet dialog box appears.

    The Define New Bullet dialog box The Define New Bullet dialog box

  4. Click the Symbol button. The Symbol dialog box appears.
  5. Click the Font drop-down box, and select a font. The Wingdings and Symbol fonts are good choices because they have a large number of useful symbols.

    Choosing a symbol Choosing a symbol

  6. Select the desired symbol.
  7. Click OK. The symbol will now appear in the Preview section of the Define New Bullet dialog box.

    Preview of the new bullets Preview of the new bullets

  8. Click OK to apply the symbol to the list in the document.

You can use a picture as a bullet. Click the Picture button in the Define New Bullet dialog box, then locate the image file on your computer.

To change the bullet color:

  1. Select an existing list.
  2. Click the Bullets drop-down arrow.
  3. Select Define New Bullet from the list. The Define New Bullet dialog box appears.
  4. Click the Font button. The Font dialog box appears.
  5. Click the Font Color drop-down box.

    Choosing a bullet color Choosing a bullet color

  6. Click the desired color to select it.
  7. Click OK. The bullet color will now appear in the Preview section of the Define New Bullet dialog box.

    Preview of the new bullet color Preview of the new bullet color

  8. Click OK to apply the bullet color to the list in the document.

    The finished bullets The finished bullets

Multilevel lists

Multilevel lists allow you to create an outline with multiple levels. In fact, you can turn any bulleted or numbered list into a multilevel list by placing the insertion point at the beginning of a line and pressing the Tab key to change the level for that line. You can then use the Multilevel List command to choose the types of bullets or numbering that are used.

A multilevel list A multilevel list

To create a multilevel list:

  1. Select the text you want to format as a multilevel list.
  2. Click the Multilevel List command on the Home tab.

    The Multilevel List command The Multilevel List command

  3. Click the bullet or numbering style you want to use. It will appear in the document.
  4. Position your cursor at the end of a list item, then press the Enter key to add an item to the list.

To remove numbers or bullets from a list, select the list, then click the Bullets or Numbering commands.

To change the level of a line:

  1. Place the insertion point at the beginning of the line.

     Placing the insertion point at the beginning of a line

  2. Press the Tab key to increase the level.

    Pressing the Tab key Pressing the Tab key to increase the level of a line

  3. Hold Shift and press Tab to decrease the level.

Challenge!

  1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use this example.
  2. Format some text as a bulleted or numbered list. If you’re using the example, use the list of New Clients on page 2.
  3. Insert a new numbered list into the document.
  4. Modify the color of a bullet.
  5. Use the Tab key to change the levels of some of the lines.

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Numbered lists are similar to bulleted lists, except that instead of bullets, Word places
sequential numbers in the front of the first line. This feature is handy because if you add a paragraph in the middle of a
numbered list or rearrange the order of the paragraphs in a list, Word automatically renumbers the
paragraphs so that they retain their sequence.

To create numbered lists, follow these steps:

   1.   Type your list, and then select it.

   2.   Do one of the following:

  • On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Bullets or Numbering.

    Paragraph in Word 2016

    • You can find different bullet styles and numbering formats by clicking the arrow next to
      Bullets or Numbering on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group.

      Numbering in Word 2016

    • You can move an entire list to the left or the right. Click a bullet or number in the list,
      and drag it to a new location. The entire list moves as you drag. The numbering levels do
      not change.
  • Click the Numbering on the popup menu:

    numbering in Word 2016 popup

  • Type 1. to create a numbered list or * to create a bulleted list.
    Then press Spacebar or Tab. Word automatically formats the entry as a list item and
    displays the AutoCorrect Options button (for more details see Create lists with
    AutoFormat or turn it off) so that you can undo or stop automatic numbering.

   3.   To add additional numbered items to your list, move the insertion
point to the end of a line formatted with a number and press Enter.

