You could use a macro, but it’s simpler to use styles. Define a character style that has the desired text color and assign a shortcut key to it, say Alt+R. In order to be able to switch color using just the keyboard, define another character style, say “normal”, that has no special feature—just for use to get normal text after switching to your colored style, and assign another shortcut to it, say Alt+N. Then you would just type text, press Alt+R to switch to colored text, type that text, press Alt+N to resume normal text color, etc.
Nae
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answered Apr 28, 2014 at 6:46
Jukka K. KorpelaJukka K. Korpela
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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 |
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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 (), type 20AC, and then hold down Alt and press X. 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) |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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 |
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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 |
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Use function key shortcuts
Key |
Description |
---|---|
F1 |
|
F2 |
|
F3 |
|
F4 |
|
F5 |
|
F6 |
|
F7 |
|
F8 |
|
F9 |
|
F10 |
|
F11 |
|
F12 |
|
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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. |
+Z or F1 |
Redo the previous action, if possible. |
+Y |
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. |
+X or F2 |
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. |
+C or F3 |
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. |
+V or F4 |
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. * |
Shift+F10 |
Display the Go To dialog box. |
+Option+G or F5 |
Display the Spelling and Grammar dialog box. |
+Option+L or F7 |
Enable extended selection mode. |
F8 |
Switch to the next window. |
+Grave accent ( ` ) |
Switch to the previous window. |
+Shift+Grave accent (`) |
Display the Save As dialog box. |
+Shift+S |
Find text (move focus to the Search in Document box). |
+F |
Display the Find and Replace pane. |
Control+H |
Display the Print dialog box. |
+P |
Close the current document. |
+F4 |
Expand or minimize the ribbon. |
+Option+R |
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 |
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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. |
+Up arrow key |
Move the cursor down by one paragraph. |
+Down arrow key |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line. |
+Left arrow Home |
Move the cursor to the end of the current line. |
+Right arrow key End |
Move the cursor to the top of the previous page. |
+Page up On a MacBook, press +Fn+Up arrow key |
Move the cursor to the top of the next page. |
+Page down On a MacBook, press +Fn+Down arrow key |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. |
+Home On a MacBook, press +Fn+Left arrow key |
Move the cursor to the end of the document. |
+End On a MacBook, press +Fn+Right arrow key |
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 , and then mouse click the additional items. |
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+Left arrow key Shift+Home |
Select from the current position to the end of the current line. |
+Shift+Right arrow key Shift+End |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current paragraph. |
+Shift+Up arrow key |
Select from the current position to the end of the current paragraph. |
+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. |
+Shift+Home |
Select from the current position to the end of the document. |
+Shift+End |
Select from the current position to the bottom of the window. |
+Shift+Option+Page down |
Select all document content. |
+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. |
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. |
+Shift+F8, then press the arrow keys |
Stop extending the selection. |
Esc |
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Edit text and graphics
To do this |
Press |
---|---|
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. |
+X F2 |
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. |
+C F3 |
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. |
+V F4 |
Display the Paste Special dialog box. |
+Control+V |
Cut the selected content to the Spike. |
+F3 |
Paste the contents of the Spike. |
+Shift+F3 |
Copy the selected formatting. |
+Shift+C |
Paste the copied formatting. |
+Shift+V |
Create an AutoText entry. |
Option+F3 |
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Align and format paragraphs
To do this |
Press |
---|---|
Center the paragraph. |
+E |
Justify the paragraph. |
+J |
Align the paragraph to the left. |
+L |
Align the paragraph to the right. |
+R |
Indent the paragraph. |
Control+Shift+M |
Remove a paragraph indent. |
+Shift+M |
Create a hanging indent. |
+T |
Remove a hanging indent. |
+Shift+T |
Apply single-spacing to the paragraph. |
+1 |
Apply double-spacing to the paragraph. |
+2 |
Apply 1.5-line spacing to the paragraph. |
+5 |
Enable AutoFormat. |
+Option+K |
Apply the Normal style. |
+Shift+N |
Apply the Heading 1 style. |
+Option+1 |
Apply the Heading 2 style. |
+Option+2 |
Apply the Heading 3 style. |
+Option+3 |
Apply the List style. |
+Shift+L, when the cursor is at the beginning of a line |
Insert a nonbreaking space. |
Option+Spacebar |
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Format characters
To do this |
Press |
---|---|
Increase the font size. |
+Shift+Right angle bracket (>) |
Decrease the font size. |
+Shift+Left angle bracket (<) |
Increase the font size by 1 point. |
+Right bracket (]) |
Decrease the font size by 1 point. |
+Left bracket ([) |
Display the Font dialog box. |
+D |
Switch the text between upper case, lower case, and title case. |
Shift+F3 |
Change the text to all upper case. |
+Shift+A |
Apply bold formatting. |
+B |
Add a bulleted list. |
