Learning when and how to use the cut, copy and paste commands in your word processor dramatically improves your productivity. Instead of retyping a sentence you want moved, you can cut and paste it to move it instantly. Copying lets you reproduce a section of text without having to type it each time. Most word processors, such as Microsoft Word, also have special pasting options to further simplify your job.
Cut
-
The «Cut» function removes the currently selected text and places it on the clipboard. The clipboard on a computer functions as temporary storage for the last item you’ve cut or copied. After you cut text, you won’t see it on your screen, but you can place it anywhere in the document using the «Paste» function. You can perform a cut on selected text by pressing «Control-X» or clicking the «Cut» button on the Home tab in Microsoft Word.
Copy
-
When you press «Control-C» or click the «Copy» button on the Home tab, the computer copies the selected text into the clipboard. The text also remains in its original location. By pasting copied text, you duplicate it, making it faster to reuse the same word or sentence over and over.
Paste
-
The «Paste» button on the Home tab places the current contents of the clipboard into the document at the flashing cursor’s location. You can also paste by pressing «Control-V.» When you paste text, the computer does not remove it from the clipboard, so you can paste it multiple times or in several places without needing to copy it again. Turning off your computer or rebooting empties the clipboard.
Paste Options
-
Microsoft Word offers a number of options when pasting to customize how the pasted material looks. After you paste, a small box labeled «(Ctrl)» pops up. Press «Control» or click the box if you want to see the paste options. These include options such as «Keep Text Only,» which removes all formatting from the pasted text, and «Merge Formatting,» which alters the text’s format to match the area around the paste. Hold your mouse over any icon in the paste options box to see its name and click one to select it. Press «Escape» to hide the options box without changing the setting.
Version Notice
-
Information in this article applies to Microsoft Word 2013 and 2010. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or programs. Most word processors other than Word feature the same cut, copy and paste functions, but you can find them in the «Edit» menu instead of on the «Home» tab.
Cut, copy and paste are universal options on just about every word processing program you might use today. The terms refer to the days before computers were used when scissors and paste were required to move text from one place to another in publishing. The cut, copy and paste options can save you a lot of time when editing a document when you want to move text from one place to another, or save you the tedious task of retyping the same information over and over again.
Cut and Paste
Cutting text from a page in a word processing program deletes the text from the page but stores it in the computer’s memory in what’s called the clipboard. You can cut text in most word processing programs by highlighting the text with the cursor and pressing «Ctrl-X» on the keyboard. To paste the text in another location, simply put the cursor where you want the text to appear and press «Ctrl-V» on the keyboard.
Copy and Paste
If you don’t want to remove text from one location but want to paste it somewhere else as well, you can copy it instead of cutting it. To copy text, press «Ctrl-C» on the keyboard. The text is copied to the clipboard just as if you cut it, but it doesn’t delete the text you highlighted. You can then paste the text wherever you wish in the document.
Working With Multiple Programs
Because the clipboard is a function of your computer’s operating system and not the word processing program itself, you can copy and paste to and from any document using most other programs as well. For example, if you want to cite a passage from a Web page, you can highlight the text and copy it from the Web browser and then paste it into a word processing document. You can also copy or cut information from a document and then paste it into other files, like email messages, spreadsheets or editable fields on websites.
Formatting Options
Word processing apps often give you additional options when you paste content after copying or cutting. For example, in Microsoft Word, if you click the «Home» tab, you can access additional options by clicking the «Paste» button in the ribbon. These include pasting the words with the same formatting options they had when you copied or cut them, using the formatting options specified where you paste the words, or copying the words as plain text, which strips all formatting options from the words. You also have the option to paste the text as an image in the document.
References
Writer Bio
A published author and professional speaker, David Weedmark has advised businesses and governments on technology, media and marketing for more than 20 years. He has taught computer science at Algonquin College, has started three successful businesses, and has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines throughout Canada and the United States.
Image Credit
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Command shortcuts
The following keyboard shortcuts can be used instead of a mouse:
+ : Close the active item if more than one is open or quit the active program
while dragging an item : Copy selected item
+ a: Select all
+ b : Bold text
+ backspace : Delete a word to the left
+ c : Copy
+ ⇓ : Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
+ 
: Go to the end of the document
+ 
: Display the Start menu
+ f : Opens the Find dialog box
+ 
: Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously
+ g : Go to page, section, line etc
+ h : Opens the Find and Replace dialog box
+ 
: Go to the beginning of the document
+’ j’ : Justify text
+ k : Insert Hyperlink (a link to another electronic place)
+ ⇐ : Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
+ m : Increase Indent
+ n : Open a new document
+ o : Opens the ‘open file’ dialog box
+ p : Print document
+ ⇒ : Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
+ s : Save document
+ 
+ m : Decrease Indent
+ + t : Decrease Hanging Indent
+ ⇓ : Highlights (selects) text from the insertion point to the end of a paragraph
+ t : Increase Hanging Indent
+ ⇑ : Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
+ v : Paste
+ x : Cut
+ z : Undo
: Delete
: Moves the insertion point to the end of the line
: Cancel the current task
: Activate the ALT keys on the Tabs
: Repeat Key – repeats the last action when in the Word program
: Activates spelling and grammar facility
+ : Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
+ : Opens the Thesaurus
: Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the line
⇐ : Moves the insertion point one space to the left
⇒ : Moves the insertion point one space to the right
Formatting shortcuts
Try using these short cut key combinations when you are formatting text in a document.
+ F3 : Change the case of letters
+ + A : Format letters as all capitals
+ ] : Increase the font size by 1 point
+ [ : Decrease the font size by 1 point
+ + F : Change the font
+ D : Change the formatting – opens Format menu
+ 1 : Single line spacing
+ 2 : Double line spacing
+ 5 : Set 1.5 line spacing
+ 0 (zero) : Add or remove one line space preceding a paragraph
+ E : Centre a paragraph or selected heading
+ L : Align a paragraph to the left margin
+ R : Align a paragraph to the right margin
+ Q : Remove paragraph formatting
Note: When you have finished with this section, you can use your browser’s Back button to return to the page you were viewing.
Lesson 4: Cut, Copy, Paste, and Drag and Drop
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Introduction
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Cut, copy, and paste
- Drag and drop
Cut, copy, and paste
Often in word processing, you will need to transfer information from one document to another. Instead of having to retype or replace this information, Word allows you to move a block of text, such as a word, sentence, paragraph, page, document, or graphic). Cut, copy, and paste are time-saving features. The Cut, Copy and Paste buttons are located on the Standard toolbar.
Cut and paste
- The Cut feature allows you to remove selected text from the document and temporarily place it on the Office Clipboard.
- The clipboard is a temporary storage file in your computer’s memory. Items placed on the clipboard will remain there until you exit Word.
- The Paste feature allows you to get text from the clipboard and place it in the same or even another document.
Copy and paste
- The Copy feature allows you to copy selected text from the document and temporarily place it on the clipboard.
- The clipboard can hold up to 25 items. Once you copy the 26th item, the first copied item is deleted.
- The Paste feature allows you to select any of the collected items on the clipboard and place them in the same or another document.
You can copy information from many different sources, including websites, emails, and other Office applications like Excel and PowerPoint.
Working with blocks of text
To cut and paste a block of text:
To copy and paste a block of text:
Viewing clipboard items:
- Click Edit on the menu bar.
- Select Office Clipboard.
- The clipboard will appear on the right side of the Word window in the task pane.
- The clipboard will display any of the 24 items you have copied.
Menu commands:
Keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl+C = Copy
- Ctrl+X = Cut
- Ctrl+V = Paste
Become comfortable using keyboard shortcuts to increase your speed in word processing.
If you cut, copy, or paste something you didn’t mean to, use the Undo button or choose not to save changes to your document when you close it.
Drag and drop
The drag-and-drop method of moving text allows you to move selected text using your mouse.
This method is convenient for moving text when:
- Moving text from one location to another within a document
- Moving text to another document
To drag and drop selected text:
To drag:
- Select the text you want to move.
- Place the mouse pointer anywhere on the selected text without clicking.
- Click and hold the left mouse button until the insertion point changes to a white arrow pointing up to the left.
- Left click and drag the selected text to the new location.
To drop:
- During this process, the mouse pointer changes to a box with a small white arrow over it to indicate that you are dragging text.
- When you reach the new location, release the mouse button to drop the text into place.
- Once you release the mouse button, a menu list will appear that offers you the following options:
- Move Here
- Copy Here
- Link Here
- Create Hyperlink Here
- Cancel
Be sure to remove the selection highlight before pressing any key so you don’t delete newly moved text. IF you do accidentally delete, press the Undo button.
Challenge!
- Open an existing document, or create a new one.
- Select some text.
- Click the Copy button on the Standard toolbar.
- Place the insertion point where you want text to be located.
- Click the Paste button.
- Select the copied text.
- Press the Delete key.
/en/wordxp/use-autocorrect-and-find-and-replace/content/
Move text and images in a document easily
What to Know
- Highlight the text and press Ctrl+X to cut or Ctrl+C to copy (Command on a Mac). Alternatively, right-click the text and select Cut or Copy.
- To paste, move the cursor to desired location and press Ctrl+V (Command on a Mac). Alternatively, right-click and select Paste.
- You can’t use Paste if you want to paste something other than the last item copied. To access older items, access the Clipboard.
Cut, Copy, and Paste might be the three most used commands in Microsoft Word—and for good reason. Here are the differences between Copy, Cut, and Paste, and how to use them in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.
How to Cut and Copy in Word
There are several ways to use the Cut and Copy commands and these are universal to all versions of Microsoft Word. First, use the mouse to highlight the text, image, table, or another item you want to cut or copy. Then, use one of the following commands:
- Go to the Ribbon, select the Home tab, then select Cut or Copy.
