Microsoft Word is an essential tool for many professionals, students, and writers. Knowing keyboard shortcuts can dramatically increase your efficiency and make your work easier. Here’s a comprehensive guide to MS Word keyboard shortcuts, categorized for your convenience.
MS Word Frequently used shortcuts
| 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 |
Basic Shortcuts
Frequently Used
Ctrl + N: Create a new document
Ctrl + O: Open an existing document
Ctrl + S: Save the current document
Ctrl + P: Print the document
Ctrl + C: Copy selected text or item
Ctrl + X: Cut selected text or item
Ctrl + V: Paste copied or cut text or item
Ctrl + Z: Undo an action
Ctrl + Y: Redo an action
Formatting Text
Ctrl + B: Bold selected text
Ctrl + I: Italicize selected text
Ctrl + U: Underline selected text
Ctrl + Shift + >: Increase font size
Ctrl + Shift + <: Decrease font size
Navigation Shortcuts
Moving Around the Document
Ctrl + Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
Ctrl + Left Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
Ctrl + Down Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
Ctrl + Up Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
Home: Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line
End: Move the cursor to the end of the current line
Ctrl + Home: Move the cursor to the beginning of the document
Ctrl + End: Move the cursor to the end of the document
Selecting Text
Shift + Right Arrow: Extend selection one character to the right
Shift + Left Arrow: Extend selection one character to the left
Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow: Extend selection to the end of the next word
Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow: Extend selection to the beginning of the previous word
Shift + End: Select from the cursor to the end of the line
Shift + Home: Select from the cursor to the beginning of the line
Ctrl + Shift + Home: Select from the cursor to the beginning of the document
Ctrl + Shift + End: Select from the cursor to the end of the document
Editing and Formatting
Paragraph Formatting
Ctrl + M: Increase indent
Ctrl + Shift + M: Decrease indent
Ctrl + 1: Single-line spacing
Ctrl + 2: Double-line spacing
Ctrl + 5: 1.5-line spacing
Ctrl + E: Center align text
Ctrl + L: Left align text
Ctrl + R: Right align text
Ctrl + J: Justify text
Styles and Formatting
Ctrl + Shift + A: Change text to all caps
Ctrl + Shift + K: Change text to small caps
Ctrl + D: Open the font formatting window
Ctrl + Shift + C: Copy formatting
Ctrl + Shift + V: Paste formatting
Inserting Elements
Alt + Ctrl + K: Insert a hyperlink
Ctrl + K: Edit hyperlink
Alt + Shift + D: Insert the current date
Alt + Shift + T: Insert the current time
Ctrl + Enter: Insert a page break
Ctrl + Shift + Enter: Insert a column break
Reviewing and Proofing
F7: Check spelling and grammar
Shift + F7: Open the thesaurus
Ctrl + Shift + E: Turn track changes on or off
Alt + Shift + C: Close the Reviewing Pane if open
Alt + Shift + R: Reject changes in document
Important Note About MS Word Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts can significantly boost your productivity, but remember that some shortcuts may differ slightly depending on your version of MS Word and your operating system (Windows or Mac). Familiarize yourself with the shortcuts that are most useful for your daily tasks, and practice them regularly to build muscle memory.
Tips and Tricks for Easy Remembering
- Group Related Shortcuts: Learn shortcuts in groups based on their categories, like formatting, navigation, and editing.
- Use Mnemonics: Create memory aids to remember shortcuts. For example, “Ctrl + B” for Bold can be remembered as “Bold = Beefy.”
- Regular Practice: Regular use and practice can help solidify these shortcuts in your memory.
- Print a Cheat Sheet: Keep a printed list of shortcuts handy while you work until you memorize them.
- Customize Shortcuts: MS Word allows customization of shortcuts. Modify them to keys that are more intuitive for you if the default ones are hard to remember.
By mastering these shortcuts, you can work more efficiently and make your experience with MS Word much more enjoyable. Happy typing
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