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Using an external keyboard with keyboard shortcuts in Word may help you work more efficiently. For people with mobility or vision disabilities, keyboard shortcuts can be easier than using a touchscreen, and are a helpful alternative to using a mouse.
This article describes the keyboard shortcuts and function keys in Word for Windows.
This table shows the most frequently used shortcuts in Microsoft Word.
Open a document.
Create a new document.
Save the document.
Close the document.
Cut the selected content to the Clipboard.
Copy the selected content to the Clipboard.
Paste the contents of the Clipboard.
Select all document content.
Apply bold formatting to text.
Apply italic formatting to text.
Apply underline formatting to text.
Decrease the font size by 1 point.
Increase the font size by 1 point.
Center the text.
Align the text to the left.
Align the text to the right.
Cancel a command.
Undo the previous action.
Redo the previous action, if possible.
Adjust the zoom magnification.
Alt+W, Q, then use the Tab key in the Zoom dialog box to go to the value you want.
Split the document window.
Remove the document window split.
Alt+Shift+C or Ctrl+Alt+S
To close a task pane using the keyboard:
The ribbon area groups together related options in tabs. For example, on the Home tab, the Font group includes the Font Color option. Press the Alt key to display the ribbon shortcuts -- called Key Tips -- as seen below.
Note: Add-ins and other programs can add new tabs to the ribbon and possibly provide access keys for those tabs.
For various ribbon options you can combine the Key Tips letters with the Alt key to make shortcuts called Access Keys. For example, press Alt+H to open the Home tab, and Alt+Q to move to the Tell Me or Search field. Press Alt again to see Key Tips for the options for the selected tab.
Depending on the version of Microsoft 365 you are using, the Search text field at the top of the app window might be called Tell Me instead. Both offer a largely similar experience, but some options and search results can vary.
In newer versions of Office, most of the old Alt key menu shortcuts still work, too. However, you need to know the full shortcut. For example, press Alt, and then press one of the old menu keys E (Edit), V (View), I (Insert), and so on. A notification pops up saying you're using an access key from an earlier version. If you know the entire key sequence, you can still use it. Otherwise, press Esc and use Key Tips instead.
To go directly to a tab on the ribbon, press one of the following access keys. Additional tabs might appear depending on your selection in the document.
Move to the Tell Me or Search field on the Ribbon to search for assistance or Help content.
Alt+Q, then enter the search term.
Open the File page to use Backstage view.
Open the Home tab to use common formatting commands, paragraph styles, and the Find tool.
Open the Insert tab to insert tables, pictures and shapes, headers, or text boxes.
Open the Design tab to use themes, colors, and effects, such as page borders.
Open the Layout tab to work with page margins, page orientation, indentation, and spacing.
Open the References tab to add a table of contents, footnotes, or a table of citations.
Open the Mailings tab to manage Mail Merge tasks and to work with envelopes and labels.
Open the Review tab to use Spell Check, set proofing languages, and to track and review changes to your document.
Open the View tab to choose a document view or mode, such as Read Mode or Outline view. You can also set the zoom magnification and manage multiple document windows.
Select the active tab on the ribbon and activate the access keys.
Alt or F10. To move to a different tab, use access keys or the arrow keys.
Move the focus to commands on the ribbon.
Tab key or Shift+Tab
Move between command groupings on the ribbon.
Ctrl+Left or Right arrow key
Move among the items on the ribbon.
Show the tooltip for the ribbon element currently in focus.
Activate the selected button.
Spacebar or Enter
Open the list for the selected command.
Open the menu for the selected button.
Alt+Down arrow key
When a menu or submenu is open, move to the next command.
Expand or collapse the ribbon.
Open the context menu.
Or, on a Windows keyboard, the Windows Menu key (between the right Alt and right Ctrl keys)
Move to the submenu when a main menu is open or selected.
Move the cursor one word to the left.
Ctrl+Left arrow key
Move the cursor one word to the right.
Ctrl+Right arrow key
Move the cursor up by one paragraph.
Ctrl+Up arrow key
Move the cursor down by one paragraph.
Ctrl+Down arrow key
Move the cursor to the end of the current line.
Move the cursor to the beginning the current line.
Move the cursor to the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the bottom of the screen.
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view up by one screen.
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view down by one screen.
Move the cursor to the top of the next page.
Move the cursor to the top of the previous page.
Move the cursor to the end of the document.
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document.
Move the cursor to the location of the previous revision.
Move the cursor to the location of the last revision made before the document was last closed.
Shift+F5, immediately after opening the document.
Cycle through floating shapes, such as text boxes or images.
Ctrl+Alt+5, and then the Tab key repeatedly
Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal navigation.
Display the Navigation task pane, to search within the document content.
Display the Go To dialog box, to navigate to a specific page, bookmark, footnote, table, comment, graphic, or other location.
Cycle through the locations of the four previous changes made to the document.
