This article describes the keyboard shortcuts and function keys in Word for Windows.
Notes:
-
To quickly find a shortcut in this article, press Ctrl+F, and enter your search word.
-
If an actiondoes not have a corresponding shortcut key, you can record a macro to create one. Learn how here: Create or run a macroorUse a screen reader to create a macro in Word.
-
Not all shortcut features listed for Word are supported in WordStarter version. Learn more here: Word features that are not fully supported in Word Starter.
-
As reference, you can usethis document.
In this topic
-
Frequently used shortcuts
-
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
-
Navigate the document
-
Preview and print documents
-
Select text and graphics
-
Edit text and graphics
-
Work with web content
-
Work with tables
-
Review a document
-
Work with references, citations, and indexing
-
Work with mail merge and fields
-
Work with text in other languages
-
Work with document views
-
Use function key shortcuts
Frequently used shortcuts
This table shows the most frequently used shortcuts inMicrosoftWord.
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+Rightbracket (]) |
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 theZoom dialog box to go tothe value you want. |
Split the document window. | Ctrl+Alt+S |
Remove the document window split. | Alt+Shift+C or Ctrl+Alt+S |
Top of Page
Close a task pane
To close a task pane using the keyboard:
-
Press F6 until the task pane is selected.
-
Press Ctrl+Spacebar.
-
Use the arrow keys to select Close, and then press Enter.
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
The ribbon area groups together related options in tabs. For example, on the Home tab, the Font group includes the Font Color option. Press the Alt key to display the ribbon shortcuts --called Key Tips --as seen below.
Note:Add-ins and other programs can add new tabs to the ribbon and possibly provide access keys for those tabs.
For various ribbon options you can combine the Key Tips letters with the Alt key to make shortcuts called Access Keys. For example, press Alt+H to open the Home tab, and Alt+Q to move to the Tell Me or Search field. Press Alt again to see Key Tips for the options for the selected tab.
Depending on the version of Microsoft 365you are using, the Search text field at the top of the app window might be called Tell Me instead. Both offer a largely similar experience, but some options and search results can vary.
In newer versions of Office, most of the old Alt key menu shortcuts still work, too. However, you need to know the full shortcut. For example, press Alt, and then press one of the old menu keys E (Edit), V (View), I (Insert), and so on. A notification pops up saying you're using an access key from an earlier version. If you know the entire key sequence, you can still use it. Otherwise, press Esc and use Key Tips instead.
Use the Access Keys for ribbon tabs
To go directly to a tab on the ribbon, press one of the following access keys. Additional tabs mightappear depending on your selection in the document.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Move to the Tell Me or Search field on the Ribbon to search for assistance or Help content. | Alt+Q, then enter the search term. |
Open the File page to use Backstage view. | Alt+F |
Open the Home tab to use common formatting commands, paragraph styles, and the Find tool. | Alt+H |
Open the Insert tab to insert tables, pictures and shapes, headers, or text boxes. | Alt+N |
Open the Design tab to use themes, colors, and effects, such as page borders. | Alt+G |
Open the Layout tab to work with page margins, page orientation, indentation, and spacing. | Alt+P |
Open the References tab to add a table of contents, footnotes, or a table of citations. | Alt+S |
Open the Mailings tab to manage Mail Merge tasks and to work with envelopes and labels. | Alt+M |
Open the Review tab to use Spell Check, set proofing languages, and to track and review changes to your document. | Alt+R |
Open the View tab to choose a document view or mode, such as Read Mode or Outline view. You can also set the zoom magnification and manage multiple document windows. | Alt+W |
Top of Page
Work in the ribbon with the keyboard
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Select the active tab on the ribbonand activate the access keys. | Alt or F10. To move to a different tab, use access keys or the arrow keys. |
Move the focus to commands on the ribbon. | Tab key or Shift+Tab |
Move between command groupings on the ribbon. | Ctrl+Left or Right arrow key |
Move among the items on the ribbon. | Arrow keys |
Show the tooltip for the ribbon element currently in focus. | Ctrl+Shift+F10 |
Activate the selected button. | Spacebar or Enter |
Open the list for the selected command. | Down arrow key |
Open the menu for the selected button. | Alt+Down arrow key |
When a menu or submenu is open, move to the next command. | Down arrow key |
Expand or collapse the ribbon. | Ctrl+F1 |
Open the context menu. | Shift+F10 Or, on a Windowskeyboard, the Windows Menu key (between the right Alt and right Ctrl keys) |
Move to the submenu when a main menu is open or selected. | Left arrow key |
Top of Page
Navigate the document
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Move the cursor one word to the left. | Ctrl+Left arrow key |
Move the cursor one word to the right. | Ctrl+Right arrow key |
Move the cursor up by one paragraph. | Ctrl+Up arrow key |
Move the cursor down by one paragraph. | Ctrl+Down arrow key |
