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How to Change the Alignment of the Numbers in a Numbered List in Microsoft Word

Numbered lists are a useful way to organize information in Word documents. By default, the numbers are left-aligned. However, you may want to change the alignment to center or right-align the numbers instead. Here’s how to customize the alignment of numbers in numbered lists in Word.

Why Change Number Alignment in Numbered Lists

Left-aligned numbers place the text of each item close to its number. This saves horizontal space and keeps each item compact.

However, left alignment causes the numbers to be misaligned vertically since the digits are different widths. Single digits don’t line up with double digits along the same vertical line:

1. Item one
2. Item ten

Right or center aligning the numbers lines them up neatly along their decimal points:

1. Item one
2. Item ten

Aligned numbers have a more organized, professional look. The extra white space also makes each item easier to read quickly.

How to Right or Center Align Numbered List Numbers

Aligning list numbers is easy in recent versions of Word for Windows and Mac:

1. Click anywhere in the numbered list
2. Go to Home > Paragraph > select the Numbering button dropdown > Define New Number Format
3. In the Alignment dropdown, choose Right or Center
4. Click OK

The alignment will change for the entire numbered list.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps to change the alignment of numbers in a numbered list:

1. Open the Word document containing the numbered list
2. Click inside the numbered list to select it
3. Go to the Home tab
4. In the Paragraph section, click the small arrow at the bottom right of the Numbering button Numbering button dropdown in Word Home tab
5. Select Define New Number Format in the dropdown menu This opens the Define New Number Format dialog box.
6. In the Alignment dropdown menu, select the desired alignment:
   • Right – Aligns numbers by their right edge
   • Center – Aligns numbers by their center point
   Alignment dropdown in Define New Number Format dialog box
7. Click OK to apply the alignment change Word will now right or center align all numbers in the numbered list.

Troubleshooting Tips

Here are some troubleshooting tips for changing number alignment in numbered lists:

• Make sure you’ve selected the entire numbered list before changing the alignment
• If numbering reverts to left-aligned later in the document, turn off Automatic Numbering
• To apply the alignment to a single paragraph instead of the whole list, right click the paragraph > Adjust List Indents > change Alignment

Customizing Numbered Lists Further

You can customize numbered lists even further in the Define New Number Format dialog box:

• Change number style and formatting
• Skip numbering for paragraphs
• Start numbering from a number other than 1
• Reverse the numbering order

Define New Number Format dialog box

Here are some popular customizations:

Restart Numbering Mid-List

To restart numbering from 1 again within a list, right-click the number and choose Restart at 1:

1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item
   1. Restarts at one

Continue Numbering From Previous List

To continue numbering from the previous list, right-click the number and choose Continue Numbering:

1. First list item
2. Second list item
3. First item of next list
4. Second item of next list

Set Custom Numbering Value

To start a list at a number other than 1, right-click the number and choose Set Value. Type the desired starting number.

Conclusion

Aligning numbered list numbers is an effective way to improve readability and make your Word documents look more polished.

The process only takes a few clicks using the Define New Number Format dialog box. Center and right alignment neatly line up the numbers, while left alignment is more compact.

You can further customize numbered lists to have custom values, skip numbering, restart mid-list, and more. Use numbered lists strategically to organize long Word documents effectively.

Summary: How to Align Numbers in Numbered Lists

Here is a quick summary of the steps to align numbered list numbers in Word:

1. Select the numbered list
2. Go to Home > Paragraph > Numbering > Define New Number Format
3. Choose Right or Center alignment
4. Click OK

Right or center aligned numbers will improve the readability of your numbered lists!