Microsoft Word Keyboard Shortcuts – 200+ Shortcuts
1. Most Useful Microsoft Word Shortcuts
If you don't want to memorize everything, start with these.
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + N |
Create a new document |
|
Ctrl + O |
Open a document |
|
Ctrl + S |
Save document |
|
F12 |
Save As |
|
Ctrl + P |
Print |
|
Ctrl + W |
Close document |
|
Ctrl + C |
Copy |
|
Ctrl + X |
Cut |
|
Ctrl + V |
Paste |
|
Ctrl + Z |
Undo |
|
Ctrl + Y |
Redo |
|
Ctrl + A |
Select all |
|
Ctrl + F |
Find |
|
Ctrl + H |
Replace |
|
Ctrl + G |
Go To |
|
F2 |
Move selected text/object |
|
F4 |
Repeat last action |
|
F5 |
Go To |
|
F7 |
Spelling and Grammar |
|
Ctrl + B |
Bold |
|
Ctrl + I |
Italic |
|
Ctrl + U |
Underline |
|
Ctrl + K |
Insert hyperlink |
|
Ctrl + 1 |
Single line spacing |
|
Ctrl + 2 |
Double line spacing |
|
Ctrl + 5 |
1.5 line spacing |
2. Basic Word Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + N |
New document |
|
Ctrl + O |
Open document |
|
Ctrl + S |
Save |
|
F12 |
Save As |
|
Ctrl + P |
Print |
|
Ctrl + W |
Close document |
|
Ctrl + F4 |
Close document window |
|
Alt + F |
Open File menu |
|
Ctrl + Z |
Undo |
|
Ctrl + Y |
Redo/repeat |
|
Esc |
Cancel operation |
|
Ctrl + A |
Select all |
|
Ctrl + F |
Find |
|
Ctrl + H |
Replace |
|
Ctrl + G |
Go To |
3. Copy, Cut and Paste
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + C |
Copy |
|
Ctrl + X |
Cut |
|
Ctrl + V |
Paste |
|
Ctrl + Z |
Undo |
|
Ctrl + Y |
Redo |
|
Ctrl + Alt + V |
Paste Special |
|
Ctrl + Shift + V |
Paste as plain text in supported versions/app contexts |
Useful Tip
If formatting gets messed up when copying text from a
website, use Paste Special and choose the appropriate unformatted/text
option.
4. Text Formatting Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + B |
Bold |
|
Ctrl + I |
Italic |
|
Ctrl + U |
Underline |
|
Ctrl + Shift + W |
Underline words only |
|
Ctrl + Shift + D |
Double underline |
|
Ctrl + Shift + H |
Hidden text |
|
Ctrl + Shift + K |
Small caps |
|
Ctrl + Shift + A |
All caps |
|
Ctrl + Shift + = |
Superscript |
|
Ctrl + = |
Subscript |
|
Ctrl + Spacebar |
Clear direct character formatting |
|
Ctrl + Shift + > |
Increase font size |
|
Ctrl + Shift + < |
Decrease font size |
5. Paragraph Formatting
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + L |
Align left |
|
Ctrl + E |
Center |
|
Ctrl + R |
Align right |
|
Ctrl + J |
Justify |
|
Ctrl + 1 |
Single spacing |
|
Ctrl + 2 |
Double spacing |
|
Ctrl + 5 |
1.5 spacing |
|
Ctrl + M |
Increase paragraph indent |
|
Ctrl + Shift + M |
Decrease paragraph indent |
|
Ctrl + T |
Create hanging indent |
|
Ctrl + Shift + T |
Reduce hanging indent |
|
Ctrl + Q |
Clear paragraph formatting |
|
Ctrl + Shift + L |
Apply bullets |
|
Ctrl + Enter |
Insert page break |
6. Font Size Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + Shift + > |
Increase font size |
|
Ctrl + Shift + < |
Decrease font size |
|
Ctrl + ] |
Increase font size by 1 point |
|
Ctrl + [ |
Decrease font size by 1 point |
|
Ctrl + D |
Open Font dialog |
7. Change Text Case
Select the text and press:
Shift + F3
Repeatedly pressing it cycles through available text-case
options, such as:
- lowercase
- UPPERCASE
- Capitalized
Words
This is one of the most useful Word shortcuts when cleaning
or formatting text.