Move the cursor to the end of the current line. | End |
Move the cursor to the beginning the current line. | Home |
Move the cursor to the top of the screen. | Ctrl+Alt+Page up |
Move the cursor to the bottom of the screen. | Ctrl+Alt+Page down |
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view up by one screen. | Page up |
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view down by one screen. | Page down |
Move the cursor to the top of the next page. | Ctrl+Page down |
Move the cursor to the top of the previous page. | Ctrl+Page up |
Move the cursor to the end of the document. | Ctrl+End |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. | Ctrl+Home |
Move the cursor to the location of the previous revision. | Shift+F5 |
Move the cursor to the location of the last revision made before the document was last closed. | Shift+F5, immediately after opening the document. |
Cycle through floating shapes, such as text boxes or images. | Ctrl+Alt+5, and then the Tab key repeatedly |
Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal navigation. | Esc |
Display the Navigation task pane, to search within the document content. | Ctrl+F |
Display the Go To dialog box, to navigate to a specific page, bookmark, footnote, table, comment, graphic, or other location. | Ctrl+G |
Cycle through the locations of the four previous changes made to the document. | Ctrl+Alt+Z |
Top of Page
Preview and print documents
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Print the document. | Ctrl+P |
Switch to print preview. | Ctrl+Alt+I |
Move around the preview page when zoomed in. | Arrow keys |
Move by one preview page when zoomed out. | Page up or Page down |
Move to the first preview page when zoomed out. | Ctrl+Home |
Move to the last preview page when zoomed out. | Ctrl+End |
Top of Page
Select text and graphics
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Select text. | Shift+Arrow keys |
Select the word to the left. | Ctrl+Shift+Left arrow key |
Select the word to the right. | Ctrl+Shift+Right arrow key |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current line. | Shift+Home |
Select from the current position to the end of the current line. | Shift+End |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current paragraph. | Ctrl+Shift+Up arrow key |
Select from the current position to the end of the current paragraph. | Ctrl+Shift+Down arrow key |
Select from the current position to the top of the screen. | Shift+Page up |
Select from the current position to the bottom of the screen. | Shift+Page down |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the document. | Ctrl+Shift+Home |
Select from the current position to the end of the document. | Ctrl+Shift+End |
Select from the current position to the bottom of the window. | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Page down |
Select all document content. | Ctrl+A |
Top of Page
Extend a selection
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Start extending the selection. | F8 In the extend selection mode, clicking a location in the document extends the current selection to that location. |
Select the nearest character to the left or right. | F8, Left or Right arrow key |
Expand the selection. | F8 repeatedly to expand the selection to the entire word, sentence, paragraph, section, and document. |
Reduce the selection. | Shift+F8 |
Select a vertical block of text. | Ctrl+Shift+F8, then press the arrow keys |
Stop extending the selection. | Esc |
Top of Page
Edit text and graphics
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Delete one word to the left. | Ctrl+Backspace |
Delete one word to the right. | Ctrl+Delete |
Open the Clipboard task pane and enable the Office Clipboard, which allows you to copy and paste content between Microsoft 365 apps. | Alt+H, F, O |
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 |
Move the selected content to a specific location. | F2, move the cursor to the destination, and then press Enter. |
Copy the selected content to a specific location. | Shift+F2, move the cursor to the destination, and then press Enter. |
Define an AutoText block with the selected content. | Alt+F3 |
Insert an AutoText block. | The first few characters of the AutoText block, and then press Enter when the ScreenTip appears. |
Cut the selected content to the Spike. | Ctrl+F3 |
Paste the contents of the Spike. | Ctrl+Shift+F3 |
Copy the selected formatting. | Ctrl+Shift+C |
Paste the selected formatting. | Ctrl+Shift+V |
Copy the header or footer used in the previous section of the document. | Alt+Shift+R |
Display the Replace dialog box, to find and replace text, specific formatting, or special items. | Ctrl+H |
Display the Object dialog box, to insert a file object into the document. | Alt+N, J, J |
Insert a SmartArt graphic. | Alt+N, M |
Insert a WordArt graphic. | Alt+N, W |
Top of Page
Align and format paragraphs
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Center the paragraph. | Ctrl+E |
Justify the paragraph. | Ctrl+J |
Align the paragraph to the left. | Ctrl+L |
Align the paragraph to the right. | Ctrl+R |
Indent the paragraph. | Ctrl+M |
Remove a paragraph indent. | Ctrl+Shift+M |
Create a hanging indent. | Ctrl+T |
Remove a hanging indent. | Ctrl+Shift+T |
Remove paragraph formatting. | Ctrl+Q |
Apply single spacing to the paragraph. | Ctrl+1 |
Apply double spacing to the paragraph. | Ctrl+2 |
Apply 1.5-line spacing to the paragraph. | Ctrl+5 |