   4.   Move the insertion point to the end of the last numbered item in your
list. Press Enter and then Del, or press Enter and click the Numbering
button on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, to turn off the number formatting.

Note: more details are available
in the Numbered lists section
in the Work with bulleted, numbered and multi-level lists lesson
of the Create basic documents free course.
See also Customizing numbered lists.

See also this tip in French:
Comment créer des listes numérotées ou listes à puces.

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Microsoft Word lets you easily create and format multilevel lists in your documents. You can choose from a variety of formatting options, including bulleted, numbered, or alphabetized lists. Let’s take a look.

Creating a multilevel list in Word is dead simple. Start by typing out one or more lines of your list, with each item of your list on a different line. Then, select those lines.

On the “Home” tab of the Ribbon, click the “Multilevel Lists” button, and then click one of the built-in lists types shown on the dropdown menu.

Your list will now be formatted in the style you chose.

And yes, right now, it’s a single-level list. The truth is that technically, single- and multi-level lists are not much different in Word. It’s not until you start promoting and demoting list items that it turns into a multilevel list.

Demoting and Promoting Lines On Your Multilevel List

Demoting a line in your list indents the line and bumps it to a lower list level. Promoting a line does just the opposite.

Demote or Promote a List Item By Pressing Tab or Shift-Tab

Start by placing your cursor at the beginning of the line you want to demote or promote.

To demote that line to a lower list level, just hit your Tab key.

You can also demote a line more than once by just pressing Tab however many times you need. Here, we’ve demoted the third line in our list twice.

Repeat these steps if you would like to add four, five, or even more levels to your multilevel list.

You can also promote a line (move it back a level) by placing your cursor at the beginning of the line…

And then hitting Shift+Tab.

You can also demote or promote multiple lines at a time by selecting them…

and then hitting the Tab or Shift+Tab keys.

Pick a Specific List Level for a Line

While just using the Tab and Shift+Tab key combos is probably the easiest way to promote or demote lines on your list, Word does have a menu option for choosing a specific level.

Place your cursor anywhere in the line you want to change (or select multiple lines if you want to change more than one).

Click the “Multilevel List” button on the Home tab of the Ribbon, point to the “Change List Level” option on the dropdown, and then select the level you want.

And the line (or lines) you selected get changed to that level.

How to Quickly Change the Type of Your Multilevel List

Sometimes, you may decide that you want to change the basic type of multilevel list you’re using. Perhaps you originally went with numbers, but now want to use bullet points. Or maybe you just want a different numbering scheme. Whatever the case, you can easily make that change.

Place your cursor anywhere on any line of your list. It really doesn’t matter where, because this is going to change the whole list.

Open that “Multilevel Lists” dropdown menu again, and this time, just click any of the other default list types on the menu.

Your whole list changes to that new type.

How to Customize Your Multilevel List

So, what if you want to change something about your list like the way just one line level is numbered or how the levels are aligned. Well, you can do that, too. Multilevel lists in Word are pretty customizable, letting you make changes to just about every aspect.

Start by placing your cursor anywhere on any line of your list. Open the “Multilevel List” dropdown, and then choose the “Define New Multilevel List” command.

The Define New Multilevel List window pops up, showing you a number of basic options for customizing how the lines in your list appear. However, there’s more here than meets the eye, so go ahead and click that “More” button down in the bottom left corner.

Now, your window should look like this, with a bunch of extra options off to the right.

So, here’s the rundown. First, select the level of the list that you want to modify. You can click either in the simple numbered list to the left, or on a line in the center window that shows how the list actually looks.

Below that, you’ll find a bunch of options for changing the number format and positioning for the selected level appears.

