40 Ultimate Word Tips and Tricks for 2020

The video compiles forty essential tips and tricks that transform how Microsoft Word is used, blending tried-and-tested strategies with the latest features from 2019 and 2020. It offers a unified approach, equipping both novices and experienced users with efficient techniques to streamline document creation. The guide emphasizes practical insights to enhance productivity and deepen understanding of Word's evolving capabilities.

Changing line spacing is made quick and effortless by using keyboard shortcuts. By clicking anywhere in a paragraph or selecting text, pressing Ctrl-2 applies double spacing, Ctrl-1 reverts to single spacing, and Ctrl-5 sets one and a half spacing. This method streamlines text formatting and enhances productivity with minimal effort.

Dictate transforms spoken words into text directly within Office 365 Word, making document creation more fluid. The feature is easily accessed from the Home tab and supports multiple languages, including upcoming preview options. This innovation streamlines productivity by enabling effortless voice recording and transcription into written content.

Microsoft Word now transforms how documents are created by enabling voice recording directly into the text. By selecting your text and using the Review tab, the Read Aloud feature seamlessly records and plays back your words, ensuring accuracy and offering an efficient alternative to typing. With customizable voice and speed options, this innovation enhances both editing ease and user experience.

A quick method is presented to insert various formatted lines effortlessly into a document. Typing three dashes followed by Enter creates a standard line, while using three underscores produces a bolder line. The equals sign results in a double line and asterisk characters form a dashed line, offering an array of styles via number key symbols. Users are encouraged to use these shortcuts for efficient document formatting.

The tool streamlines adding external content directly into Word documents through the References menu by allowing users to search for topics and display a curated list of relevant materials. It enables the extraction of text, images, and detailed articles from diverse sources like journals, websites, and books, automatically inserting citations and linked bibliographies. Leveraging Bing search, the tool offers a refined method to incorporate and reference verified research content efficiently.

A streamlined method to change font sizes in Word is presented. Highlight the text and use the Ctrl-Shift key combination with '>' to increase or '<' to decrease the font size. This shortcut mirrors the function of the toolbar buttons, offering a quick and efficient way to modify text appearance.

Standard text selection follows a horizontal order, but holding down the Alt key allows for vertical selection. This technique lets you simultaneously modify various attributes such as color, font, and size on a specific group of text. Vertical selection offers a dynamic way to tailor text formatting to your creative needs.

The clipboard is upgraded to save multiple text snippets instead of overwriting previous copies, allowing each text group to be stored individually. Users can click a corner icon or simply press Ctrl-C twice to bring up a list of all stored items. This setup streamlines copying and pasting, enabling precise selection of any text snippet for reuse.

If text extends to a second page, a precise method condenses it into a single page. Begin by accessing the Quick Access Toolbar and navigating to More Commands, then switch to All Commands to find the 'Shrink to one page' option. After adding this command, simply select all your text and activate it to automatically adjust the document to one page.

Microsoft Office allows a quick switch to Dark Mode via File, Options under the General settings by changing the default Colorful theme to Black or a preferred Dark Gray. This modification standardizes the look for all Office applications, not just Word. Additionally, users can adjust the document's background color using the Page Color setting for further customization.

Using the built-in Share feature in Word, you can send a document directly as an email attachment without manually saving and attaching it in Outlook. By selecting File and then Share, you have multiple options such as saving to OneDrive, sending a Word document, or exporting as a PDF. When the Word option is chosen, Outlook automatically opens with the document attached, streamlining the email process. This integrated approach includes theme options like dark mode or gray, ensuring the method is both efficient and visually adaptable while keeping the document readily open for edits.

Word simplifies adding date and time by allowing users to select the location and choose from a range of formats, ensuring seamless integration into documents. The process activates through the Insert tab where the desired date format is applied instantly. Users can also extend this functionality to headers and footers, making the date appear on every page effortlessly.

Data arranged with tab-separated columns can be quickly converted into a table by highlighting the text, accessing the Insert menu, and selecting Convert Text to Table. The conversion tool automatically interprets the selected data into appropriate columns and rows. Once converted, the table can be easily adjusted, including modifications to the borders, enabling further customization of the layout.

Word's table formulas empower users to perform dynamic calculations directly within tables. A three-by-three table with numbers illustrates how the built-in Formula command in the Layout tab automatically sums adjacent cells. The tool defaults to summing values either from above or to the left, while modifications allow for product calculations. The available functions, such as the IF statement, extend this flexibility to support complex arithmetic operations.

Word enables simple math by allowing formulas that reference adjacent cells such as Above, Left, Right, and Below. The Calculate command can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar by navigating to More Commands, selecting All Commands, and choosing Calculate. Once a formula is highlighted, clicking the Calculate button displays the computed result on the taskbar.

Highlighting a word and pressing Ctrl-K opens a dialog that enables linking to web pages, files, document sections, new documents, or email addresses. Inserting a web link involves typing the desired URL and clicking OK, which creates a blue, underlined hyperlink that activates with Ctrl-Click. Right-clicking the hyperlink allows for easy editing of its display name or updating the link address.