- Right-click the selected text and choose Cut or Copy.
- Use the key shortcut Ctrl + X to cut or use Ctrl + C to copy. On Mac, use Command + X or Command + C.
How to Paste the Last Item Cut or Copied in Word
There are several ways to use the Paste command that are universal to all versions of Microsoft Word. First, either use the Cut or Copy command to save an item to the Clipboard. Then, to paste it, do one of the following:
- Go to the Home tab, then select Paste.
- Place the cursor where you want the text or image to go in the document, then right-click and choose Paste.
- Use the key combination Ctrl + V to paste. On Mac use Command + V. This is the keyboard shortcut for Paste and is universal to most Microsoft Office and 365 applications.
How to Use the Clipboard to Paste Previously Cut or Copied Items
You can’t use the Paste command as outlined in the previous section if you want to paste something other than the last item copied. To access items older than that, access the Clipboard.
If you’re collaborating with others to create a document, use Track Changes so your collaborators can quickly see the changes you’ve made.
Here’s how to use the Clipboard:
-
Go to the Home tab.
-
In the Clipboard group, select the dialog launcher to open the Clipboard pane.
-
Select the text or image you want to copy and press Ctrl+C.
-
Repeat until you’ve copied all the items you want to use. The items appear in the Clipboard, with the latest at the top.
-
Place the cursor in the document where you want to paste the items, then go to the Clipboard pane, select the drop-down arrow next to the item you want to paste, then choose Paste.
Alternatively, if you want to paste all of the items in your Clipboard, select Paste All.
What Are the Differences Between Copy, Cut, and Paste?
Cut and Copy are comparable commands. When you cut something, such as text or a picture, it’s saved to the Clipboard and removed from the document. When you copy something it’s also saved to the Clipboard, but it remains in the document.
If you want to paste the last item you cut or copied, use the Paste command, available in various areas of Microsoft Word. If you want to paste an item other than the last one you cut or copied, use the Clipboard history.
When you paste something you cut, it’s moved to the new location. If you paste something you copied, it’s duplicated at the new location.
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Updated: 12/31/2022 by
Below is a listing of the more commonly used shortcut keys in Microsoft Word. See the computer shortcuts page if you are looking for a list of shortcut keys used in other programs. Please be aware that some shortcuts may not work in all versions of Microsoft Word.
Note
If the device you are using does not have function keys (F1-F12) on its keyboard, like a Chromebook, certain shortcuts are unavailable to you.
Note
Some Microsoft Word shortcut keys below may not work in Word 365, and most shortcut keys do not work in Word on a mobile device.
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+0 | Toggle 6pts of spacing above the paragraph. |
| Ctrl+A | Select all contents of the page. |
| Ctrl+B | Bold highlighted selection. |
| Ctrl+C | Copy selected text. |
| Ctrl+D | Open the font preferences window. |
| Ctrl+E | Align the line or selected text to the center of the screen. |
| Ctrl+F | Open find box. |
| Ctrl+I | Italic highlighted selection. |
| Ctrl+J | Align the selected text or line to justify the screen. |
| Ctrl+K | Insert a hyperlink. |
| Ctrl+L | Align the line or selected text to the left of the screen. |
| Ctrl+M | Indent the paragraph. |
| Ctrl+N | Open new, blank document window. |
| Ctrl+O | Open the dialog box or page for selecting a file to open. |
| Ctrl+P | Open the print window. |
| Ctrl+R | Align the line or selected text to the right of the screen. |
| Ctrl+S | Save the open document. Like Shift+F12. |
| Alt+F, A | Save the document under a different file name. |
| Alt+X | Show the Unicode code of a highlighted character. |
| Ctrl+T | Create a hanging indent. |
| Ctrl+U | Underline the selected text. |
| Ctrl+V | Paste. |
| Ctrl+W | Close the currently open document. |
| Ctrl+X | Cut selected text. |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo the last action performed. |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo last action. |
| Ctrl+Shift+A | Sets the selected text to all capital letters. |
| Ctrl+Shift+D | Adds double underline to the selected text. |
| Ctrl+Shift+E | Enable or disable revision tracking. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F | Open Font window to change the font. |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Quickly create a bullet point. |
| Ctrl+Shift+> | Increase selected font +1pts up to 12pt and then increase font +2pts. |
| Ctrl+] | Increase selected font +1pts. |
| Ctrl+Shift+< | Decrease selected font -1pts if 12pt or lower; if above 12, decreases font by +2pt. |
| Ctrl+[ | Decrease selected font -1pts. |
| Ctrl+/+C | Insert a cent sign (¢). |
| Ctrl+'+<char> | Insert a character with an accent (acute) mark, where <char> is the character you want. For example, if you wanted an accented é you would use Ctrl+’+e as your shortcut key. To reverse the accent mark, use the opposite accent mark, often found on the tilde key. |
| Ctrl+Shift+* | View or hide non printing characters. |
| Ctrl+Left arrow | Move one word to the left. |
| Ctrl+Right arrow | Move one word to the right. |
| Ctrl+Up arrow | Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph. |
| Ctrl+Down arrow | Move to the end of the paragraph. |
| Ctrl+Del | Delete word to right of cursor. |
| Ctrl+Backspace | Delete word to left of cursor. |
| Ctrl+End | Move the cursor to the end of the document. |
| Ctrl+Home | Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. |
| Ctrl+Spacebar | Reset highlighted text to the default font. |
| Ctrl+Enter | Insert a page break. |
| Ctrl+1 | Single-space lines. |
| Ctrl+2 | Double-space lines. |
| Ctrl+5 | 1.5-line spacing. |
| Ctrl+= | Set selected text as subscript. |
| Ctrl+Pg Up | Move one page up in the document. |
| Ctrl+Pg Dn | Move one page down in the document. |
| Ctrl+Shift+= | Set selected text as superscript. |
| Ctrl+Alt+T | Insert trademark (TM) symbol. |
| Ctrl+Alt+1 | Changes text to heading 1. |
| Ctrl+Alt+2 | Changes text to heading 2. |
| Ctrl+Alt+3 | Changes text to heading 3. |
| Ctrl+Alt+F2 | Open new document. |
| Ctrl+F1 | Open the Task Pane. |
| Ctrl+F2 | Display the print preview. |
| Ctrl+Shift+> | Increase the font size of selected text by one point. |
| Ctrl+Shift+< | Decrease the font size of selected text by one point. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F6 | Switch to another open Microsoft Word document. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F12 | Print the document. |
| F1 | Open help. |
| F4 | Repeat the last action performed (Word 2000+). |
| F5 | Open the Find, Replace, and Go To window in Microsoft Word. |
| F7 | Spellcheck and grammar check selected text or document. |
| F12 | Save As. |
| Shift+F3 | Change the text in Microsoft Word from uppercase to lowercase or a capital letter at the beginning of every word. |
| Shift+F7 | Run a Thesaurus check on the selected word. |
| Shift+F12 | Save the open document. Like Ctrl+S. |
| Shift+Enter | Create a soft break instead of a new paragraph. |
| Shift+Insert | Paste. |
| Shift+Alt+D | Insert the current date. |
| Shift+Alt+T | Insert the current time. |
You can also utilize the mouse to perform many common actions. The following section contains examples of mouse shortcuts.
| Mouse shortcuts | Description |
|---|---|
| Click, hold, and drag | Selects text from where you click and hold to the point you drag and let go. |
| Double-click | If double-clicking a word, selects the complete word. |
| Double-click | Double-clicking the left, center, or right of a blank line makes the alignment of the text left, center, or right aligned. |
| Double-click | Double-clicking anywhere after text on a line sets a tab stop. |
| Triple-click | Selects the line or paragraph of the text where the mouse is triple-clicked. |
| Ctrl+Mouse wheel | Zooms in and out of document. |
This tutorial shows three ways to cut, copy, and paste in Microsoft Word. First, we’ll use keyboard shortcuts. Then, we’ll use the tools in the ribbon. Lastly, we’ll use the shortcut menu. Plus, the bonus tip at the end shows how to choose a pasting option after pasting your text.
Table of Contents
- How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Cut, Copy, and Paste
- How to Use the Ribbon to Cut, Copy, and Paste
- How to Use the Shortcut Menu to Cut, Copy, and Paste
- Bonus Tip: How to Choose a Pasting Option after Pasting Text
But first…
What Does It Mean to Cut, Copy, and Paste?
Cutting: When you cut text or an image, you are removing it from its original location, which can be your current Word document or another editable location, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Docs. Once cut, it will be placed in the Clipboard, which is a temporary storage area on your computer.
Copying: When you copy text or an image, you are placing a duplicate in the Clipboard, but you are not removing it from its original location.
Pasting: After cutting or copying, you can then use the paste function to move the text or image from the Clipboard to a new location in your document.
For an advanced look at the Clipboard, please see “How to Use the Clipboard in Microsoft Word.”
Do you want to copy and paste formatting instead of text? Check out “How to Use the Format Painter in Microsoft Word.”
This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.
Watch more than 150 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.
How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Cut, Copy, and Paste
The following keyboard shortcuts work in Windows across all Microsoft Office apps, Adobe Acrobat, Google Docs, and many other locations such as email platforms, social media comment boxes, and website text boxes.
To Cut or Copy
- Select the text or image you want to cut or copy.
- Press the keyboard shortcut:
Cut: Ctrl + X
Copy: Ctrl + C
Your text or image should now be cut or copied.
To Paste
- Place your cursor where you want to insert the text or image.
- Press the keyboard shortcut:
Paste: Ctrl + V
Your text or image should now be pasted into the new location in your document.