Here’s what you can do there (and note that this list includes the extra stuff revealed by that “More” button):

  • Enter formatting for number: You can type the text for the line number as you want it to appear in this box. Click the “Font” button to its right to change the font used for the level.
  • Number style for this level: Use this dropdown to change the style of the selected number level. You can change it to pretty much any number or bullet style you want. You can even mix bullet points into a numbered list this way (or vice versa).
  • Include level number from: Use this dropdown to include the number from a previous level. This lets you create line numbers like 1.1; 1.1.1; and so on.
  • Start at: Choose the number or letter where you want to start the numbering.
  • Restart list after: Have the list restart after it reaches a certain number or letter.
  • Position: Use the controls in the “Position” section to change how the selected number level is aligned and indented. You can also click the “Set For All Levels” button to control alignment and indents for your whole list. You can also choose whether the line number is followed by a tab character (the default), a space, or no character at all.

And at the top right of the window, you’ll find a few extra options, including:

  • Apply changes to: Choose whether you want to apply changes to the whole list, from the point where your cursor is placed in the list, or only levels you’ve selected.
  • Link level to style: You can use this dropdown to link your selected level to a style, whether a built-in Word style or one you’ve created. This can be particularly handy for linking levels to heading styles.
  • Level to show in gallery: This dropdown lets you choose the level of the list that’s shown in the gallery on Word’s Home tab. Honestly, its not a very useful option, and it’s usually best to leave it set to its default—Level 1.
  • ListNum field list name: Use this field to associate the level with a name that you can then use along with Word’s LISTNUM function. This is useful if you’re creating functions to generate lists.

After making changes to a particular level, you’ll need to repeat the process for each additional level of the list you want to modify. So, select a level, make your changes, select the next level, make those changes, and so on.

When you have finished changing all the levels you want, click the “OK” button, and your multilevel list will now show your changes.

How to Turn Your Multilevel List into a New Style

After customizing you multilevel list just the way you want it, you may find yourself wanting to use that same formatting for other lists—even lists in other documents. You can do this by turning the list into a style.

Place your cursor anywhere on any line of your list, open the “Multilevel List” dropdown menu again, and this time, choose the “Define New List Style” option.

In the Define New List Style window, start by giving your new style a name.

Now, there are a number of formatting options available in this window. You can change the font, character formatting, type (number or bullet), and several other things that you were also able to change when customizing your list.

While these options can be useful if you want to create a quick new multilist style from scratch (i.e., when you have not already created and customized a list you want to turn into a style), we highly recommend that you don’t bother with them. Instead, it’s much more effective to create your list, customize using the more powerful tools we talked about in the previous section, and then creating your style. The new style will include all those customizations you’ve already made to the list.

One option you will want to pay attention to is whether you want the style to be available only in the current document, or in new documents based on the template attached to the document. You’ll want to choose the latter if you need to access the style when you create other documents.

Choose what you want, and then click “OK” to save your new style.

Now, you’ll be able to choose that style (or any other list styles you’ve created) from the “Multilevel List” dropdown menu any time you want to create another multilevel list.

And now you know more than you ever wanted to know about creating multilevel lists in Word.

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How to Insert Bullets in Word

When you have a list of items to include in a document, you can format it as either a bulleted list or a numbered list. Adding a new item to a list will automatically insert a bullet, or a sequential number, in front of the item.

Numbered List

A numbered list will automatically number each line of the list in sequence. This is helpful for a list of steps that must be done in order.

  1. Select the text you want to use to make a numbered list.
  2. Click the Numbering button.

    Numbered List

The selected items are turned into a numbered list.

You can remove the list formatting by clicking the Numbering button again.

Bulleted List

Use bulleted lists when the order of items in a list doesn’t matter, such as listing items you need to buy.

  1. Select the text you want to use to make a numbered list.
  2. Click the Bullets button.

    Bulleted List

The selected items are formatted as a bulleted list.

Like with a numbered list, clicking the Bullets button again will turn off the list formatting.

Multilevel List

Both numbered and bulleted lists can have multiple levels, letting you put together an outline of topics and subtopics. Any list can be turned into a multilevel list by demoting list items.

