Mastering the keyboard shortcuts in MS Word will enhance your productivity and efficiency while you are working on your documents. These shortcuts will help you perform various tasks quickly, saving valuable time and streamlining your workflow.
So, if you’re looking forward to improving your Word skills, understanding and utilizing these keyboard shortcuts will make a noticeable difference when you’re interacting with this software.
Let’s enter the world of essential shortcuts for Windows, streamline your workflow, and unleash the full potential of MS Word.
Also, read: Keyboard Shortcuts For Microsoft Windows Magnifier
What Is A Shortcut Key In MS Word?
Keyboard shortcuts are keys or combinations that provide an alternative way to do something you do, typically with a mouse.
A computer shortcut is a set of one or more keys that involves a command in MS Word to improve your productivity with a few keystrokes. If not, it will only be accessible through a menu or a mouse.
It’s high time you familiarize yourself with these shortcuts as they will ultimately boost your proficiency and make it easier to navigate, edit, format, and manage the documents.
MS Word Shortcut List
Computer shortcuts provide easy access to perform commands and instructions on a computer. By using these shortcut keys, you’ll be able to complete tasks accurately within a shorter period while increasing your productivity.
Here is a complete list of A-Z MS Word shortcuts:
Best Microsoft Word Shortcut Keys For Windows:
Here is a complete list of the MS Word shortcut keys that are used more often:
- Ctrl+N – Creates a new blank document
- Ctrl+S – Saves the current document
- Ctrl+P – Opens the Print dialog box to print the current page
- Ctrl+C – Copies the selected content to the Clipboard without deleting the content
- Ctrl+X – Deletes selected content and copies the content to the Clipboard
- Ctrl+O – Displays the open dialog box for selecting a file to open it in Word
- Ctrl+Z – Cancels the last change made to the document
- Ctrl+Y – Repeats the last command executed
- Ctrl+V – Pastes the cut or copied content
- Ctrl+F – Finds text within the current document
Note: In Windows, most of the shortcut keys for Word use the Ctrl key combined with a letter, but in the Mac version, the letters are combined with the Command key.
For Instance in Mac:
Command+N – Creates a new blank document
Whereas in Windows:
Ctrl+N – Creates a new blank document
So, follow the list mentioned above for Windows and Mac and use it at your convenience.
Commonly Used Keyboard Combinations:
- Ctrl+W – Closes the active window without exiting Word
- Alt+F4 – Closes Microsoft Word
- Ctrl+A – Selects the entire text and graphics in the active window
- Ctrl+F – Searches for specified text in the active document
- Ctrl+B – Formats selected text, make text bold or remove bold formatting
- Ctrl+I – Formats selected text, make italic or remove italic
- Ctrl+U – Formats text chosen, make text underline or remove underline
Other Less Used Keyboard Combinations:
- Ctrl+E – Centre a paragraph
- Ctrl+L – Left align a paragraph
- Ctrl+T – Create a hanging indent
- Ctrl+Backspace– Delete one Word to the left
- Ctrl+Delete– Delete one Word from the right
- Ctrl+J – Justify a paragraph
- Ctrl+T – Create a hanging indent
- Ctrl+E– Center a paragraph
- Ctrl+R– Right align a paragraph
- Ctrl+Shift+T – Reduce a hanging indent
- Ctrl+Shift+D – Double underline text
Function Keys As Shortcuts:
Function keys behave similarly to the shortcut keys and execute commands independently without using the Ctrl or Command key.
For instance:
- F1 – Opens the Word Help
- F5 – Opens the Find and Replace tool
- F12– Opens the Save As dialogue box
Some of these keys can easily be combined with other keys, such as:
- Ctrl+F1 – hides the Ribbon menu in Word
- Ctrl+F9 – inserts curly brackets or braces before and after the cursor location
- Ctrl+F12 – Displays the Open dialogue box to select a new file to open Word.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Why Should I Use MS Word Keyboard Shortcuts?
Using MS Word shortcut keys will save time and make the Word processing tasks more efficient by allowing you to perform actions with a few keystrokes.
- How To Select Text Using Shortcut Keys In MS Word?
To select text in MS Word using shortcut keys, you can use the Ctrl and arrow keys to move the cursor and text.
- How To Access The Clipboard In MS Word Using The Shortcut Keys?
To access the Clipboard in MS Word, you can use the Ctrl key along with v to paste content that has been copied or cut.
Closure
Keyboard shortcuts are the secret weapon for mastering Microsoft Word. The benefits of using them extend beyond efficiency and allow your creativity to flow.
So, go through the list and unlock Word’s true potential. Save your time and invest it carefully.