Microsoft Word is one of the most commonly used word processing programs in the world. With its wide range of features for writing, formatting, reviewing, and publishing documents, Word has become an indispensable tool for students, professionals, businesses, and more.
However, with so many features and options available, Word can seem overwhelming to new users. This is where keyboard shortcuts come in handy. Mastering these shortcuts can help you save time and work more efficiently in Word.
In this article, we will look at the top 10 most frequently used Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts that every Word user should know.
#1 Ctrl + S – Save
The Ctrl + S keyboard shortcut is used to save your Word document. Instead of navigating to the File tab and clicking Save each time, you can simply use this shortcut to instantly save your work. This is an essential shortcut that can help you avoid losing work from unsaved changes.
#2 Ctrl + C – Copy
The Ctrl + C shortcut allows you to copy selected text or objects from your document. To use it, simply select the text or object you want to copy and press Ctrl + C on your keyboard. This copied content is now available for pasting.
#3 Ctrl + V – Paste
After you’ve copied text or an object using Ctrl + C, you can paste it in a new location with Ctrl + V. This shortcut inserts the most recently copied content into your document wherever you place the text cursor.
#4 Ctrl + X – Cut
While Ctrl + C copies the selected content, Ctrl + X allows you to cut it. This removes the content from its current location and stores it on your clipboard for later pasting. The cut content will remain on the clipboard until you cut or copy something else.
#5 Ctrl + Z – Undo
Accidentally deleted important text? Formatted the wrong section? No problem. The Ctrl + Z shortcut lets you undo your most recent action, reversing any changes or edits you’ve made. If you want to undo multiple actions, simply press Ctrl + Z repeatedly.
#6 Ctrl + Y – Redo
After hitting Ctrl + Z a few times to undo some unwanted changes, you might decide you actually did want one or more of those changes after all. That’s where the Ctrl + Y shortcut comes in handy. It re-applies changes you had undone with Ctrl + Z, one step at a time.
#7 Ctrl + B – Bold
Want to quickly make your text bold for emphasis? Simply highlight the text and press Ctrl + B. This surrounds the selected words with bold formatting. To remove bolding, just highlight the bolded text and press Ctrl + B again.
#8 Ctrl + I – Italics
Similar to bold, the Ctrl + I shortcut allows you to italicize text for emphasis. Highlight your text and press this keyboard shortcut to italicize it or remove existing italics. This is faster than clicking the Italics button on the ribbon.
#9 Ctrl + U – Underline
Sometimes you want to underline important information without making it bold or italic. Ctrl + U enables you to quickly underline and un-underline text. As with the other formatting shortcuts, first select the text then press Ctrl + U to underline it.
#10 Ctrl + P – Print
Finally, once your Word document is complete, you’ll likely want to print out a copy. Instead of navigating through menus, simply press Ctrl + P and Word will open up the print dialog box. From there you can choose your printer and print settings before printing out your document.
Conclusion
Mastering these top 10 keyboard shortcuts can lead to much higher productivity and efficiency with Microsoft Word. The less time you spend clicking through ribbons and menus to find commands, the more time you can dedicate to actually writing and editing documents.
Give these shortcuts a try and see if you can incorporate them into your regular Word workflow. Over time, they will become second nature. And if you want to take things a step further, dig into more advanced Word keyboard shortcuts for even faster document creation and formatting.
What other Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts do you find helpful during your writing process? Let us know in the comments below!