Add or remove space before the paragraph. | Ctrl+0 (zero) |
Enable AutoFormat. | Ctrl+Alt+K |
Apply the Normal style. | Ctrl+Shift+N |
Apply the Heading 1 style. | Ctrl+Alt+1 |
Apply the Heading 2 style. | Ctrl+Alt+2 |
Apply the Heading 3 style. | Ctrl+Alt+3 |
Display the Apply Styles task pane. | Ctrl+Shift+S |
Display the Styles task pane. | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S |
Top of Page
Format characters
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Display the Font dialog box. | Ctrl+D or Ctrl+Shift+F |
Increase the font size. | Ctrl+Shift+Right angle bracket (>) |
Decrease the font size. | Ctrl+Shift+Left angle bracket (<) |
Increase the font size by 1 point. | Ctrl+Right bracket (]) |
Decrease the font size by 1 point. | Ctrl+Left bracket ([) |
Switch the text between upper case, lower case, and title case. | Shift+F3 |
Change the text to all upper case. | Ctrl+Shift+A |
Hide the selected text. | Ctrl+Shift+H |
Apply bold formatting. | Ctrl+B |
Add a bulleted list. | Ctrl+Shift+L |
Apply underline formatting. | Ctrl+U |
Apply underline formatting to the words, but not the spaces. | Ctrl+Shift+W |
Apply double-underline formatting. | Ctrl+Shift+D |
Apply italicformatting. | Ctrl+I |
Apply small caps formatting. | Ctrl+Shift+K |
Apply subscript formatting. | Ctrl+Equal sign ( = ) |
Apply superscript formatting. | Ctrl+Shift+Plus sign (+) |
Remove manual character formatting. | Ctrl+Spacebar |
Change the selected text to the Symbol font. | Ctrl+Shift+Q |
Top of Page
Manage text formatting
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Display all nonprinting characters. | Ctrl+Shift+8 (do not use the numeric keypad) |
Display the Reveal Formatting task pane. | Shift+F1 |
Top of Page
Insert special characters
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a line break. | Shift+Enter |
Insert a page break. | Ctrl+Enter |
Insert a column break. | Ctrl+Shift+Enter |
Insert an em dash (—). | Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign (on the numeric keypad) |
Insert an en dash (–). | Ctrl+Minus sign (on the numeric keypad) |
Insert an optional hyphen. | Ctrl+Hyphen (-) |
Insert a nonbreaking hyphen. | Ctrl+Shift+Hyphen (-) |
Insert a nonbreaking space. | Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar |
Insert a copyright symbol (©). | Ctrl+Alt+C |
Insert a registered trademark symbol (®). | Ctrl+Alt+R |
Insert a trademark symbol (™). | Ctrl+Alt+T |
Insert an ellipsis (…) | Ctrl+Alt+Period (.) |
Insert the Unicode character for the specified Unicode (hexadecimal) character code. For example, to insert the euro currency symbol ( Tip:To find out the Unicode character code for a selected character, press Alt+X. | The character code, then press Alt+X |
Insert the ANSI character for the specified ANSI (decimal) character code. For example, to insert the euro currency symbol, hold down Alt and press 0128 on the numeric keypad. | Alt+the character code (on the numeric keypad) |
Top of Page
Work with web content
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a hyperlink. | Ctrl+K |
Go back one page. | Alt+Left arrow key |
Go forward one page. | Alt+Right arrow key |
Refresh the page. | F9 |
Top of Page
Work with tables
Move around in a table
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Move to the next cell in the row and select its content. | Tab key |
Move to the previous cell in the row and select its content. | Shift+Tab |
Move to the first cell in the row. | Alt+Home |
Move to the last cell in the row. | Alt+End |
Move to the first cell in the column. | Alt+Page up |
Move to the last cell in the column. | Alt+Page down |
Move to the previous row. | Up arrow key |
Move to the next row. | Down arrow key |
Move one row up. | Alt+Shift+Up arrow key |
Move one row down. | Alt+Shift+Down arrow key |
Top of Page
Select table content
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Select the content in the next cell. | Tab key |
Select the content in the previous cell. | Shift+Tab |
Extend a selection to adjacent cells. | Shift+Arrow keys |
Select a column. | Select the top or bottom cell of the column, and then press Shift+Up or Down arrow key |
Select a row. | Select the first or last cell in the row, and then press Shift+Alt+End or Home. |
Select the whole table. | Alt+5 on the numeric keypad, with Num Lock switched off |
Top of Page
Insert paragraphs and tab characters in a table
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a new paragraph in a cell. | Enter |
Insert a tab character in a cell. | Ctrl+Tab |
Top of Page
Review a document
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a comment. | Ctrl+Alt+M |
Turn change tracking on or off. | Ctrl+Shift+E |
Close the Reviewing Pane. | Alt+Shift+C |
Top of Page
Work with references, citations, and indexing
Use the following shortcuts to add references to your document, such as a table of contents, footnotes, and citations.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Mark a table of contents entry. | Alt+Shift+O |
Mark a table of authorities entry (citation). | Alt+Shift+I |
Choose citation options. | Alt+Shift+F12, Spacebar |
Mark an index entry. | Alt+Shift+X |
Insert a footnote. | Ctrl+Alt+F |
Insert an endnote. | Ctrl+Alt+D |
Go to the next footnote. | Alt+Shift+Right angle bracket (>) |
Go to the previous footnote. | Alt+Shift+Left angle bracket (<) |
Top of Page
Work with mail merge and fields
To use the following keyboard shortcuts, the Mailings ribbon tab must be selected. To select the Mailings tab, press Alt+M.