  1. Select the list item you want to demote.
  2. Click the Increase Indent button.

    Multilevel List

The list item is indented, and depending on the list style, the bullet or number may change.

You can indent a list item multiple times to create additional levels.

To promote a list item back to a higher level, just click the Decrease Indent button.

Change the List Style

While both bulleted and numbered lists have a default style, you can change the bullet style or numbering style for your lists.

  1. Select the list you want to change.
  2. You could also select just a single list item to change only that list item’s style.

  3. Click the Bullets button list arrow or the Numbering button list arrow.
  4. Depending on which style of list you’re using, you can choose a new symbol for the bullets or a different numbering style, such as roman numerals.

  5. Select a new list style.

    Change the List Style

The list style is updated.

Custom Numbering

Numbered lists automatically number each list item in order, but you can change it if you need to.

  1. Right-click a list number.
  2. Select Set Numbering Value.

    Custom Numbering

  3. Make your adjustments.
    • Start new list: This is the default, and it starts your list at “1.”
    • Continue from previous list: Start numbering where the numbered list prior to it left off. If you check Advance value, you can skip numbers.
    • Set value to: Allows you to manually enter a number other than “1” to start your list.
  4. Click OK when you’re done.

    Custom Numbering

The list numbering is updated.


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This tutorial shows two ways to create numbered lists in Microsoft Word. We will also look at how to change list levels, start with a different list number, and change the font, size, and color of list numbers.

Do you want to create bulleted lists? Please see my previous tutorial “How to Create Bulleted Lists in Microsoft Word.”

What about Lists Ordered by Letters?

For simplicity, this tutorial refers to “numbered lists” because Word organizes all ordered (hierarchical) list options in the Numbering Library. However, all the steps shown here also apply to lists organized by letters.

If you would like to learn more about ordered and unordered lists, please see “How to Write Vertical Lists (Ordered and Unordered).”

Table of Contents

  • How to Create a Numbered List — Basic Method 1
  • How to Create a Numbered List — Basic Method 2
  • How to Change Numbered List Levels
  • How to Start a List with a Different Number
  • How to Change the Font, Size, and Color of List Numbers

Watch all the steps shown here in real time!

Explore more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.

The basic steps are similar in Word for Mac. However, the more advanced steps, such as starting a list with a different number, are different on Mac. So, we will cover this topic for Word for Mac in a separate tutorial.

How to Create a Numbered List — Basic Method 1

This is the basic method to create a numbered list in Word. This method requires you to type each item as you create the list. If you have already typed your list items, see Method Two below.

  1. Place your cursor where you want to start your list.
  2. Select the Home tab in the ribbon.

Home tab in Word 365

Figure 1. Home tab
  1. Select the menu arrow next to the Numbering button.

Numbering button menu arrow in Word 365

Figure 2. Numbering button menu arrow
  1. Choose a number style from the Numbering Library.

Numbering Library in Word 365

Figure 3. Numbering Library

The number one will appear in your document.

First list number in Word 365

Figure 4. First list number
  1. Type your first list item after the number, and then press the Enter key on your keyboard. The next number will appear.

Second list number in Word 365

Figure 4. Second list number

Continue typing your list items and pressing the Enter key until your list is complete.

  1. After typing the final item, press the Enter key twice to remove your cursor from the list.

How to Create a Numbered List — Basic Method 2

This method is for existing text formatted vertically as a list.

  1. Select the text.

Selected text to be made into list in Word 365

Figure 6. Selected text
  1. Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
  2. Select the menu arrow next to the Numbering button (see figure 2).
  3. Choose a style from the Numbering Library (see figure 3).

Your selected items should become a numbered list.

Numbered list example in Word 365

Figure 7. Example of numbered list

How to Change Numbered List Levels

Word lets you create numbered lists with up to nine nested levels. Here are two ways to change the level of list items.

Change List Levels — Method 1

Important note: This method won’t work for the first item in your list.