How to Use the Ribbon to Cut, Copy, and Paste
The ribbon method requires more steps than the keyboard shortcuts; however, it offers more customization options for pasting.
To Cut or Copy
- Select the text or image you want to cut or copy.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon.
- Select Cut or Copy from the Clipboard group.
Your text or image should now be cut or copied.
To Paste
- Place your cursor where you want to insert the text or image.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select the Paste button to paste the text or image without additional options.
- Select the Paste Options menu arrow for additional options.
- Choose an option from the drop-down menu:
A. Keep Source Formatting maintains the formatting (e.g., font, size, color, etc.) of the pasted text.
B. Merge Formatting changes the formatting of the pasted text to match the formatting of the new location.
C. Picture pastes the text or other content as an image (only available in Word for Microsoft 365).
D. Keep Text Only removes the formatting of the pasted text and adds the formatting of the new location.
What Is the Difference between Merge Formatting and Keep Text Only?
The difference between Merge Formatting and Keep Text Only is a bit confusing, so let’s dig into them a little deeper.
Merge Formatting matches the formatting of the pasted text to the formatting of the new location. However, it doesn’t remove existing emphasis formatting (boldness, italics, or underlining) from the pasted text.
For example, if you use Merge Formatting to paste a twenty-word paragraph with black font and five bold words into a location with red font, all twenty words will turn red. But, the five bold words will maintain the bold format.
Keep Text Only removes all formatting from the pasted text, including emphasis formatting, and then adds the formatting of the new location to the pasted text.
So, if you use Keep Text Only to paste that same twenty-word paragraph with black font and five bold words into a location with red font, all twenty words will turn red and the five bold words will lose the bold format.
- (Optional) For further customization, choose an advanced option from the drop-down menu:
-
- Paste Special opens the Paste Special dialog box with additional options including pasting as HTML format and unformatted Unicode text.
- Set Default Paste opens the Word Options dialog box where you can choose default options for pasting within the same document, pasting between documents, and pasting from other programs.
Your text or image should now be pasted into the new location in your document.
How to Use the Shortcut Menu to Cut, Copy, and Paste
The shortcut menu attached to the Mini toolbar lets you cut, copy, and paste from inside the document.
To Cut or Copy
- Select the text or image you want to cut or copy.
- Right-click the selected text or image, and then select Cut or Copy from the shortcut menu.
Your text or image should be cut or copied.
To Paste
- Right-click where you want to insert the text or image, and then select an option from the shortcut menu:
A. Keep Source Formatting
B. Merge Formatting
C. Picture (only available in Word for Microsoft 365)
D. Keep Text Only
See the definition for each option in step 5 of the section above.
Your text or image should now be pasted into the new location in your document.
Bonus Tip: Choose a Pasting Option after Pasting Text
Word provides a convenient way to choose a pasting option after you have pasted text into its new location.
- Select the Paste Options button that appears after you paste your text into its new location.
- Select an option from the shortcut menu:
A. Keep Source Formatting
B. Merge Formatting
C. Picture (Word for Microsoft 365 only)
D. Keep Text Only
Your pasted text should change formatting according to your selection.
Important Note: The Paste Options button will disappear once you perform another function such as typing or pressing the Enter key, so if you want to use this button, you must do so immediately after pasting your text.
Related Resources
How to Insert Files into Existing Files in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)
How to Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color in Microsoft Word
How to Insert and Modify Images in Microsoft Word
How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word
Updated June 18, 2022
This article describes the keyboard shortcuts and function keys in Word for Windows.
Notes:
-
To quickly find a shortcut in this article, you can use Search. Press Ctrl+F, and then type your search words.
-
If an action that you use often does not have a shortcut key, you can record a macro to create one. For instructions, go to Create or run a macro or Use a screen reader to create a macro in Word.
-
If you are using Microsoft Word Starter, be aware that not all the features listed for Word are supported in Word Starter. For more information about the features available in Word Starter, go to Word features that are not fully supported in Word Starter.
-
Get these keyboard shortcuts in a Word document at this link: Word 2016 for Windows keyboard shortcuts.
In this topic
-
Frequently used shortcuts
-
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
-
Navigate the document
-
Preview and print documents
-
Select text and graphics
-
Edit text and graphics
-
Work with web content
-
Work with tables
-
Review a document
-
Work with references, citations, and indexing
-
Work with mail merge and fields
-
Work with text in other languages
-
Work with document views
-
Use function key shortcuts
Frequently used shortcuts
This table shows the most frequently used shortcuts in Microsoft Word.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Open a document. |
Ctrl+O |
|
Create a new document. |
Ctrl+N |
|
Save the document. |
Ctrl+S |
|
Close the document. |
Ctrl+W |
|
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+X |
|
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+C |
|
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+V |
|
Select all document content. |
Ctrl+A |
|
Apply bold formatting to text. |
Ctrl+B |
|
Apply italic formatting to text. |
Ctrl+I |
|
Apply underline formatting to text. |
Ctrl+U |
|
Decrease the font size by 1 point. |
Ctrl+Left bracket ([) |
|
Increase the font size by 1 point. |
Ctrl+Right bracket (]) |
|
Center the text. |
Ctrl+E |
|
Align the text to the left. |
Ctrl+L |
|
Align the text to the right. |
Ctrl+R |
|
Cancel a command. |
Esc |
|
Undo the previous action. |
Ctrl+Z |
|
Redo the previous action, if possible. |
Ctrl+Y |
|
Adjust the zoom magnification. |
Alt+W, Q, then use the Tab key in the Zoom dialog box to go to the value you want. |
|
Split the document window. |
Ctrl+Alt+S |
|
Remove the document window split. |
Alt+Shift+C or Ctrl+Alt+S |
Top of Page
Close a task pane
To close a task pane using the keyboard:
-
Press F6 until the task pane is selected.
-
Press Ctrl+Spacebar.
-
Use the arrow keys to select Close, and then press Enter.
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
The ribbon groups related options on tabs. For example, on the Home tab, the Font group includes the Font Color option. Press the Alt key to display the ribbon shortcuts, called Key Tips, as letters in small images next to the tabs and options as shown in the image below.
Note: Add-ins and other programs can add new tabs to the ribbon and might provide access keys for those tabs.
You can combine the Key Tips letters with the Alt key to make shortcuts called Access Keys for the ribbon options. For example, press Alt+H to open the Home tab, and Alt+Q to move to the Tell Me or Search field. Press Alt again to see Key Tips for the options for the selected tab.
Depending on the version of Microsoft 365 you are using, the Search text field at the top of the app window might be called Tell Me instead. Both offer a largely similar experience, but some options and search results can vary.
In Office 2013 and Office 2010, most of the old Alt key menu shortcuts still work, too. However, you need to know the full shortcut. For example, press Alt, and then press one of the old menu keys E (Edit), V (View), I (Insert), and so on. A notification pops up saying you’re using an access key from an earlier version of Microsoft 365. If you know the entire key sequence, go ahead and use it. If you don’t know the sequence, press Esc and use Key Tips instead.