Perform a mail merge
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Preview the mail merge. | Alt+Shift+K |
Merge a document. | Alt+Shift+N |
Print the merged document. | Alt+Shift+M |
Edit a mail-merge data document. | Alt+Shift+E |
Insert a merge field. | Alt+Shift+F |
Top of Page
Work with fields
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a DATE field. | Alt+Shift+D |
Insert a LISTNUM field. | Ctrl+Alt+L |
Insert a PAGE field. | Alt+Shift+P |
Insert a TIME field. | Alt+Shift+T |
Insert an empty field. | Ctrl+F9 |
Update the linked information in aWord source document. | Ctrl+Shift+F7 |
Update the selected fields. | F9 |
Unlink a field. | Ctrl+Shift+F9 |
Switch between a selected field code and its result. | Shift+F9 |
Switch between all field codes and their results. | Alt+F9 |
Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from a field displaying field results. | Alt+Shift+F9 |
Go to the next field. | F11 |
Go to the previous field. | Shift+F11 |
Lock a field. | Ctrl+F11 |
Unlock a field. | Ctrl+Shift+F11 |
Top of Page
Work with text in other languages
Set the proofing language
Every document has a default language, typically the same default language as your computer's operating system. If your document also contains words or phrases in a different language, it's a good idea to set the proofing language for those words. This not only makes it possible to check spelling and grammar for those phrases, but it also enables assistive technologies like screen readers to handle them appropriately.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Display the Language dialog boxto set the proofing language. | Alt+R, U, L |
Set default languages. | Alt+R, L |
Top of Page
Insert international characters
To type a lowercase character by using a key combination that includes the Shift key, hold down the Ctrl+Shift+symbol keys simultaneously, and then release them before you type the letter.
Note:If you type extensively in another language, you mightprefer to switch to a different keyboard instead.
To insert this | Press |
---|---|
à, è, ì, ò, ù, | Ctrl+Grave accent (`), the letter |
á, é, í, ó, ú, ý | Ctrl+Single quotation mark ('), the letter |
â, ê, î, ô, û | Ctrl+Shift+Caret (^), the letter |
ã, ñ, õ | Ctrl+Shift+Tilde (~), the letter |
ä, ë, ï, ö, ü, ÿ, | Ctrl+Shift+Colon (:), the letter |
å, Å | Ctrl+Shift+At sign (@), a or A |
æ, Æ | Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand (&), a or A |
œ, Œ | Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand (&), o or O |
ç, Ç | Ctrl+Comma (,), c or C |
ð, Ð | Ctrl+Single quotation mark ('), d or D |
ø, Ø | Ctrl+Forward slash (/), o or O |
¿ | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Question mark (?) |
¡ | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Exclamation point (!) |
ß | Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand (&), s |
Top of Page
Use Input Method Editors for East Asian languages
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Switch to the Japanese Input Method Editor (IME) for a 101-key keyboard, if available. | Alt+Tilde (~) |
Switch to the Korean Input Method Editor (IME) for a 101-key keyboard, if available. | Right Alt |
Switch to the Chinese Input Method Editor (IME) for a 101-key keyboard, if available. | Ctrl+Spacebar |
Top of Page
Work with document views
Word offers several different views of a document. Each view makes it easier to do certain tasks. For example, Read Mode enables you view the document as a horizontal sequence of pages, which you can quickly browse using the Left and Right arrow keys.
Switch the document view
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Switch to the Read Mode view. | Alt+W, F |
Switch to the Print Layout view. | Ctrl+Alt+P |
Switch to the Outline view. | Ctrl+Alt+O |
Switch to the Draft view. | Ctrl+Alt+N |
Top of Page
Outline a document
These shortcuts only apply when the document is in the Outline view.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Promote a paragraph. | Alt+Shift+Left arrow key |
Demote a paragraph. | Alt+Shift+Right arrow key |
Demote the paragraph to body text. | Ctrl+Shift+N |
Move the selected paragraphs up. | Alt+Shift+Up arrow key |
Move the selected paragraphs down. | Alt+Shift+Down arrow key |
Expand the text under a heading. | Alt+Shift+Plus sign (+) |
Collapse the text under a heading. | Alt+Shift+Minus sign (-) |
Expand or collapse all text or headings. | Alt+Shift+A |
Hide or display the character formatting. | Forward slash (/) (on the numeric keypad) |
Switch between showing the first line of body text and showing all body text. | Alt+Shift+L |
Show all headings with the Heading 1 style. | Alt+Shift+1 |
Show all headings with the specified heading level. | Alt+Shift+Heading level number |
Insert a tab character. | Ctrl+Tab |
Top of Page
Move through the document in Read Mode
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Move to the beginning of the document. | Home |
Move to the end of the document. | End |
Go to a specific page. | Type the page number, then press Enter |
Exit Read Mode. | Esc |
Top of Page
Use function key shortcuts
Key | Description |
---|---|
F1 |
|
F2 |
|
F3 |
|
F4 |
|
F5 |
|
F6 |
|
F7 |
|
F8 |
|
F9 |
|
F10 |
|
F11 |
|
F12 |
|
Top of Page
See also
Word help center
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
Screen reader support for Word
This article describes the keyboard shortcuts and function keys in Word for Mac.
