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Word

Word cheat sheet

Shortcuts, styles, page layout, long documents, and the mistakes that most often break a work document.

  • 6 Sections
  • 21 Shortcuts

01

Everyday shortcuts

Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Some Mac shortcuts differ.

CtrlB
BoldMake the selected text bold.
CtrlI
ItalicItalicize text.
CtrlU
UnderlineUnderline text.
CtrlE
CenterCenter the paragraph.
CtrlL
Align LeftAlign the paragraph to the left.
CtrlJ
JustifyAlign to both margins, common in formal letters.
CtrlEnter
Page BreakStart a new page. Do not press Enter repeatedly.
ShiftEnter
Line BreakNew line within the same paragraph.
CtrlAlt1
Heading 1Main heading style. The table of contents is built from it.
CtrlAlt2
Heading 2Subheading style.
CtrlShiftN
NormalReturn the paragraph to the Normal style.
CtrlAltC
Copy FormattingCopy formatting. Paste it with Ctrl+Alt+V. Word 2019 and earlier: Ctrl+Shift+C and Ctrl+Shift+V.
CtrlShiftV
Paste Text OnlyPaste text without the source formatting (Microsoft 365).
CtrlSpace
Clear Character FormattingRemove manual character formatting such as bold, color, and size.
ShiftF3
Change CaseCycle between lowercase, UPPERCASE, and Capitalize Each Word.
CtrlK
HyperlinkInsert a link.
CtrlH
ReplaceFind and replace text, formatting, or special characters.
CtrlShift8
Show/Hide ¶Show or hide paragraph marks, tabs, and spaces.
F7
EditorCheck spelling and grammar.
CtrlAltM
New CommentAdd a comment to the selected text.
CtrlShiftE
Track ChangesTurn Track Changes on or off.

02

Styles for consistent documents

Change a style once and all text that uses it updates. Manual formatting has to be changed one place at a time.

Heading 1, 2, 3

Use them for chapter titles and subheadings. The Navigation Pane (Ctrl+F) and the table of contents are built from them.

Normal

The style for body text. To change the font or size for the whole document: Home → Styles → right-click Normal → Modify.

Modify Style

Right-click a style name in Home → Styles → Modify. Leave Automatically update cleared, or the style changes every time you format text by hand.

Update to Match Selection

Format one heading first, then right-click Heading 1 → Update Heading 1 to Match Selection.

03

Types of breaks

Choose the break based on what needs to change after it.

Line Break
HowShift+Enter
Use it forA new line in the same paragraph, such as an address in a letter.
Page Break
HowCtrl+Enter or Insert → Page Break
Use it forStart a new page. Page settings stay the same.
Column Break
HowCtrl+Shift+Enter or Layout → Breaks → Column
Use it forMove text to the next column in a multi-column layout.
Section Break (Next Page)
HowLayout → Breaks → Next Page
Use it forA new page whose orientation, margins, header, or page numbers can differ.
Section Break (Continuous)
HowLayout → Breaks → Continuous
Use it forA new section on the same page, such as two columns for part of a page.

04

Page layout

The Layout tab controls paper size, margins, orientation, and breaks.

One landscape page in the middle of a document

Insert a Section Break (Next Page) before and after that page. Then click in the page and select Layout → Orientation → Landscape.

Margins and paper size

Layout → Margins and Layout → Size. Most official documents in Malaysia use A4.

Page numbers

Insert → Page Number. To start at a different number: Page Number → Format Page Numbers → Start at.

Headers and footers

Insert → Header or Footer, or double-click the top of the page. Turn off Link to Previous to give each section its own header.

05

Long reports

The References tab. Word keeps all of these up to date, so do not type them by hand.

Table of Contents

References → Table of Contents. Headings must use Heading 1, 2, or 3. After editing: click in the table of contents → Update Table, or press F9.

Caption

Right-click a picture or table → Insert Caption. Numbers such as Figure 1, 2, 3 are generated automatically.

Cross-reference

References → Cross-reference. A reference such as "see Figure 3" updates when the figure moves.

Footnote

References → Insert Footnote (Ctrl+Alt+F). Footnote numbers renumber automatically.

06

Common mistakes

Avoid these and your documents stay tidy and easy to edit.

Pressing Enter repeatedly to reach a new page

When text above grows, everything shifts and the layout breaks. Fix: Ctrl+Enter (Page Break).

Pressing Space or Tab repeatedly to line up text

It looks aligned on your screen and crooked on another computer. Fix: use paragraph alignment, tab stops on the ruler, or a table without borders.

Formatting headings by hand (bold and a larger size)

The table of contents and the Navigation Pane do not recognize them. Fix: use the Heading 1, 2, or 3 styles.

Typing page numbers or the table of contents yourself

The numbers are wrong as soon as the document changes. Fix: Insert → Page Number and References → Table of Contents.

Sending a document that still contains tracked changes

The recipient can see every edit and comment. Fix: Review → Accept All Changes, delete the comments, then File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document.

Good practice

  • Turn on Show/Hide ¶ (Ctrl+Shift+8) when the layout looks wrong. Hidden Enters, tabs, and breaks become visible.
  • Save final documents as PDF (File → Save As → PDF) so the layout does not change on another computer.
  • Save files to OneDrive to get AutoSave and Version History.
  • Use templates (File → New) for letters and reports you write often.

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