Shortcut keys for MS Word: 100+ Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac laptop/PC

When working on a PC/laptop, it is faster to use a keyboard shortcut for a task as compared to reaching for the mouse. Simply put, a keyboard shortcut is a combination of one or more keys that need to be pressed either at the same time or consecutively to invoke a command in software like MS Word or in an operating system. Using shortcut keys can increase your productivity and also help you save a lot of time. That’s why it’s always a good idea to know your way around as many keyboard shortcuts as possible. Looking for shortcut keys for MS Word? Here’s a comprehensive list of MS Word keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac.

Keyboard shortcut keys for MS Word for Windows 10/11 and Mac

Before you move on to the list of shortcuts, make a note of the following: a plus sign (+) means that you need to press the keys at the same time, a comma sign (,) means that you need to press the keys in order.

Types of accounts

Ctrl+O           Open

Ctrl+S            Save

Ctrl+W          Close

Ctrl+X           Cut

Ctrl+C            Copy

Ctrl+V           Paste

Ctrl+A           Select all

Ctrl+B           Bold

Ctrl+I Italic

Ctrl+U           Underline

Ctrl+[ Decrease font size 1 point

Ctrl+] Increase font size 1 point

Ctrl+E            Center text

Ctrl+L            Left align text

Ctrl+R           Right align text

Esc      Cancel

Ctrl+Z            Undo

Ctrl+Y            Re-do

Alt+W, Q, then tab in Zoom dialog box to the value you want            Zoom

Function Keys :-    

F1        Get Help or visit Office.com.

F2       Move text or graphics.

F4       Repeat the last action.

F5       Choose the Go To command (Home tab).

F6       Go to the next pane or frame.

F7        Choose the Spelling command (Review tab).

F8       Extend a selection.

F9       Update the selected fields.

F10     Show KeyTips.

F11      Go to the next field.

F12     Choose the Save As command.

Shift+Function Keys :-     

Shift+F1        Start context-sensitive Help or reveal formatting.

Shift+F2        Copy text.

Shift+F3        Change the case of letters.

Shift+F4        Repeat a Find or Go To action.

Shift+F5        Move to the last change.

Shift+F6        Go to the previous pane or frame (after pressing F6).

Shift+F7        Choose the Thesaurus command (Review tab, Proofing group).

Shift+F8       Reduce the size of a selection.

Shift+F9        Switch between a field code and its result.

Shift+F10      Display a shortcut menu.

Shift+F11      Go to the previous field.

Shift+F12      Choose the Save command.

Ctrl+Function Keys :-      

Ctrl+F1          Expand or collapse the ribbon.

Ctrl+F2         Choose the Print Preview command.

Ctrl+F3         Cut to the Spike.

Ctrl+F4         Close the window.

Ctrl+F6         Go to the next window.

Ctrl+F9         Insert an empty field.

Ctrl+F10       Maximize the document window.

Ctrl+F11        Lock a field.

Ctrl+F12        Choose the Open command.

Ctrl+Shift+Function Keys :-       

Ctrl+Shift+F3          Insert the contents of the Spike.

Ctrl+Shift+F5          Edit a bookmark.

Ctrl+Shift+F6          Go to the previous window.

Ctrl+Shift+F7          Update linked information in a Word source document.

Ctrl+Shift+F8, and then press an arrow key  Extend a selection or block.

Ctrl+Shift+F9          Unlink a field.

Ctrl+Shift+F11        Unlock a field.

Ctrl+Shift+F12        Choose the Print command.

Alt+Function Keys :-        

Alt+F1            Go to the next field.

Alt+F3           Create a new Building Block.

Alt+F4           Exit Word.

Alt+F5           Restore the program window size.

Alt+F6           Move from an open dialog box back to the document, for dialog boxes that support this behavior.

Alt+F7           Find the next misspelling or grammatical error.

Alt+F8           Run a macro.

Alt+F9           Switch between all field codes and their results.

Alt+F10         Display the Selection task pane.

Alt+F11          Display Microsoft Visual Basic code.

Alt+Shift+Function Keys :-        

Alt+Shift+F1            Go to the previous field.