Notes:
-
The settings in some versions of the Mac operating system (OS) and some utility applications might conflict with keyboard shortcuts and function key operations in Microsoft 365 for Mac. For information about changing the key assignment for a keyboard shortcut, see Mac Help for your version of macOS, your utility application, or refer to Shortcut conflicts.
-
If you don't find a keyboard shortcut here that meets your needs, you can create a custom keyboard shortcut. For instructions, go to Create a custom keyboard shortcut for Office for Mac.
-
Many of the shortcuts that use the Ctrl key on a Windowskeyboard also work with the Control key in Word for Mac. However, not all do.
-
To quickly find a shortcut in this article, you can use Search. Press Command+F, and then type your search words.
For the best experience using your keyboard with the ribbon, enable your keyboard to access all controls.
-
To open the System Preferences, press
+Spacebar, type system preferences, and press Return. -
To go to Keyboard Settings, type keyboard and press Return.
-
In the Shortcuts tab, press Control+F7 to change the Full Keyboard Access setting from Text boxes and lists only to All Controls.
In this topic
-
Frequently used shortcuts
-
Shortcut conflicts
-
Navigate the document
-
Select text and graphics
-
Edit text and graphics
-
Work with tables
-
Drawing
-
Work with fields
-
Outline a document
-
Review a document
-
Use footnotes and endnotes
-
Work with right-to-left languages
-
Use function key shortcuts
Frequently used shortcuts
This table lists frequently used shortcuts in Word for Mac.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Undo the previous action. | |
Redo the previous action, if possible. | |
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. | |
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. | |
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. | |
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. * | Shift+F10 |
Display the Go To dialog box. | |
Display the Spelling and Grammar dialog box. | |
Enable extended selection mode. | F8 |
Switch to the next window. | |
Switch to the previous window. | |
Display the Save As dialog box. | |
Find text (move focus to the Search in Document box). | |
Display the Find and Replace pane. | Control+H |
Display the Print dialog box. | |
Close the current document. | |
Expand or minimize the ribbon. | |
Find the next spelling or grammatical error. The Check spelling as you type feature must be enabled. | Option+F7 |
Open the Dictionary. | Option+Shift+F7 |
Top of Page
Shortcut conflicts
Some Word for Mac keyboard shortcuts conflict with default macOS keyboard shortcuts. This topic flags such shortcuts with an asterisk ( * ). To use these shortcuts, you may have to change your Mac keyboard settings to change the shortcut for the key.
Change system preferences for keyboard shortcuts
-
From the Apple menu, select System Preferences.
-
Select Keyboard.
-
Select the Shortcuts tab.
-
Select Mission Control.
-
Clear the check box for the keyboard shortcut conflicting with the Word for Mac shortcut that you want to use.
Navigate the document
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Move the cursor one word to the left. | Option+Left arrow key |
Move the cursor one word to the right. | Option+Right arrow key |
Move the cursor up by one paragraph. | |
Move the cursor down by one paragraph. | |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line. | Home |
Move the cursor to the end of the current line. | End |
Move the cursor to the top of the previous page. | On a MacBook, press |
Move the cursor to the top of the next page. | On a MacBook, press |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. | On a MacBook, press |
Move the cursor to the end of the document. | On a MacBook, press |
Move the cursor to the previous insertion point. | Shift+F5 |
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view up by one screen. | Page up |
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view down by one screen. | Page down |
Top of Page
Select text and graphics
Tip:If you know the key combination to move the cursor, you can generally select the text by using the same key combination while holding down Shift. For example,
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Select multiple items that are not next to each other. | Select the first item that you want, hold down |
Select text. | Shift+Arrow keys |
Select the word to the left. | Shift+Option+Left arrow key |
Select the word to the right. | Shift+Option+Right arrow key |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current line. | Shift+Home |
Select from the current position to the end of the current line. | Shift+End |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the current paragraph. | |
Select from the current position to the end of the current paragraph. | |
Select from the current position to the top of the screen. | Shift+Page up |
Select from the current position to the bottom of the screen. | Shift+Page down |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the document. | |
Select from the current position to the end of the document. | |
Select from the current position to the bottom of the window. | |
Select all document content. | |
Top of Page
Extend a selection
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Start extending the selection. * | F8 In the extend selection mode, clicking a location in the document extends the current selection to that location. |
Select the nearest character to the left. | F8, Left arrow key |
Select the nearest character to the right. | F8, Right arrow key |
Expand the selection. | F8 repeatedly to expand the selection to the entire word, sentence, paragraph, section, and document. |
Reduce the selection. * | Shift+F8 |
Select a vertical block of text. | |
Stop extending the selection. | Esc |
Top of Page
Edit text and graphics
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. | F2 |
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. | F3 |
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. | F4 |
Display the Paste Special dialog box. | |
Cut the selected content to the Spike. | |
Paste the contents of the Spike. | |
Copy the selected formatting. | |
Paste the copied formatting. | |
Create an AutoText entry. | Option+F3 |