+Shift+L |
Apply underline formatting. |
+U |
Apply underline formatting to the words, but not the spaces. |
+Shift+W |
Apply double-underline formatting. |
+Shift+D |
Apply italics formatting. |
+I |
Apply small caps formatting. |
+Shift+K |
Apply strike-through formatting. |
+Shift+X |
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Insert special characters
To do this |
Press |
---|---|
Insert an empty field. |
+F9 |
Insert a line break. |
Shift+Return |
Insert a page break. |
+Return |
Insert a column break. |
+Shift+Return |
Insert a nonbreaking hyphen. |
+Shift+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. |
+Control+I |
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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. |
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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. |
+Shift+Drag the column boundary in the ruler |
Proportionally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. |
+Drag the column boundary in the ruler |
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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. |
+Shift+Drag the column boundary |
Proportionally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. |
+Drag the column boundary |
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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 |
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Drawing
To do this |
Press |
---|---|
Toggle drawing mode. |
+Control+Z |
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Work with fields
To do this |
Press |
---|---|
Insert a DATE field. |
Control+Shift+D |
Insert a LISTNUM field. |
+Option+Shift+L |
Insert a PAGE field. |
Control+Shift+P |
Insert a TIME field. |
Control+Shift+T |
Insert an empty field. |
+F9 |
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. |
+F11 |
Unlock a field. |
+Shift+F11 |
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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. |
+Shift+N |
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 |
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Review a document
To do this |
Press |
---|---|
Insert a comment. |
+Option+A |
Turn change tracking on or off. |
+Shift+E |
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. |
+Home, in the Reviewing Pane. |
Move to the end of the list of comments. |
+End, in the Reviewing Pane. |
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Use footnotes and endnotes
To do this |
Press |
---|---|
Insert a footnote. |
+Option+F |
Insert an endnote. |
+Option+E |
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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++ Left arrow key |
Switch the writing direction to left-to-right. |
Control++ Right arrow key |
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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 |
|
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 19, 2017)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016
As an editor, Gillian likes to color-code sections of text for authors. She would, therefore, like to be able to create multiple keyboard shortcuts to highlight in different colors once she has selected text (e.g., Alt+G for green, Alt+B for blue, and Alt+Y for yellow). Gillian wonders if this is possible.
Yes, it is possible, but you’ll need to use a macro to do the work. Before doing so, however, you’ll need to figure out what shortcut keys you want to use. Gillian suggests using Alt+G, Alt+B, and Alt+Y. You can do this, but it may conflict with other uses of the Alt key (like accessing the ribbon tools from the keyboard). It may be better to use shortcut keys such as Shift+Alt+G, Shift+Alt+G, and Shift+Alt+Y.
To record a macro that sets text colors, just follow these steps:
- Select a word or phrase. (It doesn’t really matter what you select.)
- Display the Developer tab of the ribbon.
- In the Code group, click the Record Macro tool. Word displays the Record Macro dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
- In the Name field, enter a macro name that is descriptive of what you are doing. (For instance, if you are recording a macro to make text blue, you could use the name MakeTextBlue.)
- Using the Store Macro In drop-down list, choose All Documents (Normal.dotm).
- Click the Keyboard button. Word closes the Record Macro dialog box and shortly displays the Customize Keyboard dialog box. Note that the macro name you supplied in step 4 is shown in the dialog box and the insertion point is blinking in the Press New Shortcut Key box. (See Figure 2.)
- Press the shortcut key you want used to invoke the macro. (For instance, you might press Shift+Alt+B since your macro will make the selected text blue.)
- Click the Assign button. The shortcut key is now shown as assigned to the macro.
- Click Close. Word closes the Customize Keyboard dialog box and the macro recorder is running.
- Press Ctrl+D. Word displays the Font dialog box. (See Figure 3.)
- Using the Font Color drop-down list, pick whatever color of blue you want.
- Click OK to close the Font dialog box.
- Click the Stop Recording tool in the Code group.
Figure 1. The Record Macro dialog box.
Figure 2. The Customize Keyboard dialog box.
Figure 3. The Font dialog box.
At this point your macro is complete, and you can invoke it by selecting text and then pressing Shift+Alt+B. You can create similar macros to set your other colors, as desired.
There is one part of the above steps that needs to be explained. Note the way the Font dialog box is displayed in steps 10 through 12. You might think you can simply display the Home tab of the ribbon and use the tools located there to set the font color. The problem is that, in test, this didn’t always result in the step (setting the color) being recorded by the macro recorder. The font on the screen changed color, but the step didn’t show up in the macro. The only way to reliably set the font color and have it recorded in the macro was to display the Font dialog box, as noted.