Alt+Shift+F2           Choose the Save command.

Alt+Shift+F9           Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from the field that displays the field results.

Alt+Shift+F10         Display a menu or message for an available action.

Alt+Shift+F12          Choose Table of Contents button in the Table of Contents container when the container is active.

Ctrl+Alt+Function Keys :-          

Ctrl+Alt+F1  Display Microsoft System Information.

Ctrl+Alt+F2 Choose the Open command.

Navigate the Ribbon with only the Keyboard :-        

Alt+F To use Backstage view, open the File page.

Alt+G To use themes, colors, and effects, such as page borders, open the Design tab.

Alt+H To use common formatting commands, paragraph styles, or to use the Find tool. open Home tab.

Alt+M            To manage Mail Merge tasks, or to work with envelopes and labels, open Mailings tab .

Alt+N To insert tables, pictures and shapes, headers, or text boxes, open Insert tab.

Alt+P To work with page margins, page orientation, indentation, and spacing, open Layout tab.

Alt+Q, then enter the search term        To type a search term for Help content, open “Tell me” box on ribbon.

Alt+R To use Spell Check, set proofing languages, or to track and review changes to your document, open the Review tab.

Alt+S  To add a table of contents, footnotes, or a table of citations, open the References tab.

Alt+W            To choose a document view or mode, such as Read Mode or Outline view, open the View tab. You can also set Zoom magnification and manage multiple windows of documents.

Work with documents in different views :-   

Alt+W, F       Switch to Read Mode view

Alt+Ctrl+P    Switch to Print Layout view.

Alt+Ctrl+O   Switch to Outline view.

Alt+Ctrl+N   Switch to Draft view.

Work with headings in Outline view :-

Alt+Shift+Left Arrow        Promote a paragraph.

Alt+Shift+Right Arrow     Demote a paragraph.

Ctrl+Shift+N            Demote to body text.

Alt+Shift+Up Arrow          Move selected paragraphs up.

Alt+Shift+Down Arrow    Move selected paragraphs down.

Alt+Shift+Plus Sign           Expand text under a heading.

Alt+Shift+Minus Sign       Collapse text under a heading.

Alt+Shift+A Expand or collapse all text or headings.

The slash (/) key on the numeric keypad        Hide or display character formatting.

Alt+Shift+L  Show the first line of text or all text.

Alt+Shift+1  Show all headings with the Heading 1 style.

Alt+Shift+n  Show all headings up to Heading n.

Ctrl+Tab       Insert a tab character.

Navigate in Read Mode view :-  

Home Go to beginning of document.

End     Go to end of document.

n (n is the page number you want to go to), Enter   Go to page n.

Esc      Exit Read mode.

Edit and move text and graphics :-       

F8       Turn extend mode on.

F8, and then press Left Arrow or Right Arrow          Select the nearest character.

F8 (press once to select a word, twice to select a sentence, and so on)      Increase the size of a selection.

Shift+F8       Reduce the size of a selection.

Esc      Turn extend mode off.

Shift+Right Arrow Extend a selection one character to the right.

Shift+Left Arrow    Extend a selection one character to the left.

Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow   Extend a selection to the end of a word.

Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow      Extend a selection to the beginning of a word.

Shift+End     Extend a selection to the end of a line.

Shift+Home Extend a selection to the beginning of a line.

Shift+Down Arrow Extend a selection one line down.

Shift+Up Arrow      Extend a selection one line up.

Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow   Extend a selection to the end of a paragraph.

Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow        Extend a selection to the beginning of a paragraph.

Shift+Page Down   Extend a selection one screen down.

Shift+Page Up         Extend a selection one screen up.

Ctrl+Shift+Home   Extend a selection to the beginning of a document.

Ctrl+Shift+End       Extend a selection to the end of a document.

Alt+Ctrl+Shift+Page Down         Extend a selection to the end of a window.

Ctrl+A           Extend a selection to include the entire document.

Ctrl+Shift+F8, and then use the arrow keys; press Esc to cancel selection mode       Select a vertical block of text.