Top of Page
Align and format paragraphs
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Center the paragraph. | |
Justify the paragraph. | |
Align the paragraph to the left. | |
Align the paragraph to the right. | |
Indent the paragraph. | Control+Shift+M |
Remove a paragraph indent. | |
Create a hanging indent. | |
Remove a hanging indent. | |
Apply single-spacing to the paragraph. | |
Apply double-spacing to the paragraph. | |
Apply 1.5-line spacing to the paragraph. | |
Enable AutoFormat. | |
Apply the Normal style. | |
Apply the Heading 1 style. | |
Apply the Heading 2 style. | |
Apply the Heading 3 style. | |
Apply the List style. | |
Insert a nonbreaking space. | Option+Spacebar |
Top of Page
Format characters
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Increase the font size. | |
Decrease the font size. | |
Increase the font size by 1 point. | |
Decrease the font size by 1 point. | |
Display the Font dialog box. | |
Switch the text between upper case, lower case, and title case. | Shift+F3 |
Change the text to all upper case. | |
Apply bold formatting. | |
Add a bulleted list. | |
Apply underline formatting. | |
Apply underline formatting to the words, but not the spaces. | |
Apply double-underline formatting. | |
Apply italics formatting. | |
Apply small caps formatting. | |
Apply strike-through formatting. | |
Top of Page
Insert special characters
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert an empty field. | |
Insert a line break. | Shift+Return |
Insert a page break. | |
Insert a column break. | |
Insert a nonbreaking hyphen. | |
Insert a registered trademark symbol (®). | Option+R |
Insert a trademark symbol (™). | Option+2 |
Top of Page
Work with tables
Move around in a table
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Move to the next cell and select its content. | Tab key |
Move to the previous cell and select its content. | Shift+Tab |
Move to the next row. | Down arrow key |
Move to the previous row. | Up arrow key |
Move to the first cell in the row. | Control+Home |
Move to the last cell in the row. | Control+End |
Move to the first cell in the column. | Control+Page up |
Move to the last cell in the column. | Control+Page down |
Add a new row to the bottom of the table. | Tab key, at the end of the last row |
Insert a row. | |
Top of Page
Select table content
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Select the content in the next cell. | Tab key |
Select the content in the previous cell. | Shift+Tab |
Extend a selection to adjacent cells. | Shift+Arrow keys |
Select a row. | Select the first or last cell in the row, and then press Shift+Alt+End or Home. |
Top of Page
Resize table columns with the ruler
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Retain the column sizes to the right and change the table width. | Drag the column boundary in the ruler |
Move a single column line and retain the table width. | Shift+Drag the column boundary in the ruler |
Equally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. | |
Proportionally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. | |
Top of Page
Resize table columns directly in a table
Tip:To finely adjust the column width and display the column's measurements in the ruler when you resize the column, turn off the snap-to functionality by pressing Option with the shortcut keys.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Move a single column line and retain the table width. | Drag the column boundary |
Retain column sizes to the right and change the table width. | Shift+Drag the column boundary |
Equally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. | |
Proportionally resize all columns to the right and retain the table width. | |
Top of Page
Insert paragraphs and tab characters in a table
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a new paragraph in a cell. | Return |
Insert a Tab character in a cell. | Option+Tab |
Top of Page
Drawing
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Toggle drawing mode. | |
Top of Page
Work with fields
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a DATE field. | Control+Shift+D |
Insert a LISTNUM field. | |
Insert a PAGE field. | Control+Shift+P |
Insert a TIME field. | Control+Shift+T |
Insert an empty field. | |
Update the selected fields. * | F9 |
Switch between a field code and its result. * | Shift+F9 |
Switch between all field codes and their results. | Option+F9 |
Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from a field displaying field results. | Option+Shift+F9 |
Lock a field. | |
Unlock a field. | |
Top of Page
Outline a document
These shortcuts only apply when the document is in the Outline view.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Promote a paragraph. | Control+Shift+Left arrow key |
Demote a paragraph. | Control+Shift+Right arrow key |
Demote the paragraph to body text. | |
Move the selected paragraphs up. * | Control+Shift+Up arrow key |
Move the selected paragraphs down. * | Control+Shift+Down arrow key |
Expand the text under a heading. | Control+Shift+Plus sign (+) |
Collapse text under a heading. * | Control+Shift+Minus sign (-) |
Expand all body text and headings, or collapse all body text. | Control+Shift+A |
Switch between showing the first line of body text and showing all body text. | Control+Shift+L |
Show all headings with the specified heading level. | Control+Shift+Heading level number |
Top of Page
Review a document
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a comment. | |
Turn change tracking on or off. | |
Move to the beginning of a comment. | Home |
Move to the end of a comment. | End (The End key is not available on all keyboards.) |
Move to the beginning of the list of comments. | |
Move to the end of the list of comments. | |
Top of Page
Use footnotes and endnotes
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Insert a footnote. | |
Insert an endnote. | |
Top of Page
Work with right-to-left languages
Word supports right-to-left functionality for languages that work in a right-to-left or a combined right-to-left, left-to-right environment for writing, editing, and displaying text. In this context, right-to-left languages refers to any writing system that is written from right to left and includes languages that require contextual shaping, such as Arabic, and languages that do not.