Use the Access Keys for ribbon tabs
To go directly to a tab on the ribbon, press one of the following access keys. Additional tabs might appear depending on your selection in the document.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Move to the Tell Me or Search field on the Ribbon to search for assistance or Help content. |
Alt+Q, then enter the search term. |
|
Open the File page to use Backstage view. |
Alt+F |
|
Open the Home tab to use common formatting commands, paragraph styles, and the Find tool. |
Alt+H |
|
Open the Insert tab to insert tables, pictures and shapes, headers, or text boxes. |
Alt+N |
|
Open the Design tab to use themes, colors, and effects, such as page borders. |
Alt+G |
|
Open the Layout tab to work with page margins, page orientation, indentation, and spacing. |
Alt+P |
|
Open the References tab to add a table of contents, footnotes, or a table of citations. |
Alt+S |
|
Open the Mailings tab to manage Mail Merge tasks and to work with envelopes and labels. |
Alt+M |
|
Open the Review tab to use Spell Check, set proofing languages, and to track and review changes to your document. |
Alt+R |
|
Open the View tab to choose a document view or mode, such as Read Mode or Outline view. You can also set the zoom magnification and manage multiple document windows. |
Alt+W |
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Work in the ribbon with the keyboard
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Select the active tab on the ribbon and activate the access keys. |
Alt or F10. To move to a different tab, use access keys or the arrow keys. |
|
Move the focus to commands on the ribbon. |
Tab key or Shift+Tab |
|
Move between command groupings on the ribbon. |
Ctrl+Left or Right arrow key |
|
Move among the items on the ribbon. |
Arrow keys |
|
Show the tooltip for the ribbon element currently in focus. |
Ctrl+Shift+F10 |
|
Activate the selected button. |
Spacebar or Enter |
|
Open the list for the selected command. |
Down arrow key |
|
Open the menu for the selected button. |
Alt+Down arrow key |
|
When a menu or submenu is open, move to the next command. |
Down arrow key |
|
Expand or collapse the ribbon. |
Ctrl+F1 |
|
Open the context menu. |
Shift+F10 Or, on a Windows keyboard, the Windows Menu key (between the right Alt and right Ctrl keys) |
|
Move to the submenu when a main menu is open or selected. |
Left arrow key |
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Navigate the document
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Move the cursor one word to the left. |
Ctrl+Left arrow key |
|
Move the cursor one word to the right. |
Ctrl+Right arrow key |
|
Move the cursor up by one paragraph. |
Ctrl+Up arrow key |
|
Move the cursor down by one paragraph. |
Ctrl+Down arrow key |
|
Move the cursor to the end of the current line. |
End |
|
Move the cursor to the beginning the current line. |
Home |
|
Move the cursor to the top of the screen. |
Ctrl+Alt+Page up |
|
Move the cursor to the bottom of the screen. |
Ctrl+Alt+Page down |
|
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view up by one screen. |
Page up |
|
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view down by one screen. |
Page down |
|
Move the cursor to the top of the next page. |
Ctrl+Page down |
|
Move the cursor to the top of the previous page. |
Ctrl+Page up |
|
Move the cursor to the end of the document. |
Ctrl+End |
|
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. |
Ctrl+Home |
|
Move the cursor to the location of the previous revision. |
Shift+F5 |
|
Move the cursor to the location of the last revision made before the document was last closed. |
Shift+F5, immediately after opening the document. |
|
Cycle through floating shapes, such as text boxes or images. |
Ctrl+Alt+5, and then the Tab key repeatedly |
|
Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal navigation. |
Esc |
|
Display the Navigation task pane, to search within the document content. |
Ctrl+F |
|
Display the Go To dialog box, to navigate to a specific page, bookmark, footnote, table, comment, graphic, or other location. |
Ctrl+G |
|
Cycle through the locations of the four previous changes made to the document. |
Ctrl+Alt+Z |
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Navigate the document using the browse options in Word 2007 and 2010
In Word 2007 and 2010, you can browse the document by various types of objects, such as fields, footnotes, headings, and graphics.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Open the list of browse options to define the type of object to browse by. |
Ctrl+Alt+Home |
|
Move to the previous object of the defined type. |
Ctrl+Page up |
|
Move to the next object of the defined type. |
Ctrl+Page down |
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Preview and print documents
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Print the document. |
Ctrl+P |
|
Switch to print preview. |
Ctrl+Alt+I |
|
Move around the preview page when zoomed in. |
Arrow keys |
|
Move by one preview page when zoomed out. |
Page up or Page down |
|
Move to the first preview page when zoomed out. |
Ctrl+Home |
|
Move to the last preview page when zoomed out. |
Ctrl+End |
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Select text and graphics
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Select text. |
Shift+Arrow keys |
|
Select the word to the left. |
Ctrl+Shift+Left arrow key |
|
Select the word to the right. |
Ctrl+Shift+Right arrow key |
|
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current line. |
Shift+Home |
|
Select from the current position to the end of the current line. |
Shift+End |
|
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current paragraph. |
Ctrl+Shift+Up arrow key |
|
Select from the current position to the end of the current paragraph. |
Ctrl+Shift+Down arrow key |
|
Select from the current position to the top of the screen. |
Shift+Page up |
|
Select from the current position to the bottom of the screen. |
Shift+Page down |
|
Select from the current position to the beginning of the document. |
Ctrl+Shift+Home |
|
Select from the current position to the end of the document. |
Ctrl+Shift+End |
|
Select from the current position to the bottom of the window. |
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Page down |
|
Select all document content. |
Ctrl+A |
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Extend a selection
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Start extending the selection. |
F8 In the extend selection mode, clicking a location in the document extends the current selection to that location. |
|
Select the nearest character to the left or right. |
F8, Left or Right arrow key |
|
Expand the selection. |
F8 repeatedly to expand the selection to the entire word, sentence, paragraph, section, and document. |
|
Reduce the selection. |
Shift+F8 |
|
Select a vertical block of text. |
Ctrl+Shift+F8, then press the arrow keys |
|
Stop extending the selection. |
Esc |
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Edit text and graphics
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Delete one word to the left. |
Ctrl+Backspace |
|
Delete one word to the right. |
Ctrl+Delete |
|
Open the Clipboard task pane and enable the Office Clipboard, which allows you to copy and paste content between Microsoft 365 apps. |
Alt+H, F, O |
|
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+X |
|
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+C |
|
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+V |
|
Move the selected content to a specific location. |
F2, move the cursor to the destination, and then press Enter. |
|
Copy the selected content to a specific location. |
Shift+F2, move the cursor to the destination, and then press Enter. |
|
Define an AutoText block with the selected content. |
Alt+F3 |
|
Insert an AutoText block. |
The first few characters of the AutoText block, and then press Enter when the ScreenTip appears. |
|
Cut the selected content to the Spike. |
Ctrl+F3 |
|
Paste the contents of the Spike. |
Ctrl+Shift+F3 |
|
Copy the selected formatting. |
Ctrl+Shift+C |
|
Paste the selected formatting. |
Ctrl+Shift+V |
|
Copy the header or footer used in the previous section of the document. |
Alt+Shift+R |
|
Display the Replace dialog box, to find and replace text, specific formatting, or special items. |
Ctrl+H |
|
Display the Object dialog box, to insert a file object into the document. |
Alt+N, J, J |
|
Insert a SmartArt graphic. |
Alt+N, M |
|
Insert a WordArt graphic. |
Alt+N, W |
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Align and format paragraphs
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Center the paragraph. |
Ctrl+E |
|
Justify the paragraph. |
Ctrl+J |
|
Align the paragraph to the left. |
Ctrl+L |
|
Align the paragraph to the right. |
Ctrl+R |
|
Indent the paragraph. |
Ctrl+M |
|
Remove a paragraph indent. |
Ctrl+Shift+M |
|
Create a hanging indent. |
Ctrl+T |
|
Remove a hanging indent. |
Ctrl+Shift+T |
|
Remove paragraph formatting. |
Ctrl+Q |
|
Apply single spacing to the paragraph. |
Ctrl+1 |
|
Apply double spacing to the paragraph. |
Ctrl+2 |
|
Apply 1.5-line spacing to the paragraph. |
Ctrl+5 |
|
Add or remove space before the paragraph. |
Ctrl+0 (zero) |
|
Enable AutoFormat. |
Ctrl+Alt+K |
|
Apply the Normal style. |
Ctrl+Shift+N |
|
Apply the Heading 1 style. |
Ctrl+Alt+1 |
|
Apply the Heading 2 style. |
Ctrl+Alt+2 |
|
Apply the Heading 3 style. |
Ctrl+Alt+3 |
|
Display the Apply Styles task pane. |
Ctrl+Shift+S |
|
Display the Styles task pane. |
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S |
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Format characters
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Display the Font dialog box. |
Ctrl+D or Ctrl+Shift+F |
|
Increase the font size. |
Ctrl+Shift+Right angle bracket (>) |
|
Decrease the font size. |
Ctrl+Shift+Left angle bracket (<) |
|
Increase the font size by 1 point. |
Ctrl+Right bracket (]) |
|
Decrease the font size by 1 point. |
Ctrl+Left bracket ([) |
|
Switch the text between upper case, lower case, and title case. |
Shift+F3 |
|
Change the text to all upper case. |
Ctrl+Shift+A |
|
Hide the selected text. |
Ctrl+Shift+H |
|
Apply bold formatting. |
Ctrl+B |
|
Add a bulleted list. |
Ctrl+Shift+L |
|
Apply underline formatting. |
Ctrl+U |
|
Apply underline formatting to the words, but not the spaces. |
Ctrl+Shift+W |
|
Apply double-underline formatting. |
Ctrl+Shift+D |
|
Apply italic formatting. |
Ctrl+I |
|
Apply small caps formatting. |
Ctrl+Shift+K |
|
Apply subscript formatting. |
Ctrl+Equal sign ( = ) |
|
Apply superscript formatting. |
Ctrl+Shift+Plus sign (+) |
|
Remove manual character formatting. |
Ctrl+Spacebar |
|
Change the selected text to the Symbol font. |
Ctrl+Shift+Q |
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Manage text formatting
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Display all nonprinting characters. |
Ctrl+Shift+8 (do not use the numeric keypad) |
|
Display the Reveal Formatting task pane. |
Shift+F1 |
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Insert special characters
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a line break. |
Shift+Enter |
|
Insert a page break. |
Ctrl+Enter |
|
Insert a column break. |
Ctrl+Shift+Enter |
|
Insert an em dash (—). |
Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign (on the numeric keypad) |
|
Insert an en dash (–). |
Ctrl+Minus sign (on the numeric keypad) |
|
Insert an optional hyphen. |
Ctrl+Hyphen (-) |
|
Insert a nonbreaking hyphen. |
Ctrl+Shift+Hyphen (-) |
|
Insert a nonbreaking space. |
Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar |
|
Insert a copyright symbol (©). |
Ctrl+Alt+C |
|
Insert a registered trademark symbol (®). |
Ctrl+Alt+R |
|
Insert a trademark symbol (™). |
Ctrl+Alt+T |
|
Insert an ellipsis (…) |
Ctrl+Alt+Period (.) |
|
Insert the Unicode character for the specified Unicode (hexadecimal) character code. For example, to insert the euro currency symbol ( Tip: To find out the Unicode character code for a selected character, press Alt+X. |
The character code, then press Alt+X |
|
Insert the ANSI character for the specified ANSI (decimal) character code. For example, to insert the euro currency symbol, hold down Alt and press 0128 on the numeric keypad. |
Alt+the character code (on the numeric keypad) |
), type Top of Page
Work with web content
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a hyperlink. |
Ctrl+K |
|
Go back one page. |
Alt+Left arrow key |
|
Go forward one page. |
Alt+Right arrow key |
|
Refresh the page. |
F9 |
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Work with tables
Move around in a table
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Move to the next cell in the row and select its content. |
Tab key |
|
Move to the previous cell in the row and select its content. |
Shift+Tab |
|
Move to the first cell in the row. |
Alt+Home |
|
Move to the last cell in the row. |
Alt+End |
|
Move to the first cell in the column. |
Alt+Page up |
|
Move to the last cell in the column. |
Alt+Page down |
|
Move to the previous row. |
Up arrow key |
|
Move to the next row. |
Down arrow key |
|
Move one row up. |
Alt+Shift+Up arrow key |
|
Move one row down. |
Alt+Shift+Down arrow key |
Top of Page
Select table content
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Select the content in the next cell. |
Tab key |
|
Select the content in the previous cell. |
Shift+Tab |
|
Extend a selection to adjacent cells. |
Shift+Arrow keys |
|
Select a column. |
Select the top or bottom cell of the column, and then press Shift+Up or Down arrow key |
|
Select a row. |
Select the first or last cell in the row, and then press Shift+Alt+End or Home. |
|
Select the whole table. |
Alt+5 on the numeric keypad, with Num Lock switched off |
Top of Page
Insert paragraphs and tab characters in a table
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a new paragraph in a cell. |
Enter |
|
Insert a tab character in a cell. |
Ctrl+Tab |
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Review a document
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a comment. |
Ctrl+Alt+M |
|
Turn change tracking on or off. |
Ctrl+Shift+E |
|
Close the Reviewing Pane. |
Alt+Shift+C |
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Work with references, citations, and indexing
Use the following shortcuts to add references to your document, such as a table of contents, footnotes, and citations.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Mark a table of contents entry. |
Alt+Shift+O |
|
Mark a table of authorities entry (citation). |
Alt+Shift+I |
|
Choose citation options. |
Alt+Shift+F12, Spacebar |
|
Mark an index entry. |
Alt+Shift+X |
|
Insert a footnote. |
Ctrl+Alt+F |
|
Insert an endnote. |
Ctrl+Alt+D |
|
Go to the next footnote. |
Alt+Shift+Right angle bracket (>) |
|
Go to the previous footnote. |
Alt+Shift+Left angle bracket (<) |
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Work with mail merge and fields
To use the following keyboard shortcuts, the Mailings ribbon tab must be selected. To select the Mailings tab, press Alt+M.
