Programs · 69 shortcuts

Word keyboard shortcuts

The shortcuts that matter for writing and formatting in Microsoft Word. The first column is for Word on Windows and the second for Word on the Mac.

Find a shortcut on this page

The ten to learn first

Ctrl + S saves. Make it a reflex.
Ctrl + Z undoes, and Ctrl + Y redoes or repeats.
Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, Ctrl + U give bold, italic and underline.
Ctrl + Shift + C and Ctrl + Shift + V copy and paste formatting from one piece of text to another.
Ctrl + Space strips character formatting from the selection, back to the style's own look.
Ctrl + Enter starts a new page properly, with a page break, in place of pressing Enter many times.
Ctrl + Alt + 1, 2, 3 apply Heading 1, 2 and 3.
Shift + F3 changes the case of the selected text.
Ctrl + F finds, and Ctrl + H replaces.
F12 opens Save As.

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `N`	`Cmd` + `N`	New document
`Ctrl` + `O`	`Cmd` + `O`	Open
`Ctrl` + `S`	`Cmd` + `S`	Save
`F12`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `S`	Save As
`Ctrl` + `P`	`Cmd` + `P`	Print, with a preview
`Ctrl` + `W`	`Cmd` + `W`	Close the document

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `A`	`Cmd` + `A`	Select the whole document
`Shift` + `Arrow key`	`Shift` + `Arrow key`	Extend the selection one character or line
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Left arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Right arrow`	`Option` + `Shift` + `Left arrow` or `Option` + `Shift` + `Right arrow`	Extend the selection one word
`Shift` + `Home` or `Shift` + `End`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Left arrow` or `Cmd` + `Shift` + `Right arrow`	Select to the start or end of the line
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Home` or `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `End`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Home` or `Cmd` + `Shift` + `End`	Select to the start or end of the document
`F8`	`F8`	Switch on extend mode; press again to select a word, then a sentence, then a paragraph
`Ctrl` + `C`, `Ctrl` + `X`, `Ctrl` + `V`	`Cmd` + `C`, `Cmd` + `X`, `Cmd` + `V`	Copy, cut, paste
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `V`	`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `V`	Paste Special
`Ctrl` + `Z`	`Cmd` + `Z`	Undo
`Ctrl` + `Y`	`Cmd` + `Y`	Redo, or repeat the last action
`Ctrl` + `Backspace`	`Option` + `Delete`	Delete the word to the left
`Ctrl` + `Delete`		\| Delete the word to the right
`Ctrl` + `F`	`Cmd` + `F`	Find
`Ctrl` + `H`	`Ctrl` + `H`	Find and replace

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `B`	`Cmd` + `B`	Bold
`Ctrl` + `I`	`Cmd` + `I`	Italic
`Ctrl` + `U`	`Cmd` + `U`	Underline
`Ctrl` + `D`	`Cmd` + `D`	Open the Font box
`Ctrl` + `]`	`Cmd` + `]`	Increase the font size by one point
`Ctrl` + `[`	`Cmd` + `[`	Decrease the font size by one point
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `>`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `>`	Increase to the next size in the list
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `<`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `<`	Decrease to the previous size
`Shift` + `F3`	`Shift` + `F3`	Change case: lower, UPPER, Capital Each Word
`Ctrl` + `=`	`Cmd` + `=`	Subscript
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `+`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `+`	Superscript
`Ctrl` + `Space`	`Ctrl` + `Space`	Remove character formatting
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `C`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `C`	Copy formatting
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste formatting

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `L`	`Cmd` + `L`	Align left
`Ctrl` + `E`	`Cmd` + `E`	Centre
`Ctrl` + `R`	`Cmd` + `R`	Align right
`Ctrl` + `J`	`Cmd` + `J`	Justify
`Ctrl` + `1`	`Cmd` + `1`	Single line spacing
`Ctrl` + `2`	`Cmd` + `2`	Double line spacing
`Ctrl` + `5`	`Cmd` + `5`	One and a half line spacing
`Ctrl` + `M`	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `M`	Indent the paragraph
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `M`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `M`	Remove the indent
`Ctrl` + `T`	`Cmd` + `T`	Hanging indent
`Ctrl` + `Q`		\| Remove paragraph formatting
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `1`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `1`	Heading 1
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `2`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `2`	Heading 2
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `3`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `3`	Heading 3
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `N`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `N`	Normal style
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `L`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `L`	Bulleted list

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `Left arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Right arrow`	`Option` + `Left arrow` or `Option` + `Right arrow`	Move one word
`Ctrl` + `Up arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Down arrow`	`Cmd` + `Up arrow` or `Cmd` + `Down arrow`	Move one paragraph
`Ctrl` + `Home` or `Ctrl` + `End`	`Cmd` + `Home` or `Cmd` + `End`	Go to the start or end of the document
`Ctrl` + `G` or `F5`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `G`	Go to a page, section or line
`Shift` + `F5`	`Shift` + `F5`	Go back to the last place you edited
`Ctrl` + `Enter`	`Cmd` + `Return`	Insert a page break
`Shift` + `Enter`	`Shift` + `Return`	Start a new line without starting a new paragraph
`Ctrl` + `K`	`Cmd` + `K`	Insert a link
`Alt` + `Shift` + `D`		\| Insert the date
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `F`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `F`	Insert a footnote
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Space`	`Option` + `Space`	Insert a non-breaking space

Windows	Mac	What it does
`F7`	`F7`	Check spelling and grammar
`Shift` + `F7`	`Shift` + `F7`	Open the thesaurus for the selected word
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `E`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `E`	Track changes on or off
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `M`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `A`	Insert a comment
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `G`		\| Open the word count
`Tab`	`Tab`	In a table: move to the next cell; in the last cell, add a row
`Shift` + `Tab`	`Shift` + `Tab`	In a table: move to the previous cell
`Alt` + `Shift` + `Up arrow` or `Alt` + `Shift` + `Down arrow`	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Up arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Down arrow`	Move the paragraph, or table row, up or down

Use styles, and the shortcuts for them

Formatting each heading by hand, in bold and a larger size, looks the same on screen and gives Word no idea that it is a heading. Applying Heading 1, 2 and 3 with Ctrl + Alt + 1, 2 and 3 lets Word build a table of contents, lets you move whole sections in the Navigation pane, and lets you change every heading's look in one place. It is the single most useful habit in Word.

Page breaks, not empty lines

Pressing Enter until the text reaches the next page works until someone adds a sentence above, and then everything slides. Ctrl + Enter inserts a real break that always starts a new page.

Moving paragraphs without cutting

Put the cursor in a paragraph and press Alt + Shift + Up arrow or Down arrow. The whole paragraph moves past its neighbours. In a list it reorders items, and in a table it moves rows.

Repeating an action

After doing something once, such as applying a format or inserting a row, F4 or Ctrl + Y does the same again wherever the cursor now is.

Making your own

Word lets you give a shortcut to any command, style or symbol: File, Options, Customize Ribbon, then the Customize button beside "Keyboard shortcuts". A rupee sign, a favourite style or a phrase you type daily are good candidates.

This is an independent reference site. It is not connected with Microsoft, Apple, Google or any other maker of the programs named here. Product names belong to their owners and are used only to say where a shortcut works. Programs change; if a shortcut does not work for you, check the program's own help.