Next to Windows, Word may simply be Microsoft’s most iconic software program all through PC historical past. Who hasn’t used Word not less than as soon as of their life? And how many people have to make use of it each week — possibly even each single day — as we stare at white pages and that blinking cursor?
You may suppose you’re proficient with Word. But there are such a lot of small-yet-useful options that you simply may’ve glossed over, and people options can enhance your productiveness additional if you happen to allow them to.
From format portray to hands-free dictation to with the ability to mix and distinction completely different doc variations, listed here are a number of the most important Microsoft Word options you should know.
Related: Get Microsoft Office Home 2024 for $119 ($30 off) in PCWorld’s Software Store
Save time formatting with Format Painter
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It’s one factor to repeat and paste textual content or photographs throughout your Word doc. But what if you wish to replicate the detailed formatting of 1 part of textual content and apply it to a different piece of textual content?
Format Painter allows you to copy and paste the model, not content material, of what’s written. Simply choose the textual content you wish to copy from, then use the context menu to click on the paintbrush icon. Then choose the textual content you wish to convert to that format and it’ll mechanically apply it.
Jump round utilizing Navigation Pane
Joel Lee / Foundry
If you don’t know, the Navigation Pane (which you’ll open and shut utilizing the Ctrl + F keyboard shortcut) is what you utilize when looking a doc for sure phrases.
But when your doc is correctly formatted with headings, you possibly can truly use the Navigation Pane to leap round between sections. When your doc is huge (e.g., an enormous report, a bloated reference handbook, or a working novel), that is far more environment friendly than manually scrolling round to seek out the part you want.
Switch to Focus Mode to assist focus
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Focus Mode (typically additionally referred to as distraction-free mode) is a helpful function in lots of functions, and Word is not any exception.
To allow Focus Mode, choose View > Focus within the ribbon menu. Doing so will disguise all of the interface parts you don’t want, in addition to full-screening the app with out the taskbar or different distractions. Now you possibly can higher consider what you’re engaged on.
Use Dictation for hands-free writing
Joel Lee / Foundry
Dealing with repetitive stress accidents? Want to jot down in a stream-of-consciousness model with out worrying about typing pace? Or possibly you wish to lay down whereas staying productive? Dictation is your reply.
You can allow Dictation by navigating to Home > Dictate within the ribbon menu, then communicate whereas Dictate is On. Word will transcribe all the pieces you say into phrases within the doc.
Alternatively, in case you have a recorded audio file (e.g., lectures, interviews, or conferences), you need to use Home > Dictate > Transcribe to transform it into textual content. However, you’ll want a Microsoft 365 subscription for this and also you’ll get a most of 300 transcription add minutes monthly.
Have Word learn your textual content again to you
Joel Lee / Foundry
Sometimes you simply want to listen to one thing out loud to know the way effectively it reads (or doesn’t learn). While you might learn your work aloud your self, it’s higher if another person reads it to you — since you may mentally overlook errors and errors because it’s your individual writing.
Fortunately, Word can do it for you. Select the textual content you need learn aloud, then choose Review > Read Aloud within the ribbon menu. Word will learn again what you’ve written. It’s a little bit robotic, nevertheless it does the trick.
Compare and mix paperwork
Joel Lee / Foundry
Been despatched a doc and you should know what modifications have been made to it? Or possibly you should merge that doc with one other one? That’s the place Compare and Combine might be tremendous helpful.
To use these, both choose Review > Compare or Review > Combine within the ribbon menu, then use the on-screen toolbar to pick out the information you need in contrast (facet by facet) or mixed (into one doc).
Use Editor to proofread your work
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While I would have the ability to ship my work to an editor earlier than it will get printed, not everyone seems to be so fortunate. Fortunately, you possibly can at all times use Word’s built-in AI editor to proofread your work.
To accomplish that, choose Home > Editor within the ribbon menu. This opens the Editor pane on the appropriate facet, which has notes in your spelling, grammar, and makes strategies for refining your writing in various methods.
Insert an automated desk of contents
Joel Lee / Foundry
A desk of contents makes any longer doc a lot simpler to navigate and makes your work look extra skilled. You don’t have so as to add it by hand, although. There’s a straightforward solution to insert one immediately, so long as all of your sections have correct headings and subheadings.
Place your textual content cursor the place you need the desk of contents to look. Then navigate to References > Table of Contents within the ribbon menu. Click on the model you need and it’ll be mechanically inserted into the doc. You could make handbook changes or refresh it mechanically by deciding on the desk of contents and clicking Update Table.
Paste textual content with all of the formatting excluded
Joel Lee / Foundry
I do know you’ve executed this earlier than: you copy a paragraph from one other doc or an internet web page or an app, then paste it into Word… just for it to be wildly formatted, ruining the look and structure of your doc. Now it’s a must to manually repair all of the formatting your self.
Well, you possibly can skip all of that trouble with a easy function. Next time you paste textual content, right-click the place you need it to go and click on the Keep Text Only button (the clipboard with an “A” on it). Alternative, you need to use the Ctrl + Shift + V keyboard shortcut. Either method, your copied textual content will get pasted with all of the formatting stripped off.
Find synonyms with one click on
Joel Lee / Foundry
As a lot as all of us may take into account ourselves to be veritable thesauruses of nomenclature in our relative professions, none of us is aware of each single variation on a given time period or phrase. And when you end up repeating the identical phrases in a doc, it’s good to change it up typically.
Word will help broaden even your already-expansive information base of phrases with synonym strategies. Simply right-click on any phrase for which you want alternate options, then choose Synonyms within the context menu to immediately get strategies. (It works offline, by the best way!)
Use Copilot for every kind of AI assist
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
As of January 2025, Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant is now included as part of Microsoft 365’s Personal and Family plans. (It isn’t accessible in any respect if you happen to’re utilizing the non-subscription Office 2024 suite.) To entry Copilot, navigate to Home > Copilot within the ribbon menu.
With Copilot in Word, you possibly can submit prompts to AI-generate textual content with or with out formatting, and you’ll chat with Copilot to get summaries of your paperwork, ask questions for solutions, and carry out some actions. With Copilot Pro, you can do even more.
Create your individual keyboard shortcuts
Jon Martindale / Foundry
Word is packed stuffed with keyboard shortcuts to hurry up your day-to-day utilization, however possibly you will have a tough time remembering all of them. Or possibly there are actions with out built-in keyboard shortcuts. Or possibly you wish to reorganize your most-used keyboard shortcuts in a method that’s most intuitive to the best way you personally use Word.
You can try this! Navigate to File > Options within the ribbon menu, then click on Customize Ribbon. At the underside of that window, you must see “Keyboard shortcuts.” Click Customize subsequent to it. There you’ll have the ability to discover the actions you wish to customise and enter your individual customized keyboard shortcut combos for them.
Further studying: Advanced Microsoft Word tricks worth knowing