Before you can use these keyboard shortcuts, you need to ensure keyboard shortcuts are enabled for the language you are using:
-
Go to Apple > System Preferences > Keyboard.
-
On the Input Sources tab, select the language for which you want to enable shortcuts.
-
On the right side of the tab, select the check box for Enable keyboard shortcuts.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Switch the writing direction to right-to-left. | Control+ |
Switch the writing direction to left-to-right. | Control+ |
Top of Page
Use function key shortcuts
Word for Mac uses the function keys for common commands, including Copy and Paste. For quick access to these shortcuts, you can change your Apple system preferences so you don't have to press the Fn key every time you use a function key shortcut.
Note:Changing system function key preferences affects how the function keys work on your Mac, not just in Word. After changing this setting, you can still perform the special features printed on a function key. Just press the Fn key. For example, to use the F12 key to change your volume, press Fn+F12.
If a function key doesn't work as you expect it to, press the Fn key in addition to the function key. If you don't want to press the Fn key each time, you can change your Apple system preferences. For instructions, go to Change function key preferences.
The following table provides the function key shortcuts for Word for Mac.
Key | Description |
---|---|
F1 |
|
F2 |
|
F3 |
|
F4 |
|
F5 |
|
F6 |
|
F7 |
|
F8 |
|
F9 |
|
F10 |
|
F11 |
|
Top of Page
Change function key preferences
-
In the Apple menu, select System Preferences.
-
Select Keyboard.
-
On the Keyboard tab, select the check box for Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.
See also
Word help center
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
Screen reader support for Word
This article describes the keyboard shortcuts in Word for the web.
Notes:
-
If you use Narrator with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have to turn off scan mode in order to edit documents, spreadsheets, or presentations with Microsoft 365 for the web. For more information, refer to Turn off virtual or browse mode in screen readers in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
-
To quickly find a shortcut in this article, you can use Search. Press Ctrl+F and then type your search words.
-
When you use Word for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Word for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Word for the web.
In this topic
-
Frequently used shortcuts
-
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
-
Navigate the document
-
Edit and format the document
-
Work with comments
Frequently used shortcuts
This table lists the most frequently used shortcuts in Word for the web.
Tip:To quickly create a new document in Word for the web, open your browser, type Word.new in the address bar, and then press Enter.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
In the Reading view, open a PDF-based view tagged to work with screen readers. | Press the Tab key until you reach the Accessibility Mode button, and then press Enter |
Find text in the Reading view. | Ctrl+F or F3 |
Find text in the Editing view. | Ctrl+F or Ctrl+G |
Find and replace text in the Editing view. | Ctrl+H |
Hide the task pane, if one is open. | Esc |
Switch to the Zoom control. | Alt+Period, W, then Q or Alt+Windows logo key, W, then Q |
Print the document. | Ctrl+P |
Move to the next landmark region. | Ctrl+F6 |
Go to the Tell Me or Search text field. | Alt+Q |
Top of Page
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
Word for the web offers shortcuts called access keysto navigate the ribbon. If you’ve used access keys to save time on Word for desktop computers, you’ll find access keys very similar in Word for the web.
On a Windowscomputer, access keys all start with Alt+Period (.) or Alt+Windows logo key, then add a letter for the ribbon tab. For example, to go to the Review tab, press Alt+Period, R or Alt+Windows logo key, R.
If you're using Word for the web on a Mac computer, press Control+Period (.) to start.
![Keyboard shortcuts in Word - Microsoft Support (115) Keyboard shortcuts in Word - Microsoft Support (115)](https://i0.wp.com/support.content.office.net/en-us/media/8d7de147-0c96-42b0-91c2-1b59eb0af72c.png)
-
To get to the ribbon, press Alt+Period orAlt+Windows logo key. You can alternatively press Ctrl+F6 until you reach the Home tab.
-
To move between tabs on the ribbon, press the Tab key.
-
To hide the ribbon so you have more room to work, press Ctrl+F3. Repeat to display the ribbon again.
