The A to Z shortcut keys are the 26 combinations of Ctrl with each letter, from Ctrl + A (select all) to Ctrl + Z (undo). About ten of them do the same job in almost every program, and the rest change depending on whether you are in Word, a browser, Excel or File Explorer.
The table below lists every letter with its meaning in Word and in a web browser, which are the two places students and office staff use most. Learn the common ten first; they cover most daily work.
Quick facts
Works everywhere
A, C, F, N, O, P, S, V, X, Z with CtrlText formatting
Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, Ctrl + UBrowser favourites
Ctrl + T, Ctrl + WMac
Use Command instead of CtrlPractice tip
Learn three new letters a day
Computer shortcut keys A to Z table
| Keys | In Word and most editors | In Chrome or Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all | Select all |
| Ctrl + B | Bold | Varies (bookmarks in some browsers) |
| Ctrl + C | Copy | Copy |
| Ctrl + D | Font box | Bookmark this page |
| Ctrl + E | Centre text | Search from the address bar |
| Ctrl + F | Find | Find on page |
| Ctrl + G | Go to page | Next match in find |
| Ctrl + H | Replace | History |
| Ctrl + I | Italic | Varies |
| Ctrl + J | Justify | Downloads |
| Ctrl + K | Insert link | Search from the address bar |
| Ctrl + L | Left align | Select the address bar |
| Ctrl + M | Indent paragraph | Varies |
| Ctrl + N | New document | New window |
| Ctrl + O | Open | Open a file |
| Ctrl + P | ||
| Ctrl + Q | Remove paragraph formatting | Not used |
| Ctrl + R | Right align | Reload |
| Ctrl + S | Save | Save page |
| Ctrl + T | Hanging indent | New tab |
| Ctrl + U | Underline | View page source |
| Ctrl + V | Paste | Paste |
| Ctrl + W | Close document | Close tab |
| Ctrl + X | Cut | Cut |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo | History in some browsers |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo | Undo typing |
The ten Ctrl shortcut keys to learn first
- Ctrl + C copy, Ctrl + X cut and Ctrl + V paste: see the copy, cut and paste hub.
- Ctrl + Z undo and Ctrl + Y redo: your safety net, explained in the undo shortcut key guide.
- Ctrl + A select all, then do something to everything at once.
- Ctrl + S save, often. The save shortcut key page shows Save As too.
- Ctrl + F find a word on any page or document.
- Ctrl + P print.
- Ctrl + N new document or window.
These ten work the same way in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Notepad, email and browsers, so the effort pays off everywhere.
Letters that change in Excel and File Explorer
| Keys | Excel | File Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + D | Fill down from the cell above | Delete to Recycle Bin |
| Ctrl + E | Flash Fill | Go to the search box |
| Ctrl + R | Fill right | Refresh |
| Ctrl + T | Make a table | Not used |
| Ctrl + N | New workbook | New window |
There are many more for Excel on the Excel shortcut keys hub.
Ctrl shortcut keys with Shift
Adding Shift often reverses or extends a shortcut. Ctrl + Shift + Z is redo in many programs, Ctrl + Shift + T reopens a closed browser tab, Ctrl + Shift + N makes a new folder in File Explorer and opens a private window in Chrome, and Ctrl + Shift + Esc opens Task Manager.
A to Z shortcut keys in computer exams
Computer basics exams and typing courses often ask questions like "what is the shortcut key for underline" or "which key combination is used for undo". The answers they expect are the Word column above: Ctrl + U for underline, Ctrl + Z for undo, Ctrl + E for centre. Practise by doing each one in a blank document rather than memorising the table.
On a Mac
Mac computers use Command in place of Ctrl for almost all of these: Command + C copies, Command + S saves and so on. A few letters differ, such as Command + Shift + Z for redo. See the Mac shortcut keys hub, or the basic computer shortcut keys list for the Windows key combinations.
Frequently asked questions
What are the A to Z shortcut keys?
They are Ctrl with each letter. The table on this page lists all 26 for Word and browsers.
Which Ctrl shortcut keys work in every program?
Select all, copy, cut, paste, undo, save, find, print, open and new: A, C, X, V, Z, S, F, P, O and N.
What does Ctrl + D do?
In Word it opens the Font box, in browsers it bookmarks the page, in Excel it fills down and in File Explorer it deletes.
What is Ctrl + E used for?
In Word it centres text. In Excel it runs Flash Fill.
What is Ctrl + Q in Word?
It removes paragraph formatting such as indents and spacing from the selected paragraph.
Do these computer shortcut keys A to Z work on a laptop?
Yes. They use letter keys, so no Fn key is needed.