Microsoft Word shortcut keys

Updated: 11/13/2018 by Computer Hope

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 of these 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 will be
unavailable to you.

Shortcut Description

Toggles 6pts of spacing

Ctrl+0
before a paragraph.

Select all contents of the

Ctrl+A
page.

Ctrl+B Bold highlighted selection.

Ctrl+C Copy selected text.

Open the font preferences

Ctrl+D
window.

Aligns the line or selected

Ctrl+E text to the center of the
screen.

Ctrl+F Open find box.

Ctrl+I Italic highlighted selection.

Aligns the selected text or

Ctrl+J
line to justify the screen.

Ctrl+K Insert a hyperlink.

Aligns the line or selected

Ctrl+L
text to the left of the screen.

Ctrl+M Indent the paragraph.

Opens new, blank document

Ctrl+N
window.

Opens the dialog box or page

Ctrl+O
for selecting a file to open.

Ctrl+P Open the print window.

Aligns the line or selected

Ctrl+R text to the right of the
screen.

Save the open document.

Ctrl+S
Like Shift+F12.

Save the document under a

Alt, F, A
different file name.

Ctrl+T Create a hanging indent.

Ctrl+U Underline the selected text.

Ctrl+V Paste.

Close the currently open

Ctrl+W
document.

Ctrl+X Cut selected text.

Redo the last action

Ctrl+Y
performed.

Ctrl+Z Undo last action.

Ctrl+Shift+L Quickly create a bullet point.

Ctrl+Shift+F Change the font.

Increase selected font +1pts

Ctrl+Shift+> up to 12pt and then increase
font +2pts.

Ctrl+] Increase selected font +1pts.

Decrease selected font -1pts

Ctrl+Shift+< if 12pt or lower; if above 12,
decreases font by +2pt.

Ctrl+[ Decrease selected font -1pts.

Ctrl+/+c Insert a cent sign (¢).

Insert a character with an

accent (grave) mark, where
<char> is the character you
want. For example, if you
wanted an accented è you
Ctrl+'+<char>
would use Ctrl+'+e as your
shortcut key. To reverse the
accent mark use the opposite
accent mark, often on the
tilde key.

View or hide non printing

Ctrl+Shift+*
characters.

Ctrl+<left
Moves one word to the left.
arrow>

Ctrl+<right
Moves one word to the right.
arrow>

Ctrl+<up Moves to the beginning of

arrow> the line or paragraph.

Ctrl+<down Moves to the end of the

arrow> paragraph.

Deletes word to right of

Ctrl+Del
cursor.

Ctrl+Backspace Deletes word to left of cursor.

Moves the cursor to the end

Ctrl+End
of the document.

Moves the cursor to the

Ctrl+Home
beginning of the document.

Reset highlighted text to the

Ctrl+Spacebar
default font.

Ctrl+1 Single-space lines.

Ctrl+2 Double-space lines.

Ctrl+5 1.5-line spacing.

Ctrl+Alt+1 Changes text to heading 1.

Ctrl+Alt+2 Changes text to heading 2.

Ctrl+Alt+3 Changes text to heading 3.

Alt+Ctrl+F2 Open new document.

Ctrl+F1 Open the Task Pane.

Ctrl+F2 Display the print preview.

Increases the selected text

Ctrl+Shift+>
size by one font size.

Decreases the selected text

Ctrl+Shift+<
size by one font size.

Switches to another open

Ctrl+Shift+F6
Microsoft Word document.

Ctrl+Shift+F12 Prints the document.

F1 Open help.

Repeat the last action

F4
performed (Word 2000+).

Open the Find, Replace, and

F5 Go To window in Microsoft
Word.

Spellcheck and grammar

F7 check selected text or
document.

F12 Save As.

Change the text in Microsoft

Word from uppercase to
Shift+F3 lowercase or a capital letter
at the beginning of every
word.

Runs a Thesaurus check on

Shift+F7
the selected word.

Save the open document.

Shift+F12
Like Ctrl+S.

Create a soft break instead of

Shift+Enter
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 some

common actions. The following section contains
examples of mouse shortcuts.

Mouse
Description
shortcuts

Selects text from where you click

Click, hold,
and hold to the point you drag
and drag
and let go.

Double- If double-clicking a word, selects

click the complete word.

Double-clicking on the left,

Double- center, or right of a blank line
click makes the alignment of the text
left, center, or right aligned.

Double- Double-clicking anywhere after

click text on a line will set a tab stop.

Selects the line or paragraph of

Triple-click the text where the mouse is
triple-clicked.

Ctrl+Mouse
Zooms in and out of document.
wheel