8. Selecting Text
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + A |
Select entire document |
|
Shift + Left Arrow |
Select one character left |
|
Shift + Right Arrow |
Select one character right |
|
Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow |
Select previous word |
|
Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow |
Select next word |
|
Shift + Up Arrow |
Select line upward |
|
Shift + Down Arrow |
Select line downward |
|
Shift + Home |
Select to beginning of line |
|
Shift + End |
Select to end of line |
|
Ctrl + Shift + Home |
Select to beginning of document |
|
Ctrl + Shift + End |
Select to end of document |
|
F8 |
Extend selection |
|
Esc |
Cancel extended selection |
9. Moving Around a Word Document
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Left Arrow |
Move left |
|
Right Arrow |
Move right |
|
Up Arrow |
Move up |
|
Down Arrow |
Move down |
|
Ctrl + Left Arrow |
Move one word left |
|
Ctrl + Right Arrow |
Move one word right |
|
Home |
Beginning of line |
|
End |
End of line |
|
Ctrl + Home |
Beginning of document |
|
Ctrl + End |
End of document |
|
Page Up |
Move one screen up |
|
Page Down |
Move one screen down |
|
Ctrl + Page Up |
Previous page |
|
Ctrl + Page Down |
Next page |
10. Delete Text Quickly
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Backspace |
Delete previous character |
|
Delete |
Delete next character |
|
Ctrl + Backspace |
Delete previous word |
|
Ctrl + Delete |
Delete next word |
These shortcuts are especially useful when editing long
documents.
11. Insert Special Characters
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + Enter |
Page break |
|
Shift + Enter |
Line break |
|
Ctrl + Shift + Spacebar |
Non-breaking space |
|
Ctrl + Shift + - |
Non-breaking hyphen |
|
Alt + X |
Convert Unicode code to character / character to code |
|
Ctrl + K |
Insert hyperlink |
12. Find and Replace
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + F |
Find |
|
Ctrl + H |
Find and Replace |
|
Ctrl + G |
Go To |
|
Shift + F4 |
Repeat Find |
|
Ctrl + F |
Open Navigation/Search pane |
Example
Suppose your document contains:
ABC Company
100 times.
Press:
Ctrl + H
Enter:
ABC Company
in Find what.
Enter:
XYZ Company
in Replace with.
Then use Replace All.
13. Navigation Pane
Press:
Ctrl + F
The Navigation Pane can help you search the document and
navigate through headings and search results.
This is particularly useful in long reports.
14. Styles
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + Alt + 1 |
Apply Heading 1 |
|
Ctrl + Alt + 2 |
Apply Heading 2 |
|
Ctrl + Alt + 3 |
Apply Heading 3 |
|
Ctrl + Shift + S |
Apply Styles |
|
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S |
Open Styles pane |
|
Ctrl + Shift + N |
Apply Normal style |
Using Heading styles properly is also important when
creating a Table of Contents.
15. Tables in Microsoft Word
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Tab |
Move to next table cell |
|
Shift + Tab |
Move to previous cell |
|
Alt + Home |
First cell in row |
|
Alt + End |
Last cell in row |
|
Alt + Page Up |
First cell in column |
|
Alt + Page Down |
Last cell in column |
|
Tab in last cell |
Create a new row |
|
Ctrl + Tab |
Insert a tab character inside a cell |
Useful Tip
When your cursor is in the last cell of a Word table,
pressing Tab creates a new row automatically.
16. Insert Page Breaks
Press:
Ctrl + Enter
This inserts a page break at the cursor position.
It is much better than repeatedly pressing Enter to move
content to a new page.