  1. Select one or more list items (other than the first item).

Selected text for new list level in Word 365

Figure 8. Selected text for new list level
  1. Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
  2. Select the Increase Indent button in the Paragraph group.

Increase Indent button in Word 365

Figure 9. Increase Indent button

Each time you select the Increase Indent button, the item(s) will move one level and take on the appropriate format for that level (e.g., lowercase letters, roman numerals, etc.).

Numbered list with two levels in Word 365

Figure 10. Numbered list with two levels

Pro Tip: To return the selected text to a previous level, select the Decrease Indent button to the left of the Increase Indent button.

Change List Levels — Method 2

  1. Select one or more list items (see figure 8).
  2. Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
  3. Select the menu arrow next to the Numbering button (see figure 2).
  4. Select Change List Level from the drop-down menu.

Change List Level option in Word 365

Figure 11. Change List Level option
  1. Select a list level from the list-level menu.

List-level menu in Word 365

Figure 12. List-level menu

Your list item(s) should move to the next level.

How to Start a List with a Different Number

You can start a list with a number other than one or continue the numbering from the previous list.

  1. Select the first list number or place your cursor within the first list item. If you select the list number, all numbers on that level should also be selected.

Selected list numbers in Word 365

Figure 13. Selected list numbers
  1. Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
  2. Select the menu arrow next to the Numbering button (see figure 2).
  3. Select Set Numbering Value from the drop-down menu.

Set Numbering Value option in Word 365

Figure 14. Set Numbering Value option

5.a. Enter the number you want to start with in the Set value to text box in the Set Numbering Value dialog box.

Set Value To text box in the Set Numbering Value dialog box in Word 365

Figure 15. Set value to text box

5.b. (Alternative Option) Select Continue from previous list if you want to continue the numbering from a previous list in your document.

"Continue from previous list" option in the Set Numbering Value dialog box in Word 365

Figure 16. Continue from previous list options
  1. Select the OK button.

OK button in the Set Numbering Value dialog box in Word 365

Figure 17. OK button

Your list should be renumbered according to your selections in the Set Numbering Value dialog box.

How to Change the Font, Size, and Color of List Numbers

By default, the font, size, and color of your list numbers will be the same as your normal text style. However, you can manually change the appearance of list numbers by selecting them separately from the text.

  1. Select one list number. All numbers on that level should also be selected.

Selected list numbers in Word 365

Figure 18. Selected list numbers
  1. Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
  2. Select a new font, size, or color from the Font group.

 Font, size, and color options in the Font group in the Home tab in Word 365

Figure 19. Font, size, and color options

Your list numbers should change to the new formatting. Repeat these steps for each level in your list, as necessary.

Numbered list with custom formatting in Word 365

Figure 20. List with custom font formatting

Related Resources

How to Write Run-In Lists

How to Create and Update a List of Tables or Figures in Microsoft Word

How to Create Numbered Lists in PowerPoint (PC & Mac)

Updated February 12, 2023

Содержание

  • Выбор стиля для списка со встроенной коллекции
  • Создание нового стиля
  • Определение новых стилей
  • Ручная нумерация элементов списка
  • Вопросы и ответы

kak-v-vorde-sdelat-mnogourovnevyiy-spisok

Многоуровневый список — это список, в котором содержатся элементы с отступами разных уровней. В программе Microsoft Word присутствует встроенная коллекция списков, в которой пользователь может выбрать подходящий стиль. Также, в Ворде можно создавать новые стили многоуровневых списков самостоятельно.

