Word Shortcuts - Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Word on Windows
This article shows all keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Word. For users with mobility or vision disabilities, keyboard shortcuts can be easier than using the touchscreen and are an essential alternative to using a mouse. This article itemizes the keyboard shortcuts for Word on Windows.
Get these keyboard shortcuts in a Word document at this link: Word 2016 for Windows keyboard shortcuts.
Notes:
- The shortcuts in this topic refer to the US keyboard layout. Keys for other layouts might not correspond exactly to the keys on a US keyboard.
- Commands that require you to press and release multiple keys together are indicated with a plus sign (+). Commands that require you to press multiple keys in order are indicated by a comma sign (,).
In this topic
Frequently used shortcuts
This table shows the most frequently used shortcuts in Microsoft Word.
To do this | Press |
Go to "Tell me what you want to do" | Alt+Q |
Open | Ctrl+O |
Save | Ctrl+S |
Close | Ctrl+W |
Cut | Ctrl+X |
Copy | Ctrl+C |
Paste | Ctrl+V |
Select all | Ctrl+A |
Bold | Ctrl+B |
Italic | Ctrl+I |
Underline | Ctrl+U |
Decrease font size 1 point | Ctrl+[ |
Increase font size 1 point | Ctrl+] |
Center text | Ctrl+E |
Left align text | Ctrl+L |
Right align text | Ctrl+R |
Cancel | Esc |
Undo | Ctrl+Z |
Re-do | Ctrl+Y |
Zoom | Alt+W, Q, then tab in Zoom dialog box to the value you want. |
Use the keyboard to move around the ribbon
The ribbon is the strip at the top of Word, organized by tabs. Each tab displays a different ribbon. Ribbons are made up of groups, and each group includes one or more commands. You can access every command in Word by using a shortcut.
Note: Add-ins and other programs may add new tabs to the ribbon and may provide access keys for those tabs.
There are two ways to move through the tabs in the ribbon:
- To go to the ribbon, press Alt, and then, to move between tabs, use the Right Arrow and Left Arrow keys.
- To go directly to a specific tab on the ribbon, use one of the access keys.
Use the access keys
Use commands on a ribbon by using the keyboard
Use access keys when you can see the KeyTips
Change focus by using the keyboard instead of a mouse
Keyboard shortcut reference for Microsoft Word
Create and edit documents
Create, view, and save documents
Work with Web content
Print and preview documents
Check spelling and review changes in a document
Find, replace, and go to specific items in the document
Use the keyboard to move around in a document
Insert or mark Table of Contents, footnotes, and citations
Work with documents in different views
Word offers several different views of a document. Each view makes it easier to do certain tasks. For example, Read Mode enables you to present two pages of the document side by side, and to use an arrow to move to the next page.
Switch to another view of the document
Work with headings in Outline view
Move through the document in Read Mode view
Edit and move text and graphics
Select text and graphics
Extend a selection
Delete text and graphics
Copy and move text and graphics
Edit and move through tables
Select text and graphics in a table
Move within a table
Insert paragraphs and tab characters in a table
Format characters and paragraphs
Format characters
Change or resize the font
Copy formatting
Change paragraph alignment
Copy and review text formats
Set line spacing
Apply styles to paragraphs
Insert special characters
Insert characters by using character codes
Insert and edit objects
Insert an object
Edit an object
Insert SmartArt graphics
Insert WordArt
Mail merge and fields
Note: You must press Alt+M, or click Mailings, to use these keyboard shortcuts.
Perform a mail merge
Work with fields
Language Bar
Set proofing language
Turn on East Asian Input Method Editors
Function key reference
Function keys
Shift+Function keys
Ctrl+Function keys
Ctrl+Shift+Function keys
Alt+Function keys
Alt+Shift+Function keys
Ctrl+Alt+Function keys
To do this | Press |
Display Microsoft System Information. | Ctrl+Alt+F1 |
Choose the Open command. | Ctrl+Alt+F2 |