17. Headers and Footers
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Alt + N, H |
Header commands through Ribbon key tips |
|
Alt + N, F |
Footer commands through Ribbon key tips |
|
Alt + Shift + P |
Insert page number field in supported Word versions |
|
Esc |
Exit header/footer editing |
Ribbon shortcuts can vary depending on your Word version.
18. Insert Hyperlinks
Select text and press:
Ctrl + K
The Insert Hyperlink dialog opens.
For example:
Select:
Visit our website
Press:
Ctrl + K
Enter the web address and click OK.
19. Spelling and Grammar
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
F7 |
Spelling and Grammar |
|
Shift + F7 |
Thesaurus |
|
Alt + F7 |
Find next spelling/grammar issue |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F7 |
Update linked information where supported |
20. Word Count
To quickly check document statistics, you can use Word's
status bar.
You can also access Word's Word Count command through the
Review tab/Ribbon.
In many Word versions, Ctrl + Shift + G opens the
Word Count dialog.
This can be useful for:
- Articles
- Assignments
- Reports
- Essays
- Blog
posts
- Applications
21. Comments and Reviewing
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + Alt + M |
Insert comment |
|
Ctrl + Shift + E |
Track Changes on/off |
|
Alt + R |
Open Review tab |
|
Shift + F5 |
Return to previous editing location |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F5 |
Bookmark-related functionality depending on context |
22. Track Changes
The main shortcut is:
Ctrl + Shift + E
This turns Track Changes on or off.
Track Changes is useful when:
- Reviewing
contracts
- Editing
reports
- Collaborating
on documents
- Checking
employee work
- Comparing
revisions
23. Bookmarks
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F5 |
Open Bookmark dialog |
|
Ctrl + G |
Go To |
|
Ctrl + K |
Create hyperlink/cross-reference |
Bookmarks can be useful in large Word documents.
24. Footnotes and Endnotes
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Alt + Ctrl + F |
Insert footnote |
|
Alt + Ctrl + D |
Insert endnote |
These are particularly useful when creating academic papers
and professional reports.
25. Fields
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + F9 |
Insert empty field |
|
F9 |
Update selected field |
|
Shift + F9 |
Toggle selected field code |
|
Alt + F9 |
Show/hide all field codes |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F9 |
Unlink field |
Fields are commonly used for:
- Page
numbers
- Dates
- Table
of Contents
- Cross-references
- Document
information
- Automated
content
26. Print and Print Preview
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + P |
Open Print |
|
Ctrl + F2 |
Print Preview in supported versions |
|
Alt + P |
Open Layout/Print-related Ribbon area depending on version |
27. Zoom
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + Mouse Wheel |
Zoom in/out |
|
Ctrl + Plus (+) |
Zoom in in supported contexts |
|
Ctrl + Minus (-) |
Zoom out in supported contexts |
|
Ctrl + 0 |
Reset zoom in some Office contexts |
The exact zoom shortcuts can vary by Word version and
interface.
28. Window Management
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + F6 |
Switch between open documents |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F6 |
Switch backward between documents |
|
Alt + Tab |
Switch Windows applications |
|
Ctrl + W |
Close current document |
|
Alt + F4 |
Close Word |
29. Ribbon Keyboard Shortcuts
Press:
Alt
Word will display Key Tips over Ribbon commands.
You can then press the displayed letters to navigate the
Ribbon without using the mouse.
For example:
Alt + H
opens the Home tab.
This is useful for users who want to perform advanced Word
operations entirely from the keyboard.