Perform a mail merge
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Preview the mail merge. |
Alt+Shift+K |
|
Merge a document. |
Alt+Shift+N |
|
Print the merged document. |
Alt+Shift+M |
|
Edit a mail-merge data document. |
Alt+Shift+E |
|
Insert a merge field. |
Alt+Shift+F |
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Work with fields
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a DATE field. |
Alt+Shift+D |
|
Insert a LISTNUM field. |
Ctrl+Alt+L |
|
Insert a PAGE field. |
Alt+Shift+P |
|
Insert a TIME field. |
Alt+Shift+T |
|
Insert an empty field. |
Ctrl+F9 |
|
Update the linked information in a Word source document. |
Ctrl+Shift+F7 |
|
Update the selected fields. |
F9 |
|
Unlink a field. |
Ctrl+Shift+F9 |
|
Switch between a selected field code and its result. |
Shift+F9 |
|
Switch between all field codes and their results. |
Alt+F9 |
|
Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from a field displaying field results. |
Alt+Shift+F9 |
|
Go to the next field. |
F11 |
|
Go to the previous field. |
Shift+F11 |
|
Lock a field. |
Ctrl+F11 |
|
Unlock a field. |
Ctrl+Shift+F11 |
Top of Page
Work with text in other languages
Set the proofing language
Every document has a default language, typically the same default language as your computer’s operating system. If your document also contains words or phrases in a different language, it’s a good idea to set the proofing language for those words. This not only makes it possible to check spelling and grammar for those phrases, but it also enables assistive technologies like screen readers to handle them appropriately.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Display the Language dialog box to set the proofing language. |
Alt+R, U, L |
|
Set default languages. |
Alt+R, L |
Top of Page
Insert international characters
To type a lowercase character by using a key combination that includes the Shift key, hold down the Ctrl+Shift+symbol keys simultaneously, and then release them before you type the letter.
Note: If you type extensively in another language, you might prefer to switch to a different keyboard instead.
|
To insert this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
à, è, ì, ò, ù, |
Ctrl+Grave accent (`), the letter |
|
á, é, í, ó, ú, ý |
Ctrl+Single quotation mark (‘), the letter |
|
â, ê, î, ô, û |
Ctrl+Shift+Caret (^), the letter |
|
ã, ñ, õ |
Ctrl+Shift+Tilde (~), the letter |
|
ä, ë, ï, ö, ü, ÿ, |
Ctrl+Shift+Colon (:), the letter |
|
å, Å |
Ctrl+Shift+At sign (@), a or A |
|
æ, Æ |
Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand (&), a or A |
|
œ, Œ |
Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand (&), o or O |
|
ç, Ç |
Ctrl+Comma (,), c or C |
|
ð, Ð |
Ctrl+Single quotation mark (‘), d or D |
|
ø, Ø |
Ctrl+Forward slash (/), o or O |
|
¿ |
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Question mark (?) |
|
¡ |
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Exclamation point (!) |
|
ß |
Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand (&), s |
Top of Page
Use Input Method Editors for East Asian languages
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Switch to the Japanese Input Method Editor (IME) for a 101-key keyboard, if available. |
Alt+Tilde (~) |
|
Switch to the Korean Input Method Editor (IME) for a 101-key keyboard, if available. |
Right Alt |
|
Switch to the Chinese Input Method Editor (IME) for a 101-key keyboard, if available. |
Ctrl+Spacebar |
Top of Page
Work with document views
Word offers several different views of a document. Each view makes it easier to do certain tasks. For example, Read Mode enables you view the document as a horizontal sequence of pages, which you can quickly browse using the Left and Right arrow keys.
Switch the document view
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Switch to the Read Mode view. In Word 2007 and 2010, this is called Full Screen Reading view. |
Alt+W, F |
|
Switch to the Print Layout view. |
Ctrl+Alt+P |
|
Switch to the Outline view. |
Ctrl+Alt+O |
|
Switch to the Draft view. |
Ctrl+Alt+N |
Top of Page
Outline a document
These shortcuts only apply when the document is in the Outline view.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Promote a paragraph. |
Alt+Shift+Left arrow key |
|
Demote a paragraph. |
Alt+Shift+Right arrow key |
|
Demote the paragraph to body text. |
Ctrl+Shift+N |
|
Move the selected paragraphs up. |
Alt+Shift+Up arrow key |
|
Move the selected paragraphs down. |
Alt+Shift+Down arrow key |
|
Expand the text under a heading. |
Alt+Shift+Plus sign (+) |
|
Collapse the text under a heading. |
Alt+Shift+Minus sign (-) |
|
Expand or collapse all text or headings. |
Alt+Shift+A |
|
Hide or display the character formatting. |
Forward slash (/) (on the numeric keypad) |
|
Switch between showing the first line of body text and showing all body text. |
Alt+Shift+L |
|
Show all headings with the Heading 1 style. |
Alt+Shift+1 |
|
Show all headings with the specified heading level. |
Alt+Shift+Heading level number |
|
Insert a tab character. |
Ctrl+Tab |
Top of Page
Move through the document in Read Mode
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Move to the beginning of the document. |
Home |
|
Move to the end of the document. |
End |
|
Go to a specific page. |
Type the page number, then press Enter |
|
Exit Read Mode. |
Esc |
Top of Page
Use function key shortcuts
|
Key |
Description |
|---|---|
|
F1 |
|
|
F2 |
|
|
F3 |
|
|
F4 |
|
|
F5 |
|
|
F6 |
|
|
F7 |
|
|
F8 |
|
|
F9 |
|
|
F10 |
|
|
F11 |
|
|
F12 |
|
Top of Page
See also
Word help center
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
Screen reader support for Word
This article describes the keyboard shortcuts and function keys in Word for Mac.
Notes:
-
The settings in some versions of the Mac operating system (OS) and some utility applications might conflict with keyboard shortcuts and function key operations in Microsoft 365 for Mac. For information about changing the key assignment for a keyboard shortcut, see Mac Help for your version of macOS, your utility application, or refer to Shortcut conflicts.
-
If you don’t find a keyboard shortcut here that meets your needs, you can create a custom keyboard shortcut. For instructions, go to Create a custom keyboard shortcut for Office for Mac.
-
Many of the shortcuts that use the Ctrl key on a Windows keyboard also work with the Control key in Word for Mac. However, not all do.
-
To quickly find a shortcut in this article, you can use Search. Press Command+F, and then type your search words.
For the best experience using your keyboard with the ribbon, enable your keyboard to access all controls.
-
To open the System Preferences, press
+Spacebar, type system preferences, and press Return. -
To go to Keyboard Settings, type keyboard and press Return.
-
In the Shortcuts tab, press Control+F7 to change the Full Keyboard Access setting from Text boxes and lists only to All Controls.
In this topic
-
Frequently used shortcuts
-
Shortcut conflicts
-
Navigate the document
-
Select text and graphics
-
Edit text and graphics
-
Work with tables
-
Drawing
-
Work with fields
-
Outline a document
-
Review a document
-
Use footnotes and endnotes
-
Work with right-to-left languages
-
Use function key shortcuts
Frequently used shortcuts
This table lists frequently used shortcuts in Word for Mac.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Undo the previous action. |
|
|
Redo the previous action, if possible. |
|
|
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. |
|
|
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. |
|
|
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. |
|
|
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. * |
Shift+F10 |
|
Display the Go To dialog box. |
|
|
Display the Spelling and Grammar dialog box. |
|
|
Enable extended selection mode. |
F8 |
|
Switch to the next window. |
|
|
Switch to the previous window. |
|
|
Display the Save As dialog box. |
|
|
Find text (move focus to the Search in Document box). |
|
|
Display the Find and Replace pane. |
Control+H |
|
Display the Print dialog box. |
|
|
Close the current document. |
|
|
Expand or minimize the ribbon. |
|
|
Find the next spelling or grammatical error. The Check spelling as you type feature must be enabled. |
Option+F7 |
|
Open the Dictionary. |
In Word 2011, Option+Shift+F7 |
Top of Page
Shortcut conflicts
Some Word for Mac keyboard shortcuts conflict with default macOS keyboard shortcuts. This topic flags such shortcuts with an asterisk ( * ). To use these shortcuts, you may have to change your Mac keyboard settings to change the shortcut for the key.
