Important Shortcut Keys in Microsoft Word

MS Office is probably the most common productivity program in the world, with millions of people using Word to write all kinds of documents every day, from primary school essays to professional writing manuscripts. Knowing important shortcut keys in Microsoft Word will make whichever job you have easier, faster, and more enjoyable.

Shortcut keys, also known as hotkeys, help make your writing tasks easier to execute. It speeds up your work by allowing you to give simple commands using the keyboard rather than searching through a menu with your mouse.

In Windows, MS Word uses the Ctrl key along with another alphabet key for shortcuts. However, the Mac version of Word is a little different. It uses the combination of the Command key with an alphabet key. To launch a command, simply press the first key (Ctrl or Command) and without releasing it press the related alphabet key. Once the task is accomplished both the keys are released.

There are a lot of commands in MS Word that can be executed through the shortcut keys. Some of them are listed below:

• Ctrl+X will cut a part of a document from the larger portion.
• If you intend to paste the same document that you have cut to another place in the same document or any other document, simply press Ctrl+V.
• If you want to copy the document without removing it from the original document, press Ctrl+C. This is especially useful when you use a document from the online source.
• To undo something from the text press Ctrl+Z
• To redo what you have removed while creating a document, press Ctrl+Y.
• Once the document has been completed, save it with Ctrl+S.
• Ctrl+P will print a document.
• Ctrl+N will enable you to create a new document.
• Ctrl+O enables you to open an already existing document.
• Ctrl+W closes the document.
• Alt+Ctrl+S will either split the Window or will remove the split view.
• Ctrl+Alt+V will open access to the Print Layout View before you print.
• Ctrl+F finds a document or a specific word in the document.
• F7 runs a spelling and grammar check for a text.
• Shift+F7 opens the thesaurus. Select the word and press Shift+F7, this will automatically look the word up.

There are other shortcut keys that help you move around MS Word easily and quickly. Some of these are discussed below:

• Left/Right Arrow key will move the cursor one character to the left or right as needed.
• Ctrl+Left/Right Arrow Key will move the cursor one word to the left or right.
• The End key will take you to the end of the line.
• Ctrl+End will move you to the end of the document.
• Up/Down Arrow key will move you up or down one line.
• Ctrl+Up/Down Arrow key will move you to the preceding or the following paragraph.
• Pressing the Home Key will take you to the beginning of the line on which you are working.
• Pressing Ctrl+Home key will take you to the start of the document.

Pros & Cons of Using Microsoft Word Shortcuts

By using these shortcuts, an individual’s writing tasks can become much easier, but using them at all times might infringe on other skills and options. Having options is the best, as you should know both the short way and the long way, as well as all the features that come with both.

You can purchase the whole Microsoft Office 2019 suite of Amazon that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and others. You will receive a key by mail and would be able to authorize the Office you download from the internet.