F8+arrow keys; press Esc to cancel selection mode Extend a selection to a specific location in a document.

Delete Text and Graphics :-        

Backspace    Delete one character to the left.

Ctrl+Backspace      Delete one word to the left.

Delete            Delete one character to the right.

Ctrl+Delete  Delete one word to the right.

Ctrl+X           Cut selected text to the Office Clipboard.

Ctrl+Z            Undo the last action.

Ctrl+F3         Cut to the Spike. (Spike is a feature that allows you to collect groups of text from different locations and paste them in another location).

Copy and move text and graphics :-     

Press Alt+H to move to the Home tab, and then press F,O.            Open the Office Clipboard

Ctrl+C            Copy selected text or graphics to the Office Clipboard.

Ctrl+X           Cut selected text or graphics to the Office Clipboard.

Ctrl+V           Paste the most recent addition or pasted item from the Office Clipboard.

F2 (then move the cursor and press Enter)    Move text or graphics once.

Shift+F2 (then move the cursor and press Enter)    Copy text or graphics once.

Alt+F3           When text or an object is selected, open the Create New Building Block dialog box.

Shift+F10      When the building block — for example, a SmartArt graphic — is selected, display the shortcut menu that is associated with it.

Ctrl+F3         Cut to the Spike.

Ctrl+Shift+F3          Paste the Spike contents.

Alt+Shift+R Copy the header or footer used in the previous section of the document.

Format Characters and Paragraphs :- 

Ctrl+D           Open the Font dialog box to change the formatting of characters.

Shift+F3        Change the case of letters.

Ctrl+Shift+A            Format all letters as capitals.

Ctrl+B           Apply bold formatting.

Ctrl+U           Apply an underline.

Ctrl+Shift+W          Underline words but not spaces.

Ctrl+Shift+D            Double-underline text.

Ctrl+Shift+H           Apply hidden text formatting.

Ctrl+I Apply italic formatting.

Ctrl+Shift+K            Format letters as small capitals.

Ctrl+Equal Sign      Apply subscript formatting (automatic spacing).

Ctrl+Shift+Plus Sign         Apply superscript formatting (automatic spacing).

Ctrl+Spacebar         Remove manual character formatting.

Ctrl+Shift+Q            Change the selection to the Symbol font.

Change or re-size the font :-      

Ctrl+Shift+F            Open the Font dialog box to change the font.

Ctrl+Shift+>            Increase the font size.

Ctrl+Shift+<            Decrease the font size.

Ctrl+] Increase the font size by 1 point.

Ctrl+[ Decrease the font size by 1 point.

Copy Formatting :-

Ctrl+Shift+C            Copy formatting from text.

Ctrl+Shift+V            Apply copied formatting to text.

Change Paragraph Alignment :-

Ctrl+E            Switch a paragraph between centered and left-aligned.

Ctrl+J            Switch a paragraph between justified and left-aligned.

Ctrl+R           Switch a paragraph between right-aligned and left-aligned.

Ctrl+L            Left align a paragraph.

Ctrl+M          Indent a paragraph from the left.

Ctrl+Shift+M           Remove a paragraph indent from the left.

Ctrl+T            Create a hanging indent.

Ctrl+Shift+T            Reduce a hanging indent.

Ctrl+Q           Remove paragraph formatting.

Copy and review text formats :-

Ctrl+Shift+* (asterisk on numeric keypad does not work) Display nonprinting characters.

Shift+F1 (then click the text with the formatting you want to review)          Review text formatting.

Ctrl+Shift+C            Copy formats.

Ctrl+Shift+V            Paste formats.

Set Line Spacing :-

Ctrl+1 Single-space lines.

Ctrl+2            Double-space lines.

Ctrl+5            Set 1.5-line spacing.

Ctrl+0 (zero)           Add or remove one line space preceding a paragraph.

Mail Merge and Fields :- 

Alt+Shift+K Preview a mail merge.

Alt+Shift+N Merge a document.

Alt+Shift+M Print the merged document.

Alt+Shift+E  Edit a mail-merge data document.

Alt+Shift+F  Insert a merge field.