Change system preferences for keyboard shortcuts
-
From the Apple menu, select System Preferences.
-
Select Keyboard.
-
Select the Shortcuts tab.
-
Select Mission Control.
-
Clear the check box for the keyboard shortcut conflicting with the Word for Mac shortcut that you want to use.
Navigate the document
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Move the cursor one word to the left. |
Option+Left arrow key |
|
Move the cursor one word to the right. |
Option+Right arrow key |
|
Move the cursor up by one paragraph. |
|
|
Move the cursor down by one paragraph. |
|
|
Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line. |
Home |
|
Move the cursor to the end of the current line. |
End |
|
Move the cursor to the top of the previous page. |
On a MacBook, press |
|
Move the cursor to the top of the next page. |
On a MacBook, press |
|
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. |
On a MacBook, press |
|
Move the cursor to the end of the document. |
On a MacBook, press |
|
Move the cursor to the previous insertion point. |
Shift+F5 |
|
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view up by one screen. |
Page up |
|
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view down by one screen. |
Page down |
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Select text and graphics
Tip: If you know the key combination to move the cursor, you can generally select the text by using the same key combination while holding down Shift. For example, 
+Right arrow moves the cursor to the next word, and +Shift+Right arrow selects the text from the cursor to the beginning of the next word.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Select multiple items that are not next to each other. |
Select the first item that you want, hold down |
|
Select text. |
Shift+Arrow keys |
|
Select the word to the left. |
Shift+Option+Left arrow key |
|
Select the word to the right. |
Shift+Option+Right arrow key |
|
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current line. |
Shift+Home |
|
Select from the current position to the end of the current line. |
Shift+End |
|
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current paragraph. |
|
|
Select from the current position to the end of the current paragraph. |
|
|
Select from the current position to the top of the screen. |
Shift+Page up |
|
Select from the current position to the bottom of the screen. |
Shift+Page down |
|
Select from the current position to the beginning of the document. |
|
|
Select from the current position to the end of the document. |
|
|
Select from the current position to the bottom of the window. |
|
|
Select all document content. |
|
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Extend a selection
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Start extending the selection. * |
F8 In the extend selection mode, clicking a location in the document extends the current selection to that location. |
|
Select the nearest character to the left. |
F8, Left arrow key |
|
Select the nearest character to the right. |
F8, Right arrow key |
|
Expand the selection. |
F8 repeatedly to expand the selection to the entire word, sentence, paragraph, section, and document. |
|
Reduce the selection. * |
Shift+F8 |
|
Select a vertical block of text. |
|
|
Stop extending the selection. |
Esc |
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Edit text and graphics
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. |
F2 |
|
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. |
F3 |
|
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. |
F4 |
|
Display the Paste Special dialog box. |
|
|
Cut the selected content to the Spike. |
|
|
Paste the contents of the Spike. |
|
|
Copy the selected formatting. |
|
|
Paste the copied formatting. |
|
|
Create an AutoText entry. |
Option+F3 |
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Align and format paragraphs
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Center the paragraph. |
|
|
Justify the paragraph. |
|
|
Align the paragraph to the left. |
|
|
Align the paragraph to the right. |
|
|
Indent the paragraph. |
Control+Shift+M |
|
Remove a paragraph indent. |
|
|
Create a hanging indent. |
|
|
Remove a hanging indent. |
|
|
Apply single-spacing to the paragraph. |
|
|
Apply double-spacing to the paragraph. |
|
|
Apply 1.5-line spacing to the paragraph. |
|
|
Enable AutoFormat. |
|
|
Apply the Normal style. |
|
|
Apply the Heading 1 style. |
|
|
Apply the Heading 2 style. |
|
|
Apply the Heading 3 style. |
|
|
Apply the List style. |
|
|
Insert a nonbreaking space. |
Option+Spacebar |
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Format characters
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Increase the font size. |
|
|
Decrease the font size. |
|
|
Increase the font size by 1 point. |
|
|
Decrease the font size by 1 point. |
|
|
Display the Font dialog box. |
|
|
Switch the text between upper case, lower case, and title case. |
Shift+F3 |
|
Change the text to all upper case. |
|
|
Apply bold formatting. |
|
|
Add a bulleted list. |
|
|
Apply underline formatting. |
|
|
Apply underline formatting to the words, but not the spaces. |
|
|
Apply double-underline formatting. |
|
|
Apply italics formatting. |
|
|
Apply small caps formatting. |
|
|
Apply strike-through formatting. |
|
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Insert special characters
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert an empty field. |
|
|
Insert a line break. |
Shift+Return |
|
Insert a page break. |
|
|
Insert a column break. |
|
|
Insert a nonbreaking hyphen. |
|
|
Insert a registered trademark symbol (®). |
Option+R |
|
Insert a trademark symbol (™). |
Option+2 |
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Work with tables
Move around in a table
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Move to the next cell and select its content. |
Tab key |
|
Move to the previous cell and select its content. |
Shift+Tab |
|
Move to the next row. |
Down arrow key |
|
Move to the previous row. |
Up arrow key |
|
Move to the first cell in the row. |
Control+Home |
|
Move to the last cell in the row. |
Control+End |
|
Move to the first cell in the column. |
Control+Page up |
|
Move to the last cell in the column. |
Control+Page down |
|
Add a new row to the bottom of the table. |
Tab key, at the end of the last row |
|
Insert a row. |
|
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Select table content
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Select the content in the next cell. |
Tab key |
|
Select the content in the previous cell. |
Shift+Tab |
|
Extend a selection to adjacent cells. |
Shift+Arrow keys |
|
Select a row. |
Select the first or last cell in the row, and then press Shift+Alt+End or Home. |
Top of Page
Resize table columns with the ruler
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Retain the column sizes to the right and change the table width. |
Drag the column boundary in the ruler |
|
Move a single column line and retain the table width. |
Shift+Drag the column boundary in the ruler |
|
Equally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. |
|
|
Proportionally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. |
|
Top of Page
Resize table columns directly in a table
Tip: To finely adjust the column width and display the column’s measurements in the ruler when you resize the column, turn off the snap-to functionality by pressing Option with the shortcut keys.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Move a single column line and retain the table width. |
Drag the column boundary |
|
Retain column sizes to the right and change the table width. |
Shift+Drag the column boundary |
|
Equally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. |
|
|
Proportionally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. |
|
Top of Page
Insert paragraphs and tab characters in a table
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a new paragraph in a cell. |
Return |
|
Insert a Tab character in a cell. |
Option+Tab |
Top of Page
Drawing
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Toggle drawing mode. |
|
Top of Page
Work with fields
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a DATE field. |
Control+Shift+D |
|
Insert a LISTNUM field. |
|
|
Insert a PAGE field. |
Control+Shift+P |
|
Insert a TIME field. |
Control+Shift+T |
|
Insert an empty field. |
|
|
Update the selected fields. * |
F9 |
|
Switch between a field code and its result. * |
Shift+F9 |
|
Switch between all field codes and their results. |
Option+F9 |
|
Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from a field displaying field results. |
Option+Shift+F9 |
|
Lock a field. |
|
|
Unlock a field. |
|
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Outline a document
These shortcuts only apply when the document is in the Outline view.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Promote a paragraph. |
Control+Shift+Left arrow key |
|
Demote a paragraph. |
Control+Shift+Right arrow key |
|
Demote the paragraph to body text. |
|
|
Move the selected paragraphs up. * |
Control+Shift+Up arrow key |
|
Move the selected paragraphs down. * |
Control+Shift+Down arrow key |
|
Expand the text under a heading. |
Control+Shift+Plus sign (+) |
|
Collapse text under a heading. * |
Control+Shift+Minus sign (-) |
|
Expand all body text and headings, or collapse all body text. |
Control+Shift+A |
|
Switch between showing the first line of body text and showing all body text. |
Control+Shift+L |
|
Show all headings with the specified heading level. |
Control+Shift+Heading level number |
Top of Page
Review a document
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a comment. |
|
|
Turn change tracking on or off. |
|
|
Move to the beginning of a comment. |
Home |
|
Move to the end of a comment. |
End (The End key is not available on all keyboards.) |
|
Move to the beginning of the list of comments. |
|
|
Move to the end of the list of comments. |
|
Top of Page
Use footnotes and endnotes
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Insert a footnote. |
|
|
Insert an endnote. |
|
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Work with right-to-left languages
Word supports right-to-left functionality for languages that work in a right-to-left or a combined right-to-left, left-to-right environment for writing, editing, and displaying text. In this context, right-to-left languages refers to any writing system that is written from right to left and includes languages that require contextual shaping, such as Arabic, and languages that do not.
Before you can use these keyboard shortcuts, you need to ensure keyboard shortcuts are enabled for the language you are using:
-
Go to Apple > System Preferences > Keyboard.
-
On the Input Sources tab, select the language for which you want to enable shortcuts.
-
On the right side of the tab, select the check box for Enable keyboard shortcuts.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Switch the writing direction to right-to-left. |
Control+ |
|
Switch the writing direction to left-to-right. |
Control+ |
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Use function key shortcuts
Word for Mac uses the function keys for common commands, including Copy and Paste. For quick access to these shortcuts, you can change your Apple system preferences so you don’t have to press the Fn key every time you use a function key shortcut.
Note: Changing system function key preferences affects how the function keys work on your Mac, not just in Word. After changing this setting, you can still perform the special features printed on a function key. Just press the Fn key. For example, to use the F12 key to change your volume, press Fn+F12.
