Bill's Conversational Musings

MS Word Tips & Tricks

MS Word Tips

I'm currently working on a project that necessitates extensive typing and formatting using MS Word. As I progress through this, I frequently find myself pondering, "How can I accomplish this?" or "Is there an easier way to do this?" Fortunately, I have discovered several useful tips that have made my experience working in Word more manageable. I will continue to update these as I go along.

Go Home

To move the cursor to the beginning of the current line in Microsoft Word, press the "Home" key. This is a standard shortcut that works within the Word document itself.

Home Key:
Takes you to the start of the line where your cursor is currently positioned.

Ctrl + Home:
This shortcut takes you to the very beginning of the Word document, not just the beginning of the current line.

Reference: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/toolkit/documents/uploads/msword_keyboardshortcuts.pdf

Hotkey for Styles

To assign a hotkey (keyboard shortcut) to a specific style in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Style Pane: You can find this in the "Home" tab of the ribbon, in the "Styles" group.
  2. Right-Click the Style: Locate the style you want to assign a shortcut to in the Style Pane and right-click on it.
  3. Choose "Modify": Select "Modify" from the context menu that appears. This will open the "Modify Style" dialog box.
  4. Access the "Format" Menu: In the "Modify Style" dialog box, click the "Format" button at the bottom left.
  5. Select "Shortcut Key": From the dropdown menu that appears, choose "Shortcut Key". This will open the "Customize Keyboard" dialog box.
  6. Press the Desired Key Combination: In the "Press new shortcut key" field, press the key combination you want to assign to the style. Make sure it's not already in use by another command.
  7. Assign the Shortcut: Click the "Assign" button to assign the shortcut to the style.
  8. Close the Dialogs: Click "Close" and then "OK" to exit the "Customize Keyboard" and "Modify Style" dialog boxes.
  9. Test the Shortcut: Select some text and press the key combination you assigned to the style. The selected text should now be formatted with that style.

Reference: https://www.empowersuite.com/en/blog/create-shortcuts-word-styles