30. Microsoft Word Function Keys
|
Key |
Action |
|
F1 |
Help |
|
F2 |
Move text/object |
|
F3 |
Insert AutoText |
|
F4 |
Repeat last action |
|
F5 |
Go To |
|
F6 |
Move between document/interface areas |
|
F7 |
Spelling and Grammar |
|
F8 |
Extend selection |
|
F9 |
Update selected field |
|
F10 |
Key Tips |
|
F11 |
Next field |
|
F12 |
Save As |
31. Shift + Function Key Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Shift + F1 |
Reveal Formatting |
|
Shift + F2 |
Copy text |
|
Shift + F3 |
Change case |
|
Shift + F4 |
Repeat Find/Go To |
|
Shift + F5 |
Move to previous editing location |
|
Shift + F6 |
Move between interface areas |
|
Shift + F7 |
Thesaurus |
|
Shift + F8 |
Shrink selection |
|
Shift + F9 |
Toggle field code |
|
Shift + F10 |
Context menu |
|
Shift + F11 |
Previous field |
|
Shift + F12 |
Save document |
32. Ctrl + Function Key Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + F1 |
Expand/collapse Ribbon |
|
Ctrl + F2 |
Print Preview |
|
Ctrl + F3 |
Cut to Spike |
|
Ctrl + F4 |
Close document |
|
Ctrl + F5 |
Restore document window |
|
Ctrl + F6 |
Switch documents |
|
Ctrl + F7 |
Move window |
|
Ctrl + F8 |
Resize window |
|
Ctrl + F9 |
Insert field |
|
Ctrl + F10 |
Maximize/restore window |
|
Ctrl + F11 |
Lock field |
|
Ctrl + F12 |
Open document |
33. Ctrl + Shift + Function Key Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F3 |
Paste contents of Spike |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F5 |
Bookmark dialog |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F6 |
Previous document |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F7 |
Update linked information |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F8 |
Column selection mode |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F9 |
Unlink field |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F11 |
Unlock field |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F12 |
Print |
34. Alt + Function Key Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
Alt + F1 |
Help |
|
Alt + F2 |
Save As |
|
Alt + F3 |
Create AutoText |
|
Alt + F4 |
Close Word |
|
Alt + F5 |
Restore document window |
|
Alt + F7 |
Next spelling/grammar error |
|
Alt + F8 |
Macro dialog |
|
Alt + F9 |
Show/hide field codes |
|
Alt + F10 |
Selection pane |
|
Alt + F11 |
VBA Editor |
35. Advanced Selection Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Action |
|
F8 |
Start extending selection |
|
F8 twice |
Select word |
|
F8 three times |
Select sentence |
|
F8 four times |
Select paragraph |
|
F8 five times |
Select entire document |
|
Shift + F8 |
Reduce selection |
|
Esc |
Stop selection extension |
36. Quick Document Formatting Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Function |
|
Ctrl + B |
Bold |
|
Ctrl + I |
Italic |
|
Ctrl + U |
Underline |
|
Ctrl + E |
Center |
|
Ctrl + L |
Left align |
|
Ctrl + R |
Right align |
|
Ctrl + J |
Justify |
|
Ctrl + M |
Increase indent |
|
Ctrl + Shift + M |
Decrease indent |
|
Ctrl + T |
Hanging indent |
|
Ctrl + Shift + T |
Reduce hanging indent |
|
Ctrl + 1 |
Single spacing |
|
Ctrl + 2 |
Double spacing |
|
Ctrl + 5 |
1.5 spacing |
|
Ctrl + Shift + L |
Bullets |
|
Ctrl + Q |
Clear paragraph formatting |
37. Useful Shortcuts for Long Documents
When working with a large report, these shortcuts are
especially valuable:
|
Shortcut |