If a function key doesn’t work as you expect it to, press the Fn key in addition to the function key. If you don’t want to press the Fn key each time, you can change your Apple system preferences. For instructions, go to Change function key preferences.
The following table provides the function key shortcuts for Word for Mac.
|
Key |
Description |
|---|---|
|
F1 |
|
|
F2 |
|
|
F3 |
|
|
F4 |
|
|
F5 |
|
|
F6 |
|
|
F7 |
|
|
F8 |
|
|
F9 |
|
|
F10 |
|
|
F11 |
|
Top of Page
Change function key preferences
-
In the Apple menu, select System Preferences.
-
Select Keyboard.
-
On the Keyboard tab, select the check box for Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.
See also
Word help center
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
Screen reader support for Word
This article describes the keyboard shortcuts in Word for the web.
Notes:
-
If you use Narrator with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have to turn off scan mode in order to edit documents, spreadsheets, or presentations with Microsoft 365 for the web. For more information, refer to Turn off virtual or browse mode in screen readers in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
-
To quickly find a shortcut in this article, you can use Search. Press Ctrl+F and then type your search words.
-
When you use Word for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Word for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Word for the web.
In this topic
-
Frequently used shortcuts
-
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
-
Navigate the document
-
Edit and format the document
-
Work with comments
Frequently used shortcuts
This table lists the most frequently used shortcuts in Word for the web.
Tip: To quickly create a new document in Word for the web, open your browser, type Word.new in the address bar, and then press Enter.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
In the Reading view, open a PDF-based view tagged to work with screen readers. |
Press the Tab key until you reach the Accessibility Mode button, and then press Enter |
|
Find text in the Reading view. |
Ctrl+F or F3 |
|
Find text in the Editing view. |
Ctrl+F or Ctrl+G |
|
Find and replace text in the Editing view. |
Ctrl+H |
|
Hide the task pane, if one is open. |
Esc |
|
Switch to the Zoom control. |
Alt+Period, W, then Q or Alt+Windows logo key, W, then Q |
|
Print the document. |
Ctrl+P |
|
Move to the next landmark region. |
Ctrl+F6 |
|
Go to the Tell Me or Search text field. |
Alt+Q |
Top of Page
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
Word for the web offers shortcuts called access keys to navigate the ribbon. If you’ve used access keys to save time on Word for desktop computers, you’ll find access keys very similar in Word for the web.
On a Windows computer, access keys all start with Alt+Period (.) or Alt+Windows logo key, then add a letter for the ribbon tab. For example, to go to the Review tab, press Alt+Period, R or Alt+Windows logo key, R.
If you’re using Word for the web on a Mac computer, press Control+Period (.) to start.
-
To get to the ribbon, press Alt+Period or Alt+Windows logo key. You can alternatively press Ctrl+F6 until you reach the Home tab.
-
To move between tabs on the ribbon, press the Tab key.
-
To hide the ribbon so you have more room to work, press Ctrl+F3. Repeat to display the ribbon again.
Go to the access keys for the ribbon
To go directly to a tab on the ribbon, press one of the following access keys:
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Open the Tell Me or Search text field on the ribbon to type a search term. |
Alt+Period, Q or Alt+Windows logo key, Q |
|
Open the File tab to use the Backstage view. |
Alt+Period, F or Alt+Windows logo key, F |
|
Open the Home tab to format text and use the Find tool. |
Alt+Period, H or Alt+Windows logo key, H |
|
Open the Insert tab to insert a picture, link, comment, header or footer, or a page number. You can also access the Symbol gallery. |
Alt+Period, N or Alt+Windows logo key, N |
|
Open the Page Layout tab to set page margins, orientation, and size, and paragraph spacing. |
Alt+Period, A or Alt+Windows logo key, A |
|
Open the References tab to insert a table of contents, footnotes, or endnotes. |
Alt+Period, S or Alt+Windows logo key, S |
|
Open the Review tab to check spelling, add comments, or track and review changes to your document. |
Alt+Period, R or Alt+Windows logo key, R |
|
Open the View tab to choose a view, open the Navigation pane, edit the Header & Footer, and to Zoom the document view. |
Alt+Period, W or Alt+Windows logo key, W |
Top of Page
Use Search
To find an option or perform an action quickly, use the Search text field. To learn more about the Search feature, go to Find what you need with Microsoft Search.
Note: Depending on the version of Microsoft 365 you are using, the Search text field at the top of the app window might be called Tell Me instead. Both offer a largely similar experience, but some options and search results can vary.
-
Select the item or place in your document, presentation, or spreadsheet where you want to perform an action.
-
To go to the Search text field, press Alt+Q.
-
Type the search words for the action that you want to perform. For example, if you want to add a bulleted list, type bullets.
-
Press the Down arrow key to browse through the search results.
-
Once you’ve found the result that you want, press Enter to select it and to perform the action.
Work in the ribbon tabs and menus
The following shortcuts can save time when you work with the ribbon tabs and ribbon menus.
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Select the active tab on the ribbon, and activate the access keys. |
Alt+Period or Alt+Windows logo key. To move to a different tab, use an access key or the Tab key. |
|
When a Ribbon tab is selected, move the focus to the tab commands. |
Enter, then Tab key or Shift+Tab |
|
Activate a selected button. |
Spacebar or Enter |
|
Open the list for a selected command. |
Spacebar or Enter |
|
Open the menu for a selected button. |
Alt+Down arrow key |
|
When a menu or submenu is open, move to the next command. |
Down arrow key |
|
Collapse or expand the ribbon. |
Ctrl+F3 |
Top of Page
Navigate the document
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Move the cursor right by one word. |
Ctrl+Right arrow key |
|
Move the cursor left by one word. |
Ctrl+Left arrow key |
|
Move the cursor up by one paragraph. |
Ctrl+Up arrow key |
|
Move the cursor down by one paragraph. |
Ctrl+Down arrow key |
|
Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line. |
Home |
|
Move the cursor to the end of the current line. |
End |
|
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. |
Ctrl+Home |
|
Move the cursor to the end of the document. |
Ctrl+End |
|
Select text. |
Shift+Arrow keys |
|
Select the word to the right. |
Shift+Ctrl+Right arrow key |
|
Select the word to the left. |
Shift+Ctrl+Left arrow key |
|
Select the paragraph above. |
Shift+Ctrl+Up arrow key |
|
Select the paragraph below. |
Shift+Ctrl+Down arrow key |
|
Select from the current position to the beginning of the line. |
Shift+Home |
|
Select from the current position to the end of the line. |
Shift+End |
|
Select from the current position to the beginning of the document. |
Shift+Ctrl+Home |
|
Select from the current position to the end of the document. |
Shift+Ctrl+End |
|
Select all document content. |
Ctrl+A |
Top of Page
Edit and format the document
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+X |
|
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+C |
|
Paste the content from the Clipboard. |
Ctrl+V |
|
Undo the previous action. |
Ctrl+Z |
|
Redo the previous action. |
Ctrl+Y |
|
Shrink the font size. |
Ctrl+Left bracket ([) |
|
Grow the font size. |
Ctrl+Right bracket (]) |
|
Apply bold formatting to the selected text. |
Ctrl+B |
|
Apply italic formatting to the selected text. |
Ctrl+I |
|
Underline the selected text. |
Ctrl+U |
|
Align the paragraph to the left. |
Ctrl+L |
|
Align the paragraph to the right. |
Ctrl+R |
|
Center the paragraph. |
Ctrl+E |
|
Justify the paragraph. |
Ctrl+J |
|
Create a bulleted list. |
Ctrl+Period (.) |
|
Create a numbered list. |
Ctrl+Slash (/) |
Top of Page
See also
Word help center
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
Screen reader support for Word
Title Bar
Displays the document name followed by a program name.
Menu Bar
Contains a list of options to manage and customize documents.
Standard Toolbar
Contains shortcut buttons for the most popular commands.
Formatting Toolbar
Contains buttons used for formatting.
Ruler
Used to set margins, indents, and tabs.
Insertion Point
The location where the next character appears.
End-of-Document Marker
Indicates the end of the document.
Help
Provides quick access to Help topics.
Scroll bars
Used to view parts of the document.
Status Bar
Displays position of the insertion point and working mode buttons.
Task Pane
Provides easy access to commonly used menus, buttons and tools.
View Buttons
Changes the layout view of the document to Normal View, Web Layout View, Reading Layout View, Print Layout View, or Outline View.
Office Assistant
Links to the Microsoft Office Help feature.
Change in View
In an effort to provide various ways in which to view your work in progress and remain organized, Word 2003 offers six different views for your document. The six views are Normal View, Web Layout View, Reading Layout View, Print Layout View, Outline View, and Full Screen View.
Normal view is best used for typing, editing, formatting and proofreading. It provides a maximum amount of space without rulers or page numbers cluttering your view.
Web Layout view shows you what your text will look like on a web page.
Reading Layout view is best for documents that you do not need to edit. The goal of this view is to increase legibility so that the user can read the document easily.
Print Layout view shows you what your document will look like when it is printed. Under Print Layout view you can see all elements of the page. Print Preview shows you this as well.
Outline view is used to create and edit outlines. Outline view only shows the headings in a document. This view is particularly handy when making notes.
Full Screen view displays ONLY the document that you are working on. All the other pieces of the Word window are removed except for one button that allows you to Close View Screen.
Changing your Document View:
- Click View on the menu bar.
- Select the view of your choice.
OR
- Click one of the five buttons at the bottom left of your Word window
(View Full Screen is not available in this location).
Pull-Down Menus
Each Office 2003 program features a menu bar. The menu bar is made up of many different menus. Each menu contains commands that enable you to work within the program.