Go to the access keys for the ribbon
To go directly to a tab on the ribbon, press one of the following access keys:
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Open the Tell Me or Search text field on the ribbon to type a search term. | Alt+Period, Q or Alt+Windows logo key, Q |
Open the File tab to use the Backstage view. | Alt+Period, F or Alt+Windows logo key, F |
Open the Home tab to format text and use the Find tool. | Alt+Period, H or Alt+Windows logo key, H |
Open the Insert tab to insert a picture, link, comment, header or footer, or a page number. You can also access the Symbol gallery. | Alt+Period, N or Alt+Windows logo key, N |
Open the Page Layout tab to set page margins, orientation, and size, and paragraph spacing. | Alt+Period, A or Alt+Windows logo key, A |
Open the References tab to insert a table of contents, footnotes, or endnotes. | Alt+Period, S or Alt+Windows logo key, S |
Open the Review tab to check spelling, add comments, or track and review changes to your document. | Alt+Period, R or Alt+Windows logo key, R |
Open the View tab to choose a view, open the Navigation pane, edit the Header & Footer, and to Zoom the document view. | Alt+Period, W or Alt+Windows logo key, W |
Top of Page
Use Search
To find an option or perform an action quickly, use the Search text field. To learn more about the Search feature, go to Find what you need with Microsoft Search.
Note:Depending on the version of Microsoft 365you are using, the Search text field at the top of the app window might be called Tell Me instead. Both offer a largely similar experience, but some options and search results can vary.
-
Select the item or place in your document, presentation, or spreadsheet where you want to perform an action.
-
To go to the Search text field, press Alt+Q.
-
Type the search words for the action that you want to perform. For example, if you want to add a bulleted list, type bullets.
-
Press the Down arrow key to browse through the search results.
-
Once you've found the result that you want, press Enter to select it and to perform the action.
Work in the ribbon tabs and menus
The following shortcuts can save time when you work with the ribbon tabs and ribbon menus.
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Select the active tab on the ribbon, and activate the access keys. | Alt+Period or Alt+Windows logo key. To move to a different tab, use an access key or the Tab key. |
When a Ribbon tab is selected, move the focus to the tab commands. | Enter, then Tab key or Shift+Tab |
Activate a selected button. | Spacebar or Enter |
Open the list for a selected command. | Spacebar or Enter |
Open the menu for a selected button. | Alt+Down arrow key |
When a menu or submenu is open, move to the next command. | Down arrow key |
Collapse or expand the ribbon. | Ctrl+F3 |
Top of Page
Navigate the document
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Move the cursor right by one word. | Ctrl+Right arrow key |
Move the cursor left by one word. | Ctrl+Left arrow key |
Move the cursor up by one paragraph. | Ctrl+Up arrow key |
Move the cursor down by one paragraph. | Ctrl+Down arrow key |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line. | Home |
Move the cursor to the end of the current line. | End |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. | Ctrl+Home |
Move the cursor to the end of the document. | Ctrl+End |
Select text. | Shift+Arrow keys |
Select the word to the right. | Shift+Ctrl+Right arrow key |
Select the word to the left. | Shift+Ctrl+Left arrow key |
Select the paragraph above. | Shift+Ctrl+Up arrow key |
Select the paragraph below. | Shift+Ctrl+Down arrow key |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the line. | Shift+Home |
Select from the current position to the end of the line. | Shift+End |
Select from the current position to the beginning of the document. | Shift+Ctrl+Home |
Select from the current position to the end of the document. | Shift+Ctrl+End |
Select all document content. | Ctrl+A |
Top of Page
Edit and format the document
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard. | Ctrl+X |
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard. | Ctrl+C |
Paste the content from the Clipboard. | Ctrl+V |
Undo the previous action. | Ctrl+Z |
Redo the previous action. | Ctrl+Y |
Shrink the font size. | Ctrl+Left bracket ([) |
Grow the font size. | Ctrl+Right bracket (]) |
Apply bold formatting to the selected text. | Ctrl+B |
Apply italic formatting to the selected text. | Ctrl+I |
Underline the selected text. | Ctrl+U |
Align the paragraph to the left. | Ctrl+L |
Align the paragraph to the right. | Ctrl+R |
Center the paragraph. | Ctrl+E |
Justify the paragraph. | Ctrl+J |
Create a bulleted list. | Ctrl+Period (.) |
Create a numbered list. | Ctrl+Slash (/) |
Top of Page
Work with comments
The following keyboard shortcuts only work when the Comments pane is open and selected (or "in focus" if you're using a screen reader).
To do this | Press |
---|---|
Show or hide the Comments pane. | Alt+Period, R, K or Alt+Windows logo key, R, K |
Add a new comment. | Ctrl+Alt+M |
Go to the next comment thread, or the next reply in an expanded comment thread. | Down arrow key |
Go to the previous comment thread. | Up arrow key |
Expand the current comment thread. | Right arrow key |
Collapse the current comment thread. | Left arrow key |
Move to the reply box, when focus is on a comment. | Tab key, Tab key, Enter |
Edit a comment or reply, when focus is on the comment or reply. | Tab key, Enter |
Post a comment/reply or save an edit. | Ctrl+Enter |
Discard a draft comment/reply or edit. | Esc |
Top of Page
See also
Word help center
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
Screen reader support for Word