Word Keyboard Shortcuts
The Word shortcuts worth memorising — Mac and Windows keys side by side, ready to copy.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold / italic / underline | ⌘B / ⌘I / ⌘U | Ctrl+B / Ctrl+I / Ctrl+U | |
| Clear formatting | ⌃Space | Ctrl+Space | |
| Increase / decrease font size | ⌘⇧> / ⌘⇧< | Ctrl+Shift+> / Ctrl+Shift+< | |
| Apply Heading 1 / 2 / 3 | ⌘⌥1 / 2 / 3 | Ctrl+Alt+1 / 2 / 3 | |
| Align left / center / right | ⌘L / ⌘E / ⌘R | Ctrl+L / Ctrl+E / Ctrl+R | |
| Insert page break | ⌘⏎ | Ctrl+Enter | |
| Find / Replace | ⌘F / ⌃H | Ctrl+F / Ctrl+H | |
| Word count | ⌘⌥C | Ctrl+Shift+G | |
| Select whole document | ⌘A | Ctrl+A | |
| Move paragraph up / down | ⌃⇧↑ / ↓ | Alt+Shift+↑ / ↓ | |
| Undo / redo | ⌘Z / ⌘Y | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | |
| Superscript / subscript | ⌘⇧+ / ⌘= | Ctrl+Shift++ / Ctrl+= |
Format with styles, not manual toggles
Instead of bolding and resizing headings by hand, press Ctrl+Alt+1 (⌘⌥1 on Mac) to apply Heading 1. Consistent styles build a navigation pane and a real table of contents for free.
Clear formatting fast
Pasted text carrying weird fonts? Select it and press Ctrl+Space to strip character formatting back to the underlying style — quicker than the Clear Formatting button.
FAQ
How do I clear all formatting from pasted text in Word?
Select the text and press Ctrl+Space (⌃Space on Mac) to remove character formatting, or Ctrl+Q to reset paragraph formatting to the style default.
What is the shortcut to apply a heading style?
Ctrl+Alt+1 for Heading 1, Ctrl+Alt+2 for Heading 2, and so on (⌘⌥1 / ⌘⌥2 on Mac). Ctrl+Shift+N returns to Normal.
Do these Word shortcuts work in Word for the web?
Most editing and formatting shortcuts work in the browser version, but a few (like moving paragraphs) are desktop-only. The Mac and Windows desktop apps match this list.