The 50 Most Useful Microsoft Word Keyboard Shortcuts

When you’re composing a Microsoft Word document, keyboard shortcuts, the use of a series of keys to perform specific actions, can be a huge help to save you time and make things more convenient. Keep in mind, though, that not every Microsoft Word keyboard shortcut will work across every device, because Word shortcut keys can vary. But as a general rule, when it comes to keyboard shortcuts, the “Control” key on a PC functions in the same way as the “Command” key on a Mac. The shortcuts also may not work in every version of Microsoft Word, including Word 365. Though there are ways to customize or disable certain keyboard shortcuts, keyboard shortcuts should be automatically enabled. Below, we outline the most useful Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts that you’ll want to keep handy.

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Tips for using Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts

In addition to Microsoft keyboard shortcuts, Microsoft Word also has a Ribbon option, which allows you to see a wider range of options and tools for editing your text. On a Mac, press Command+Option+R to show or minimize the ribbon. On a PC, press the Alt key to have the ribbon display letters called “Key Tips” that group the ribbon shortcuts accordingly. You can then create “Access Keys” so you can open certain tabs with a few keystrokes. Check out Microsoft Support for a thorough explanation of how to use the ribbon and Access Keys—click the tabs toward the top of the page to select Mac versus PC.

General

There are a few basic Microsoft Word commands that are pretty handy when you’re editing a Word document. These are the big, more generic shortcuts rather than the ones that allow you to make specific changes to your text.

Moving around the document

There are a few different ways to move your cursor around the document, primarily with the arrow keys. You may already know that you can move the cursor around one letter at a time, by pressing the left and right arrow keys, or one row at a time, by pressing the up and down arrow keys. But there are a few Microsoft Word commands that allow you to move to specific places in the document, whether with the arrow keys or others.

Selecting text

For the most part, you’ll be selecting specific text with your cursor. There are all sorts of things you can do with that text, using keyboard shortcuts, but there aren’t too many Microsoft keyboard shortcuts that specifically let you select, and/or act on, certain text.

Editing text

There are lots of ways you can edit selected text using Word shortcuts. You can also use a keyboard shortcut to turn on Track Changes, allowing you to see edits that you make.

Inserting

These are the Word keyboard shortcuts you might be most familiar with, including the copy shortcut, cut shortcut and paste shortcut. They really come in handy!

Formatting

Formatting plays a big role in the overall appearance of your document. Here’s how to use Word shortcuts to edit formatting.

Outlines

To edit an outline in Word, you’ll first need to make sure you’re in Outline View. Click the View tab at the top of the screen, then choose Outline. From there, you can use these Microsoft keyboard shortcuts to edit your outline.

Tables

Tables are another handy Microsoft Word feature, and they have their own set of keyboard shortcuts.

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Sources:

• Computer Hope: “Microsoft Word shortcut keys”
• O’Reilly: “Keyboard Differences”
• OSX Daily: “The ‘Home’ & ‘End’ Button Equivalents on Mac Keyboards”
• Microsoft Support: “Shortcuts in Word”
• Nuts & Bolts: “Strikethrough Shortcut (Mac & PC) for Word, Google Docs, Excel & PowerPoint”
• Dummies: “How Writers Can Use Word 2019’s Outline View”

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