Урок: Как в Word упорядочить список в алфавитном порядке

Выбор стиля для списка со встроенной коллекции

1. Кликните в том месте документа, где должен начинаться многоуровневый список.

mesto-dlya-mnogourovnevogo-spiska-v-word

2. Кликните по кнопке “Многоуровневый список”, расположенной в группе “Абзац” (вкладка “Главная”).

knopka-mnogourovnevyiy-spisok-v-word

3. Выберите понравившийся стиль многоуровневого списка из тех, что представлены в коллекции.

vyibor-stilya-dlya-spiska-v-word

4. Введите элементы списка. Для изменения уровней иерархии элементов, представленных в списке, нажмите “TAB” (более глубокий уровень) или “SHIFT+TAB” (возвращение к предыдущему уровню.

primer-mnogourovnevogo-spiska-v-word

Урок: Горячие клавиши в Ворде

Создание нового стиля

Вполне возможно, что в числе многоуровневых списков, представленных в коллекции Microsoft Word, вы не найдете того, который бы вас устроил. Именно для таких случаев в этой программе предусмотрена возможность создания и определения новых стилей многоуровневых списков.

Новый стиль многоуровневого списка может быть применен при создании каждого последующего списка в документе. Кроме того, новый стиль, созданный пользователем, автоматически добавляется в доступную в программе коллекцию стилей.

1. Кликните по кнопке “Многоуровневый список”, расположенной в группе “Абзац” (вкладка “Главная”).

Lumpics.ru

knopka-mnogourovnevyiy-spisok-v-word

2. Выберите “Определить новый многоуровневый список”.

opredelit-novyiy-stil-v-word

3. Начиная с уровня 1, введите желаемый формат номера, задайте шрифт, расположение элементов.

opredelenie-novogo-mnogourovnevogo-spiska-v-word

Урок: Форматирование в Ворде

vyibor-stilya-dlya-urovnya-1-v-word

4. Повторите аналогичные действия для следующих уровней многоуровневого списка, определив его иерархию и вид элементов.

opredelenie-stilya-uroven-2-v-word

Примечание: Определяя новый стиль многоуровневого списка, в этом же списке вы можете использовать и маркеры и номера. К примеру, в разделе “Нумерация для этого уровня” вы можете пролистать перечень стилей многоуровневого списка, выбрав подходящий стиль маркера, который и будет применен к конкретному уровню иерархии.

opredelenie-urovnya-v-word

5. Нажмите “ОК” для принятия изменения и закрытия диалогового окна.

zakryitie-okna-opredeleniya-stilya-v-word

Примечание: Стиль многоуровневого списка, который был создан пользователем, будет автоматически установлен в качестве стиля, используемого по умолчанию.

Для перемещения элементов многоуровневого списка на другой уровень, воспользуйтесь нашей инструкцией:

1. Выберите элемент списка, который нужно переместить.

vyibor-elementa-spiska-v-word

2. Кликните по стрелке, расположенной около кнопки “Маркеры” или “Нумерация” (группа “Абзац”).

knopka-numeratsii-v-word

3. В выпадающем меню выберите параметр “Изменить уровень списка”.

vyibor-urovnya-dlya-spiska-v-word

4. Кликните по тому уровню иерархии, на который нужно переместить выбранный вами элемент многоуровневого списка.

izmenennyiy-uroven-spiska-v-word

Определение новых стилей

На данном этапе необходимо пояснить, в чем заключается разница между пунктами “Определить новый стиль списка” и “Определить новый многоуровневый список”. Первую команду уместно использовать в ситуациях, когда необходимо изменить стиль, созданный пользователем. Новый стиль, созданный с помощью этой команды, обнулит все его вхождения в документе.

Параметр “Определить новый многоуровневый список” крайне удобно использовать в случаях, когда нужно создать и сохранить новый стиль списка, который в дальнейшем не будет изменяться или же будет использоваться только в одном документе.

Ручная нумерация элементов списка

В некоторых документах, содержащих нумерованные списки, необходимо обеспечить возможность ручного изменения нумерации. При этом, необходимо, чтобы MS Word правильно изменял номера следующих элементов списка. Один из примеров документов такого типа — юридическая документация.

