MS Word shortcut keys turn formatting and editing into single key presses. Bold, italic and underline sit on Ctrl with B, I and U, Ctrl + E centers a paragraph, Ctrl + Enter starts a new page, and F7 runs spelling and grammar. These work in every recent version of Microsoft Word.
Below you will find the Ctrl A to Z list for Word, about fifty useful keys grouped by task, and links to the other Office guides on the site, including PowerPoint and Notepad. Mac users can swap Ctrl for Command in most cases.
Quick facts
Bold
Ctrl + BCenter
Ctrl + ENew page
Ctrl + EnterSpelling
F7Change case
Shift + F3Save As
F12
MS Word shortcut keys A to Z
| Ctrl + | Action |
|---|---|
| A | Select all |
| B | Bold |
| C | Copy |
| D | Font dialog |
| E | Center |
| F | Find |
| G | Go To |
| H | Replace |
| I | Italic |
| J | Justify |
| K | Insert hyperlink |
| L | Align left |
| M | Indent |
| N | New document |
| O | Open |
| P | |
| Q | Remove paragraph formatting |
| R | Align right |
| S | Save |
| T | Hanging indent |
| U | Underline |
| V | Paste |
| W | Close |
| X | Cut |
| Y | Redo or repeat |
| Z | Undo |
This A to Z list covers the most asked letters. Many of them, such as C, V, X, Z, S and P, behave the same in almost every Windows program.
Shortcut keys in MS Word for formatting text
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Bigger or smaller text | Ctrl + Shift + . / Ctrl + Shift + , |
| Change case | Shift + F3 |
| Subscript | Ctrl + = |
| Superscript | Ctrl + Shift + = |
| Clear character formatting | Ctrl + Space |
| Copy formatting | Ctrl + Shift + C |
| Paste formatting | Ctrl + Shift + V |
| Heading 1, 2, 3 | Ctrl + Alt + 1, Ctrl + Alt + 2, Ctrl + Alt + 3 |
Detailed guides: bold and underline, font size, uppercase and format painter.
Paragraph, line spacing and lists
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Center, left, right, justify | Ctrl + E, Ctrl + L, Ctrl + R, Ctrl + J |
| Single, double, 1.5 line spacing | Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + 2, Ctrl + 5 |
| Indent and remove indent | Ctrl + M / Ctrl + Shift + M |
| Hanging indent | Ctrl + T |
| Bulleted list | Ctrl + Shift + L |
| Remove paragraph formatting | Ctrl + Q |
Bullets and numbering are explained in bullet shortcut key and indents with footnotes in footnote and indent shortcuts.
Pages, moving around and selecting
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| New page (page break) | Ctrl + Enter |
| Start of document | Ctrl + Home |
| End of document | Ctrl + End |
| Go to a page | Ctrl + G |
| Select a word, then more | Double click, then Shift with arrows |
| Delete the word before | Ctrl + Backspace |
| Navigation pane | Ctrl + F |
| Print preview | Ctrl + P |
Adding pages is explained in new page in Word, and removing them in delete page in Word. Extra blank pages at the end usually come from empty paragraphs or a page break that can be shown with Ctrl + Shift + 8.
Review, comments and track changes
F7 runs Spelling and Grammar, Shift + F7 opens the thesaurus and Ctrl + Alt + M inserts a comment. Track Changes, toggled by Ctrl + Shift + E, colours every edit so the author can accept or reject it, which is why teachers and editors rely on it. Alt + Shift + D inserts today's date, and Ctrl + K adds a hyperlink. More detail is in spell check shortcut.
Shortcut keys for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and other Office programs
| Guide | Main shortcut | In short |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPoint | New slide: Ctrl + M | Ctrl + M new slide, F5 start slideshow, Ctrl + N new presentation |
| Delete a page in Word | Select current page: Ctrl + G, \page, Enter, Esc | Ctrl + G, type \page, Enter, Esc, then Delete removes a page in Word |
| MS Office | Save and Save As: Ctrl + S, F12 | Ctrl + S, Ctrl + Z, F7 and F12 work across Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook |
| New page in Word | New page (page break): Ctrl + Enter | Ctrl + Enter inserts a page break and starts a new page in Word |
| Notepad | Open: Win + R, notepad | Win + R, notepad opens it; Ctrl + S saves, Ctrl + H replaces, F5 adds the time |
| Google Sheets | Shortcut list: Ctrl + / | Ctrl + / shows every Google Sheets shortcut; Ctrl + Shift + V pastes values |
| Footnotes and indents | Footnote: Ctrl + Alt + F | Ctrl + Alt + F inserts a footnote; Ctrl + M indents; Ctrl + T hanging indent |
Because the Ctrl letters barely change across the suite, a key learned in Word usually works in the presentation and email programs too. Spreadsheet keys are collected on Excel shortcut keys.
Shortcut keys in Word on a Mac
Word for Mac uses Command where Windows uses Ctrl: Command + B for bold, Command + E to center and Command + S to save. Some function keys need Fn on a MacBook, such as Fn + F7 for spelling, and a few Windows keys have no Mac equivalent, in which case the Format menu holds the command. The list of general Mac keys is on MacBook shortcut keys.
Learning the 50 shortcut keys of MS Word
- Week one: Ctrl + B, I, U, E, L, R, Z, Y, S and P.
- Week two: Ctrl + Enter, Shift + F3, Ctrl + Shift + L and line spacing keys.
- Week three: F7, Ctrl + Alt + M, Ctrl + Shift + E and the heading keys.
- After that, tap Alt to reveal ribbon key tips for rarer commands.
Computer course exams in India often ask for the A to Z list and around fifty common keys; the tables on this page cover them. Typing practice with real documents, such as a letter or an assignment, fixes them in memory faster than a printed list. A good drill is to retype one printed page with no mouse at all: select with Shift and arrows, format with Ctrl letters, and save with Ctrl + S. After two or three such sessions, the keys feel natural.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic MS Word shortcut keys?
Ctrl + B, I and U for formatting, Ctrl + S save, Ctrl + Z undo and Ctrl + E center.
What is the A to Z list of Word shortcut keys?
Ctrl plus each letter from A to Z, shown in the first table above.
How do I open a new document in Word?
What does Ctrl + Enter do in Word?
It inserts a page break and starts a new page.
How do I change case in Word?
Do Word shortcuts work on a Mac?
Yes, mostly; press Command where Windows uses Ctrl.