78 Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Word

Here are 78 Microsoft Word Keyboard Shortcuts, which include keyboard shortcuts for formating text, line spacing, and selecting text. These shortcuts will help you become more efficient at using Word. They will work with all recent versions of Word.

Word Function Keys

F1: Gets Help or visit Microsoft Office Online

F2: Moves text or graphics

F3: Inserts an AutoText entry

F4: Repeats the last action

F5: Chooses the Go To command (Edit menu)

F6: Goes to the next frame

F7: Chooses the Spelling command (Tools menu)

F8: Extends a selection

F9: Updates selected fields

F10:Activates the menu bar

F11: Goes to the next field

F12: Save As command

Control + Function Key

Ctrl + F2: Print Preview command (File menu)

Ctrl + F3: Cut to the Spike

Ctrl + F4: Closes the window

Ctrl + F5: Restores the document window size (for example, after maximising it)

Ctrl + F6: Goes to the next window

Ctrl + F7: Move command (title bar shortcut menu)

Ctrl + F8: Size command (title bar shortcut menu)

Ctrl + F9: Inserts an empty field

Ctrl + F10: Maximises document window

Ctrl + F11: Locks a field

Ctrl + F12: Open command (File menu)

Control + Shift + Function Key

Ctrl + Shift + F3: Inserts contents of Spike

Ctrl + Shift + F5: Edit a bookmark

Ctrl + Shift + F6: Goes to the previous window

Ctrl + Shift + F7: Updates linked information in a Word source document

Ctrl + Shift + F8: Makes vertical text block

Ctrl + Shift + F9: Unlinks a field

Ctrl + Shift + F11: Unlocks a field

Ctrl + Shift + F12: Print command (File menu)

Shift + Function Key

Shift + F1: Starts context-sensitive Help or reveals formatting

Shift + F2: Copies text

Shift + F3: Changes case of letters

Shift + F4: Repeats a Find o

Shift + F5: Moves to the last change

Shift + F6: Goes to the previous pane or frame

Shift + F7: Launches Thesaurus (Tools menu, Language submenu)

Shift + F8: Shrinks a selection

Shift + F9: Switches between a field code and its result

Shift + F10: Displays a shortcut menu

Shift + F11: Goes to the previous field

Shift + F12: Save command (File menu)

Alt + Function Key

Alt + F1: Goes to next field

Alt + F3: Creates an AutoText entry.

Alt + F4: Quits Word

Alt + F5: Restores program window size

Alt + F6: Moves from an open dialog box back to the document for some dialog boxes like Find and Replace.

Alt + F7: Finds the next misspelling or grammatical error. Check spelling as you type check box must be selected.

Alt + F8: Runs a macro

Alt + F9: Switches between all field codes and their results

Alt + F10: Maximises the program window

Alt + F11: Displays Visual Basic code

Alt + Shift + Function Key

Alt + Shift + F1: Goes to the previous field

Alt + Shift + F2: Save command (File menu)

Alt + Shift + F9: Runs GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from the field that displays the field results

Alt + Shift + F10: Displays the menu or message for a smart tag. If more than one smart tag is present, switch to the next smart tag and display its menu or message

Alt + Shift + F11: Starts Microsoft Script Editor

Control + Alt + Function Key

Ctrl + Alt + F1: Displays Microsoft System Information

Ctrl + Alt + F2: Open command (File menu)

Basic Character Formatting

To change text to bold, press Ctrl+B, and to reverse bold back to normal text, press Ctrl+B again.

To change text to italic, press Ctrl+I, and to reverse italics back to normal text, press Ctrl+I again.

Underline text by pressing Ctrl+U, and to reverse underlining, press Ctrl+U again.

Changing Line Spacing

Changing the line spacing inserts extra space between the lines of text in a paragraph (or all paragraphs in a block). In Word, there are three keyboard shortcuts for three common types of line spacing: single-spacing, 1 1/2-line spacing, and double spacing:

To single-space a paragraph (or all paragraphs within a text selection), press Ctrl+1.

To double-space a paragraph (or paragraphs that are selected), press Ctrl+2.

To space 1 1/2 lines, press Ctrl+5.

Selecting a Block with the Keyboard

To quickly select characters and lines as a block, you can use the Shift key in combination with any of the cursor control keys as described on the following pages.

Shift+Left Arrow: to select one character at a time to the left of the toothpick cursor.

Shift+Right Arrow: to select one character at a time to the right of the toothpick cursor.

Shift+Home: to select a block of text from the toothpick cursor to the beginning of the line.

Shift+End: to select a block of text from the toothpick cursor to the end of the line.

Shift+Up Arrow: to select a block of text from the toothpick cursor to the line above.

Shift+Down Arrow: to select a block of text from the toothpick cursor to the line below.

Shift+Click to Select Text Block of Any Size

To select a text block of any size, use the Shift+click technique as follows:

Positioning the mouse toothpick cursor where you want the block to start (the anchor point).

Navigate through your document using the vertical scroll bar.

Press and hold the Shift key and then click the mouse where you want the block to end.

The text from the toothpick cursor to wherever you Shift+clicked the mouse is selected as a block.

F8 Extended Selection Mode

Press the F8 key multiple times to select specific text, as follows:

Select a Word: Press the F8 key twice to select a word. (However, its easier to just double-click the word to select it.)

Select a Sentence: Press the F8 key three times with the mouse cursor within a sentence to select that sentence.

Select a Paragraph: Press the F8 key four times with the mouse cursor within a paragraph to select that whole paragraph.

Select the Entire Document: Press the F8 key five times to select the whole document. (Or press Ctrl+A.)

To use the mouse and the F8 key together to select text of any size, place the mouse cursor at either end of the selection block and then press the F8 key. Then, go to the other side of the text you need to select and click the mouse cursor.

To exit F8 Extended Selection mode, press the Esc key.