Для ручного изменения нумерации необходимо воспользоваться параметром “Задание начального значения” — это позволит программе корректно изменить нумерацию следующих элементов списка.

1. Кликните правой кнопкой мышки по тому номеру в списке, который нужно изменить.

nomer-v-spiske-v-word

2. Выберите параметр “Задать начальное значение”, а затем выполните необходимое действие:

zadat-nachalnoe-znachenie-v-word

  • Активируйте параметр “Начать новый список”, измените значение элемента в поле “Начальное значение”.
  • nachat-novyiy-spisok-v-word

  • Активируйте параметр “Продолжить предыдущий список”, а затем установите галочку “Изменить начальное значение”. В поле “Начальное значение” задайте необходимые значения для выбранного элемента списка, связанного с уровнем заданного номера.

prodolzhit-predyidushhiy-spisok-v-word

3. Порядок нумерации списка будет изменен согласно заданным вами значениям.

izmenit-spisok-v-word

Вот, собственно, и все, теперь вы знаете, как создавать многоуровневые списки в Ворде. Инструкция, описанная в данной статье, применима ко всем версиям программы, будь то Word 2007, 2010 или его более новые версии.

Я представляю список в Word живым организмом, который может жить и развиваться только при правильном подходе. Вы же не кормите любимого котёнка просроченными консервами? Вы соблюдаете все правила ухода за маленькими детьми? Вы чистите зубы два раза в день?

К процессу создания такого явления, как «Список в Word» надо подойти со всей ответственностью. Иначе у вас будут проблемы с неправильной нумерацией, с неправильными отступами.

По окончании урока вы сможете:

  1. Задать одноуровневый список и многоуровневый список
  2. Перечислить правила работы со списками

Скачайте документ тут

1. Одноуровневый и многоуровневый список

В чём разница между этими видами списка?Список в Word

(1) маркированный список
(2) нумерованный список
(3) многоуровневый список

На уроке 21 мы знакомились с этими кнопками. Но сейчас нам важно понять разницу при создании этих списков.

Откройте скачанный документ. Я создала в документе таблицу из двух ячеек. В ячейках два абсолютно одинаковых текста. Ну просто старый знакомый текст! Приступим?

Шаг 1.  Выделите текст в первой ячейке. Здесь мы не можем воспользоваться выделением на полосе выделения, иначе мы выделим всю таблицу:Список в Word

Можно выделить перетаскиванием, но я считаю, что это очень вредно для лучезапястной мышцы. Поступим следующим образом:

  1. Щёлкнем ЛМ перед словом «Отец» в первой ячейке
  2. Нажмём клавишу Shift на клавиатуре
  3. Щёлкнем ЛМ в конце слова «Йогурт»Список в Word

Я рассказывала о различных видах выделения на уроке 2, но повторить никогда не помешает.

Кстати, вы обратили внимание, что зелёный кружок (похож на каракатицу) после слова «Йогурт» не выделился вместе с остальным текстом?

Шаг 2. Задаём на выделенный текст Нумерованный список: лента Главная → группа команд Абзац → кнопка Нумерованный список:Список в Word

Вы обратили внимание, что положение отступа и выступа изменились? Я даже могу сказать на какую величину. Номер «отскочил» на 0,63 см (четверть дюйма), а текст «отскочил» на 1,27 см (половина дюйма). На уроке 22 я подробно об этом говорила.

Шаг 3.    Выделите текст во второй ячейке.

  1. Аккуратно подведём курсор к границе ячейки, пока курсор не превратиться в толстенькую наклонную стрелку, окрашенную чёрным цветом
  2. Щёлкнем ЛМСписок в Word

Посмотрите: зелёный кружок после слова «Йогурт» выделен вместе со всем текстом.

Вывод:

  1. ЛМ+ Shift – выделяем часть текста в ячейке (ведь мы можем щёлкнуть ЛМ в любом месте текста, но в данном случае нам надо было выделить весь текст, вот мы щёлкнули после слова «Йогурт»)
  2. А вот чёрная толстенькая стрелочка выделяет всё (!) содержимое ячейки.