If you were to examine the macro you just recorded, you would see that it looks like this:
Sub MakeTextBlue() ' ' MakeTextBlue Macro ' ' With Selection.Font .Name = "+Body" .Size = 11 .Bold = False .Italic = False .Underline = wdUnderlineNone .UnderlineColor = wdColorAutomatic .StrikeThrough = False .DoubleStrikeThrough = False .Outline = False .Emboss = False .Shadow = False .Hidden = False .SmallCaps = False .AllCaps = False .Color = 12611584 .Engrave = False .Superscript = False .Subscript = False .Spacing = 0 .Scaling = 100 .Position = 0 .Kerning = 0 .Animation = wdAnimationNone .Ligatures = wdLigaturesNone .NumberSpacing = wdNumberSpacingDefault .NumberForm = wdNumberFormDefault .StylisticSet = wdStylisticSetDefault .ContextualAlternates = 0 End With End Sub
If you think this is a long macro for a single step (setting the text color), you’d be right. It is a classic example of the macro recorder being overly comprehensive in what it records. You could easily pare down the macro to the following:
Sub MakeTextBlue() Selection.Font.Color = 12611584 End Sub
If you wanted even a bit more flexibility in the macro, you could also use the following:
Sub MakeTextBlue() Selection.Font.Color = RGB(0, 0, 255) End Sub
You can then easily adjust the RGB value used for the color by playing with the three parameters used with the RGB function.
If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I’ve prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training.
(Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.)
This tip (4269) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016.
Author Bio
With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen…
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In Microsoft Word, highlighting words is not just selecting any text by mouse or by double-clicking on it. Imagine when you are reading any book and want to mark or display any important point you’ll use a highlighter pen. In a Word document, you can do it in a similar way.
MS Word users can highlight a single line of text, a paragraph, or a whole document. It is as simple as highlighting in Google Docs.
For highlighting text or grammatical errors Grammarly and ProWritingAid is the best tool you can use for free in MS Word.
You can highlight the phrase as well as change the highlighted color. Below are a few Microsoft Word highlight shortcut keys that help you add color behind the text. So how to highlight in Word using a keyboard?
Open Microsoft Word on desktop. Then select the color which you want to use for highlighting in Word documents, you can also change the color from the color palette from the menu as shown.
After choosing a highlighter color, now select the entire text which you want to highlight and then press Ctrl + Alt + H hotkey which is the Microsoft Word highlight shortcut command from the keyboard. See the example below-
Shortcut key to remove highlight in Word
In a Word document, to remove the color highlighting text using keyboard shortcut keys, just select text and press Ctrl + Alt + H shortcut again.
Shortcut to highlight in Word
To highlight all text and images during writing, you can use keyboard shortcuts to highlight them within the Microsoft Word document. Some basic commands are-
- For permanent highlighting, select all text and press Ctrl + Alt + H from the keyboard.
- Put the cursor at the starting position and then hold the Shift key and click at the end position of the last paragraph. You can also use Ctrl + A for that.
Microsoft Word highlight shortcut for line
- There is a shortcut to highlight an entire line in word also, select a particular line by just double-clicking on it.
- Now press Ctrl + Alt + H from the keyboard
- A single line will be get highlighted.
Learn: How to anchor a picture in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word has a toolbar icon for applying and removing color highlighting, just like using a real highlighter. It’s fine when you only have the occasional highlighting to do, but what if you’re doing a lot of adding/removing highlighting from text? You need a quicker way, right?
Word 2003
In Word 2003 you have to assign your own keystroke combination for highlighting. And that’s not as intuitive or as easy as you’d think because they left Highlight off the Format list! Here’s how you do it:
- Go to Tools > Customize on the Word menu, and select the Commands tab (1).
- Click the Keyboard button (2). You must do this now otherwise you can’t see the Highlight command.
- On the Customize Keyboard window, select All Commands from the Categories list on the left (3).
- In the Commands list on the right, scroll down to Highlight and select it (4).
- Put your cursor in the Press new shortcut key field (5) and press the key combination you want to assign to color highlighting. Suggestion: Use Ctrl+Alt+H, the same as Word 2007. That way, when you move to Word 2007 you won’t have to reassign the keys or remember something different.
- If this key combination is available, [unassigned] displays (6).
- Save this key combination in the template (7).
- Click Assign (8).
- Click Close on each open window.
Word 2007
In Word 2007, someone realized that a key combination for turning highlighting on and off would be a good idea, so they included one — Ctrl+Alt+H. Simple.
Using the highlighting shortcut key
- Adding highlighting: Select the text you want to highlight, then press Ctrl+Alt+H.
- Removing highlighting: Select the highlighted text, then press Ctrl+Alt+H.
Changing the highlight color
The default highlight color is yellow, but you can change it. Once changed, the new color applies whenever you press the shortcut key combination.
- Click on the drop-down arrow next to the toolbar icon .
- Click the color you want.
- Click the toolbar icon to turn off the ‘sticky’ highlighter. This is necessary when you have a shortcut key assigned to the highlighting function — for some reason, the function is ‘sticky’ as soon as you select a new color.
- Continue using the shortcut key to turn highlighting on and off.
(Thanks to Tony Jollans on the Microsoft Office Word Discussion Group who alerted me to this solution: http://tinyurl.com/7xbmg8)