50 Essential Microsoft Word Shortcuts You Need to Know

Navigate Microsoft Word like a pro with our extensive guide to 50 essential shortcuts. From basic text editing to advanced formatting, these key combinations will transform your document creation experience, making it faster, more efficient, and altogether more enjoyable.

  1. Ctrl + S: Save Document
  2. Ctrl + C / Ctrl + X / Ctrl + V: Copy, Cut, Paste
  3. Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y: Undo and Redo
  4. Ctrl + B / Ctrl + I / Ctrl + U: Bold, Italicize, Underline
  5. Ctrl + A: Select All
  6. Ctrl + F: Find
  7. Ctrl + H: Find and Replace
  8. Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow: Navigate Words
  9. Ctrl + Home/End: Go to Beginning/End of Document
  10. Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys: Select Text
  11. Ctrl + K: Insert Hyperlink
  12. Ctrl + ] / Ctrl + [: Increase/Decrease Font Size
  13. Ctrl + E: Center Alignment
  14. Ctrl + L: Left Alignment
  15. Ctrl + R: Right Alignment
  16. Ctrl + J: Justify Alignment
  17. Ctrl + 1 / Ctrl + 2 / Ctrl + 5: Single/Double Line Spacing
  18. Ctrl + Shift + L: Bulleted List
  19. Ctrl + Shift + N: Apply Normal Style
  20. Ctrl + D: Font Dialog Box
  21. Ctrl + Shift + C / Ctrl + Shift + V: Copy/Paste Formatting
  22. Ctrl + Shift + L: Apply List Bullet
  23. Ctrl + Shift + K: Format as Heading 1
  24. Ctrl + Shift + N: Format as Normal
  25. Ctrl + Shift + M: Insert Comment
  26. Ctrl + Enter: Page Break
  27. Ctrl + T: Create Hanging Indent
  28. Ctrl + Alt + M: Insert Comment
  29. Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S: Apply Styles Pane
  30. Ctrl + Alt + 1: Heading 1 Style
  31. Ctrl + Alt + 2: Heading 2 Style
  32. Ctrl + Alt + 3: Heading 3 Style
  33. Ctrl + Alt + F: Navigation Pane
  34. Ctrl + Alt + O: Outline View
  35. Ctrl + Shift + F12: Print Document
  36. Ctrl + P: Print Preview
  37. Ctrl + G: Go to Page
  38. Ctrl + W: Close Document
  39. Ctrl + N: New Document
  40. Ctrl + O: Open Document
  41. Ctrl + F2: Print Preview
  42. Ctrl + Shift + K: Format as Heading 2
  43. Ctrl + Shift + L: Format as Heading 3
  44. Ctrl + Shift + R: Format as Heading 4
  45. Ctrl + Shift + L: Format as Heading 5
  46. Ctrl + Shift + L: Format as Heading 6
  47. Ctrl + Alt + M: Insert Comment
  48. Ctrl + F9: Insert Empty Field
  49. Ctrl + F10: Maximize Document Window
  50. Ctrl + F12: Open Document

How to Delete a Page in Word

Ctrl + S: Save Your Document Quickly Save your work instantly with this shortcut, ensuring that you never lose your progress. Ctrl + S is a habit every Word user should develop.

Ctrl + C / Ctrl + X / Ctrl + V: Copy, Cut, Paste Highlight text, press Ctrl + C to copy, Ctrl + X to cut, and Ctrl + V to paste. These basic shortcuts are fundamental for quick text manipulation.

Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y: Undo and Redo Made a mistake? Ctrl + Z is your undo friend. To redo an action, press Ctrl + Y. These shortcuts save time when experimenting with document edits.

Ctrl + B / Ctrl + I / Ctrl + U: Bold, Italicize, Underline Format text swiftly with Ctrl + B for bold, Ctrl + I for italic, and Ctrl + U for underline. Make your documents visually appealing without breaking your flow.

Ctrl + A: Select All Quickly select the entire document with Ctrl + A. This is handy when you want to apply formatting changes to the entire text.

Ctrl + F: Find Locate specific words or phrases effortlessly by pressing Ctrl + F. Word’s Find feature will help you navigate through your document with ease.

Ctrl + H: Find and Replace Need to replace certain words throughout your document? Ctrl + H opens the Find and Replace dialog, letting you make quick and widespread changes.

Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow: Navigate Words Move the cursor word by word using Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow. This is faster than using the arrow keys alone.

Ctrl + Home/End: Go to Beginning/End of Document Jump to the beginning or end of your document instantly with Ctrl + Home and Ctrl + End, respectively.

Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys: Select Text Combine Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys to select text quickly. This is useful for precise text selection without using the mouse.

Ctrl + K: Insert Hyperlink Highlight text, press Ctrl + K, and insert a hyperlink effortlessly. This is essential for creating interactive and connected documents.

Ctrl + ] / Ctrl + [: Increase/Decrease Font Size Adjust font size swiftly with Ctrl + ] to increase and Ctrl + [ to decrease. Fine-tune your document’s visual appeal on the fly.

Shortcut keysFunctions
Ctrl + NCreates a new document
Ctrl + OOpens an existing document
F12Saves the document as a new file
Ctrl + ASelects the whole document.
Ctrl + CCopies the selected item
Ctrl + VPastes copied item
Ctrl + BMakes selected text bold
Ctrl + IItalicizes selected text
Ctrl + UUnderlines selected texts
Ctrl + LAligns text left
Ctrl + RAligns text right
Ctrl + EAligns text center
Ctrl + JHelps justify text
Ctrl + 1sets single line spacing
Ctrl + 2Sets double line spacing
Ctrl + 5Sets line spacing to 1.5
Ctrl + Shift + AChanges characters to all capitals
Ctrl + DInserts a Microsoft Paint drawing
Ctrl + FFinds text
Ctrl + HomeMoves to the beginning of the document
Ctrl + EndMoves to the end of the document
Ctrl + PPrint
Ctrl + SSave
Ctrl + ZUndo
Ctrl + YRedo
Ctrl + XCopy + delete
Shift + F3Change case of letters
Ctrl + Shift+>Increase font size
Ctrl + Shift+<Decrease font size
Shift + Arrow KeysSelects one letter at a time
Shift + Ctrl + Arrow keysSelects one word at a time
Shift + End or HomeSelects lines of text

Commonly used Technology abbreviations and their meanings

Conclusion

Transform your Microsoft Word experience by incorporating these 50 essential shortcuts into your daily workflow. Whether you’re a casual user or a seasoned professional, mastering these key combinations will undoubtedly enhance your efficiency and make your document creation process smoother than ever.