If you have used a previous version of Microsoft Word, you may notice the menu bar in Word 2003 operates a little differently than before.
Word 2003 uses pull-down menus that initially display commands that users most often need.
Operating the new Pull-Down Menus
To Open a Menu:
- Click on a menu name on the menu bar.
- View the commands listed under the pull-down menu.
- With the menu open, drag the mouse pointer to a command and click on it to select the command. (As you drag your mouse pointer over the commands, each command is highlighted in blue.)
- If there is a small black triangle next to a command, hover the mouse pointer over the command with the triangle and a cascading menu with additional options will appear. Point and click to make a selection from the cascading menu.
- Commands that are not used often in 2003 are initially hidden from the viewer. If you do not see all the commands on a menu, click on the double arrows at the bottom of the pull-down menu. You can also double-click the menu to expand it.
Using the Task Pane
When opened, the task pane will appear on the right side of the Word window. The task pane provides easy access to commonly used menus, buttons and tools. By default, the Task Pane will appear when Word 2003 is first launched.
If you do not see your task pane, you can view it by either selecting certain commands or by manually opening it.
To Open the Task Pane:
- Click on View in the menu bar.
- Select Task Pane.
Along the top bar of the task pane you should see small backwards and forwards buttons on the left as well as a down arrow on the right. To view different task panes available to you, click on the down arrow. Once you have opened different task panes, you can navigate through them by clicking on the left and right arrow button on the left. To close your task pane, click the x symbol on the far right of the bar.
Challenge!
- Download and save the Personal Letter Word document to complete challenges 1 through 6. Need help? How to Download a file.
- After opening the document, change the view to Normal View.
- Practice using the pull-down menus on the menu bar.
- Find the Task Pane and become familiar with it.
- Type today’s date at the beginning of the document.
- Save the document by selecting File >> Save from the main menu.
- Close the document.
Save and Save As
Introduction
By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:
- Use Save
- Use Save As
Saving a New File
When Saving a File for the First Time:
- Click File on the Menu Bar.
- Select Save — Ctrl+S.
Using the Standard Toolbar to Save:
Choose the Save button 
on the Standard Toolbar.
Save As Dialog Box
After selecting Save from the Menu Bar or the Standard Toolbar, the Save As Dialog Box appears.
To Specify a File Location:
- Open the Save In: drop down list box.
- Choose 31/2 floppy (A:) if saving to a floppy disk.
- Choose (C:) if saving to your hard disk.
- Name your file in the File name: box.
- Click Save.
If you do not choose a file name, Microsoft Word will assign a file name for you. It assigns the first line of text in you document, unless you give it a different name when prompted in the File name box.
If you do not specify a file location, Office uses the My Documents folder as the default location. So, if you can’t find a file, check My Documents.
After Naming and Saving a File Once:
- Click the Save button on the Standard toolbar.
OR
- Go to the File menu and choose Save.
You will not get a Save As dialog box again.
Saving a File Under a New Name
If you wish to create an exact copy of an original document for editing or revising purposes, you should perform a Save As on the file and save it under a new name. This will guarantee that you always have a saved, original copy.
Follow these steps to perform a Save As:
- Click File from the menu bar.
- Select Save As. The Save As Dialog Box appears.
- Type a new name for your file in the File name: box.
- Click Save.
Choose Save As to rename a document. Be careful not to overwrite your original file.
Did you Know?
Save periodically when you are working in an application. Losing information is never fun! You can quickly save by using the quick-key combination Ctrl + S.
If Word encounters a problem, it may automatically shut down without giving you the chance to Save. The Document Recovery Task Pane will appear the next time you open Word. This pane allows you to view files that were recovered when Word discontinued working properly. Select the best version of your document and make sure to save it.
Cut, Copy, Paste and Drag and Drop
Introduction
By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:
- Cut, copy and paste
- Drag and drop
Cut, Copy, Paste
Often in word processing, you will need to transfer information from one document to another. Instead of having to re-type or replace this information, Word allows you to move a block of text (a word, sentence, paragraph, page, document, or graphic). Cut, Copy and Paste are extremely time-saving features. The Cut, Copy and Paste buttons are located on the Standard toolbar.
Cut and Paste:
- The Cut feature allows you to remove selected text from the document and temporarily place it on the Office Clipboard.
- The Clipboard is a temporary storage file in your computer’s memory. Items placed on the Clipboard will remain there until you exit Word.
- The Paste feature allows you to get text from the Clipboard and place it in the same or even another document.
Copy and Paste:
- The Copy feature allows you to copy selected text from the document and temporarily place it on the Clipboard.
- The Clipboard is a temporary storage file in your computer’s memory.
- The Clipboard can hold up to twenty-four items. Once you copy the 25th item, the first copied item is deleted.
- The Paste feature allows you to select any of the collected items on the Clipboard place it in the same or even another document.
You can Copy information from many different sources including Websites, Emails, and other Office applications like Excel and PowerPoint.
Working with Blocks of Text
To Cut and Paste a Block of Text:
To Copy and Paste a Block of Text:
Viewing the Clipboard items:
- Click Edit on the Menu Bar.
- Select Office Clipboard.
- The Clipboard will appear on the right side of the Word window in the Task Pane.
- The Clipboard will display any of the 24 items you have copied.
Menu Commands:
Keyboard Shortcuts:
- Ctrl+C = copy
- Ctrl+X = cut
- Ctrl+V = paste
Become comfortable using the keyboard shortcuts to increase your speed in word processing.
If you cut, copy, or paste something you didn’t mean to, use the Undo button or choose not to save changes to your document when you close your document.
Drag and Drop
The drag and drop method of moving text allows you to move selected text using your mouse.
This method is convenient for moving text when:
- Moving text from one location to another within a document.
- Moving text to another document.
To Drag and Drop Selected Text:
Drag:
- Select the text you wish to move.
- Place the mouse pointer anywhere on the selected text without clicking.
- Click and hold the right mouse button until the insertion point changes into a white arrow pointing up to the left.
- Right click and drag the selected text to the new location.
Drop:
- During this process, the mouse pointer changes to a box with a small white arrow over it, indicating you are dragging text.
- When you reach the new location, release the mouse button to drop the text into place.
- Once you release the mouse button a menu list will appear that offers you the following options:
- Move Here
- Copy Here
- Link Here
- Create Hyperlink Here
- Cancel
(Be sure to remove the selection highlight before pressing any key, so that you do not delete your newly moved text. If you do accidentally delete, simply press the Undo button).
Challenge!
- Download and save the Personal Letter Word document to complete challenges 1 through 6. Need help? How to Download a file.
- Open the personal letter document.
- Use the Drag and Drop feature to move the first sentence of the letter (“My daughter just got…”) to the end of the final paragraph of the letter.
- Use the mouse to select the paragraph you wrote (3rd paragraph).
- Use the Copy, Paste, and Cut features to move the 3rd paragraph so it is the second paragraph of the letter.
- Save and close the document.
Presentation on theme: «Window’s Edit Tools. Cut To remove an object from a document and place it in a buffer. In word processing, for example, cut means to move a section of.»— Presentation transcript:
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Window’s Edit Tools
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Cut To remove an object from a document and place it in a buffer. In word processing, for example, cut means to move a section of text from a document to a temporary buffer. This is one way to delete text. However, because the text is transferred to a buffer, it is not lost forever. You can copy the buffer somewhere else in the document or in another document, which is called pasting. To move a section of text from one place to another, therefore, you need to first cut it and then paste it. This is often called cut-and- paste. Most applications have only one buffer, sometimes called a clipboard. If you make two cuts in succession, the text from the original cut will be replaced by the text from the second cut.objectdocumentbufferword processingtextdeletecopypasteapplicationsclipboard
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Copy To copy a piece of data to a temporary location. In word processing, for example, copying refers to duplicating a section of a document and placing it in a buffer (sometimes called a clipboard). The term copy differs from cut, which refers to actually removing a section of a document and placing it in a buffer. After cutting or copying, you can move the contents of the buffer by pasting it somewhere else.dataword processingdocumentbuffer clipboardcut
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Clipboard A special file or memory area (buffer) where data is stored temporarily before being copied to another location. Many word processors, for example, use a clipboard for cutting and pasting. When you cut a block of text, the word processor copies the block to the clipboard; when you paste the block, the word processor copies it from the clipboard to its final destination. In Microsoft Windows and the Apple Macintosh operating system, the Clipboard (with a capital C) can be used to copy data from one application to another.filememorybufferdatastoredcopiedword processorscuttingblocktextpastedestination Microsoft WindowsApple Macintoshoperating systemapplication
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Paste To copy an object from a buffer (or clipboard) to a file. In word processing, blocks of text are moved from one place to another by cutting and pasting. When you cut a block of text, the word processor removes the block from your file and places it in a temporary holding area (a buffer). You can then paste the material in the buffer somewhere else. Modern operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, allow you to cut an object from one application and paste it into another. Depending on how the object is pasted, it can be either linked or embedded.copyobjectbufferclipboardfileword processingblockstextcuttingword processoroperating systemsMicrosoft Windowsapplicationlinked
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Paste Special Special variation of the Paste command found only on the Edit Menu. Paste Special offers formatting options to select from that determine how the contents of the clipboard is pasted. Option is used when pasting a link between two files.
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Print Screen Key Often abbreviated Prt Scr, the Print Screen key is a useful key supported on most PCs. In DOS, pressing the Print Screen key causes the computer to send whatever images and text are currently on the display screen to the printer. Some graphics programs, including Windows, use the Print Screen key to obtain screen captures.keysupportedPCsDOScomputertext display screenprintergraphics programsWindowscaptures Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP captures an image file of your computer’s monitor to the Clipboard.
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Key location