Function |
|
Ctrl + Home |
Beginning of document |
|
Ctrl + End |
End of document |
|
Ctrl + F |
Search |
|
Ctrl + G |
Go To |
|
Ctrl + H |
Replace |
|
Ctrl + F5 |
Restore window |
|
Ctrl + Shift + F5 |
Bookmark |
|
Ctrl + Alt + 1 |
Heading 1 |
|
Ctrl + Alt + 2 |
Heading 2 |
|
Ctrl + Alt + 3 |
Heading 3 |
|
F7 |
Spelling/Grammar |
|
Ctrl + Shift + E |
Track Changes |
38. Top 30 Microsoft Word Shortcuts to Memorize
If you use Word regularly, memorize these first:
- Ctrl
+ N – New document
- Ctrl
+ O – Open
- Ctrl
+ S – Save
- Ctrl
+ P – Print
- Ctrl
+ W – Close
- Ctrl
+ C – Copy
- Ctrl
+ X – Cut
- Ctrl
+ V – Paste
- Ctrl
+ Z – Undo
- Ctrl
+ Y – Redo
- Ctrl
+ A – Select all
- Ctrl
+ F – Find
- Ctrl
+ H – Replace
- Ctrl
+ G – Go To
- Ctrl
+ B – Bold
- Ctrl
+ I – Italic
- Ctrl
+ U – Underline
- Ctrl
+ E – Center
- Ctrl
+ L – Left align
- Ctrl
+ R – Right align
- Ctrl
+ J – Justify
- Ctrl
+ K – Hyperlink
- Ctrl
+ 1 – Single spacing
- Ctrl
+ 2 – Double spacing
- Ctrl
+ 5 – 1.5 spacing
- Ctrl
+ Enter – Page break
- Ctrl
+ Shift + E – Track Changes
- F7
– Spelling/Grammar
- Shift
+ F3 – Change case
- Ctrl
+ Alt + M – Insert comment
39. Microsoft Word Shortcut Cheat Sheet
|
Category |
Shortcut |
|
New document |
Ctrl + N |
|
Open |
Ctrl + O |
|
Save |
Ctrl + S |
|
Save As |
F12 |
|
Print |
Ctrl + P |
|
Copy |
Ctrl + C |
|
Cut |
Ctrl + X |
|
Paste |
Ctrl + V |
|
Undo |
Ctrl + Z |
|
Redo |
Ctrl + Y |
|
Select All |
Ctrl + A |
|
Find |
Ctrl + F |
|
Replace |
Ctrl + H |
|
Go To |
Ctrl + G |
|
Bold |
Ctrl + B |
|
Italic |
Ctrl + I |
|
Underline |
Ctrl + U |
|
Center |
Ctrl + E |
|
Left Align |
Ctrl + L |
|
Right Align |
Ctrl + R |
|
Justify |
Ctrl + J |
|
Page Break |
Ctrl + Enter |
|
Hyperlink |
Ctrl + K |
|
Single spacing |
Ctrl + 1 |
|
Double spacing |
Ctrl + 2 |
|
1.5 spacing |
Ctrl + 5 |
|
Heading 1 |
Ctrl + Alt + 1 |
|
Heading 2 |
Ctrl + Alt + 2 |
|
Heading 3 |
Ctrl + Alt + 3 |
|
Spelling |
F7 |
|
Thesaurus |
Shift + F7 |
|
Change Case |
Shift + F3 |
|
Track Changes |
Ctrl + Shift + E |
|
Comment |
Ctrl + Alt + M |
|
Footnote |
Alt + Ctrl + F |
|
Endnote |
Alt + Ctrl + D |
|
VBA Editor |
Alt + F11 |
|
Macro |
Alt + F8 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most useful shortcut in Microsoft Word?
For everyday work, Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + Z, Ctrl +
F, Ctrl + H, Ctrl + S, Ctrl + B, Ctrl + K and Ctrl + Enter are among the
most useful.
What is the shortcut for Save in Word?
Press Ctrl + S.
What is the shortcut for Save As?
Press F12.
What is the shortcut to find text?
Press Ctrl + F.
What is the shortcut to replace text?
Press Ctrl + H.
What is the shortcut for changing uppercase to lowercase?
Select the text and press Shift + F3 repeatedly to
cycle through the available case options.
What is the shortcut for a page break?
Press Ctrl + Enter.
What is the shortcut for inserting a hyperlink?
Press Ctrl + K.
What is the shortcut for spelling and grammar?
Press F7.
What is the shortcut for Track Changes?
Press Ctrl + Shift + E.
What is the shortcut for inserting a comment?
Press Ctrl + Alt + M.
What is the shortcut for inserting a footnote?
Press Alt + Ctrl + F.
What is the shortcut for inserting an endnote?
Press Alt + Ctrl + D.
What is the shortcut for opening the VBA Editor?
Press Alt + F11.
What is the shortcut for opening the Macro dialog?
Press Alt + F8.