Давайте сделаем отметочку в памяти. Нам эта отметочка ещё пригодится, когда мы с вами доберёмся до таблиц.

Шаг 4.    Задаём на выделенный текст Многоуровневый список: лента Главная → группа команд Абзац → кнопка Многоуровневый список.Список в Word

Получили такую картину:Список в Word

Итак, мы имеем два абсолютно одинаковых списка. Ну разве что отступы у них разные

Шаг 5.    В любом месте первого списка щёлкаем ПМ. Появляется контекстное меню, в котором мы выбираем команду «Изменить отступы в списке»:Список в Word

Вспомнили это окно? Мы подробно о нём говорили на уроке 22. Полюбовались на это диалоговое окно и нажали кнопку «Отмена».

Шаг 6.    Теперь сделаем то же самое для второго списка. В любом месте второго списка щёлкаем ПМ. Появляется контекстное меню, в котором мы выбираем команду «Изменить отступы в списке»:Список в Word

И появляется диалоговое окно «Определение нового многоуровневого списка». Мы с этим окном знакомились на уроках 23, 24, 25. Скажете, что всё правильно? Разные списки – разные диалоговые окна?

Полюбовались на это диалоговое окно и нажали кнопку «Отмена».

Шаг 7.    Выделяем в первом списке все абзацы красного цвета при помощи клавиши Ctrl (как это сделать смотрите в уроке 2). Нажимаем кнопку «Увеличить отступ» один раз:Список в Word

Шаг 8.    Выделяем во втором списке все абзацы красного цвета при помощи клавиши Ctrl (как это сделать смотрите в уроке 2). Нажимаем кнопку «Увеличить отступ» один раз:Список в Word

Шаг 9.    Выделяем в первом списке все абзацы чёрного цвета при помощи клавиши Ctrl (как это сделать смотрите в уроке 2). Нажимаем кнопку «Увеличить отступ» два раза: Список в Word

Шаг 10.   Выделяем во втором списке все абзацы чёрного цвета при помощи клавиши Ctrl (как это сделать смотрите в уроке 2). Нажимаем кнопку «Увеличить отступ» два раза:Список в Word

Вывод В программе Word нет одноуровневого списка.

Все списки многоуровневые!

Напоминаю вам Урок 26. Уменьшить отступ или увеличить отступ. На самом деле эти кнопки повышают или понижают уровень в списке.

2. Правила работы со списками

Поведение кнопки «Нумерованный список» я предсказать не берусь. В прежних версиях Word одноуровневый и многоуровневый списки были двумя абсолютно различными операциями. Но, начиная с версии Word-2007 разделение исчезло, но зато осталась рудиментарная кнопка «Нумерованный список».

В качестве детской забавы проделайте такую операцию:

  1. Выделите первый список полностью и щёлкните ЛМ кнопку «Нумерованный список»:Список в Word
  2. Не снимая выделения, заново щёлкните кнопку «Нумерованный список»:Список в Word

Это один из многих неприятных сюрпризов, которые нам может подбрасывать кнопка «Нумерованный список».

Ко мне часто обращаются с вопросами, как правильно сделать  список в Word. Для себя я давно вывела три важных правила работы со списками:

  1. Всегда работать только с кнопкой «Многоуровневый список»
  2. Если надо изменить формат списка, то курсор надо поставить на самый первый пункт форматируемого списка (то есть не надо приступать к форматированию списка, если вы не находитесь на первом
  3. Всегда работать с отступами и выступами только в диалоговом окне «Определение нового многоуровневого списка», которое вызывается кнопкой «Многоуровневый список:

Список в Word

Теперь вы сможете:

  1. Задать одноуровневый список и многоуровневый список
  2. Перечислить правила работы со списками

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