Smart Lookup integrates research directly into Word documents, enabling quick access to contextual information. By highlighting a word and right-clicking for search, users retrieve relevant details instantly. This streamlined tool simplifies the process of gathering subject matter information, enhancing productivity.

A quick method for eliminating unwanted leading spaces is presented by using the bullet point toggle. Highlighting the text, enabling bullet points, and then disabling them automatically removes the extra spaces. This efficient technique streamlines text formatting, saving time and effort.

Microsoft Word offers a straightforward way to transform documents into PDFs using its Export feature. Users navigate through the File menu, choose Export, and select the PDF format among several file type options. By clicking Create, naming the file, choosing a location, and optionally adjusting additional settings, the process becomes both user-friendly and efficient.

Format Painter streamlines the process of replicating text styles with ease. By selecting the well-formatted text and activating the tool on the Home tab, you can copy every formatting detail such as size, color, bold, italic, and underline. Applying the formatting to the target text ensures consistency throughout the document. Publishing then opens the document as a PDF, completing the efficient workflow.

Resume Assistant transforms resume creation in Word by integrating LinkedIn profile insights. It allows users to specify a role, such as an Assistant Hotel Manager, and refine results by industry or skill filters. The tool delivers detailed profile information, top skill suggestions, and insightful articles, making it an efficient resource for crafting a standout resume.

A document’s footer can be enhanced by printing the file’s original location for future reference. The procedure involves customizing the Quick Access Toolbar by accessing More Commands and selecting All Commands. The user then locates and adds the Insert File Path command to the toolbar. Confirming this addition allows the file path to be easily inserted, ensuring efficient file tracking.

Word offers a streamlined method to incorporate images from other applications directly into documents using the insert options. Selecting the Screenshot tool displays all open windows, enabling the capture of an entire application view or a specific screen clip. The inserted image is fully adjustable, allowing it to be resized and repositioned to seamlessly fit the document layout.

Adding page numbers in Word starts with selecting the Page Number option from the Insert tab. One can easily choose the location—whether at the top, bottom, margins, or at the cursor—with the centered top option yielding clear sequential numbering. Additional settings allow skipping the first page or styling odd and even pages differently, and closing the header and footer finalizes the configuration.

Highlighting a list and choosing the sort option on the Home tab arranges names alphabetically or numbers numerically according to ascending or descending preferences. The sorting tool automatically recognizes text as paragraphs and distinguishes numerical data for precise ordering. Converting multi-column data into a table provides the flexibility to sort by different columns in a customizable, layered manner.

Convert the text into a table before sorting to maintain proper order. Highlight the desired text, then either right-click and use the Font menu to select superscript or subscript, or rely on keyboard shortcuts. Use Ctrl-+ for subscript and Ctrl-Shift-+ for superscript, streamlining the formatting process.

The CTRL key transforms document handling by enabling quick navigation and editing shortcuts. It allows moving word by word, jumping between paragraphs, and deleting words efficiently, all through simple arrow key combinations. Enhanced selection through CTRL with SHIFT and rapid jumps to the document's start or finish streamline the editing process. Fundamental operations like copying and pasting further highlight the CTRL key’s indispensable role in managing Word documents.

Efficient text selection is achieved by simple mouse actions: a single click positions the cursor, a double-click selects a word, and a triple-click captures a complete paragraph. Clicking and dragging with the left mouse button allows users to select specific ranges of text while shift-clicking extends the selection seamlessly. Combining Ctrl with mouse drag enables multiple, non-contiguous selections to be moved simultaneously. Additionally, right-dragging highlighted text opens a menu with options such as moving the content.

Microsoft Word features an integrated translator that converts selected English text into various languages, such as French. The process involves highlighting the text, navigating to the Review tab, and selecting Translate, which either replaces the original selection or inserts the translated version separately. Options also include reversing the translation order and using auto-detect for document-wide language changes, ensuring a seamless multilingual editing experience.

Holding the Ctrl key while scrolling transforms the mouse wheel from a standard navigation tool into an instant zoom function, allowing quick adjustments to the document's view. This shortcut efficiently changes the magnification without navigating through menus, demonstrating a practical integration of key and mouse actions. As one of 40 concise tips compiled for enhanced workflow, it underscores how simple combinations can optimize document handling. Further shortcuts and detailed guidance are available via an extensive resource list.

Microsoft Office users can quickly boost their document capabilities by accessing a variety of add-ins via the Insert tab. This feature allows seamless installation of tools like QR4Office, which uniquely generates 3D barcodes that can be embedded into Word documents. The intuitive process requires just a single click, and installed add-ins are easily revisited through a dedicated section for streamlined productivity.

Microsoft Word offers a tool that reveals hidden formatting marks like spaces (shown as dots), carriage returns, paragraphs, and page breaks. This feature helps diagnose and correct formatting issues by exposing the document's underlying structure. Accessible from the Home tab, it allows users to edit and troubleshoot more effectively and can be toggled off when no longer needed.

Microsoft Editor, introduced with Microsoft 365, scans documents to identify grammar errors, punctuation issues, and offers clear suggestions for improvements. The tool integrates seamlessly into the Home tab, where users can easily apply changes like adding a missing comma after transitional phrases. It operates similarly to other editing assistants but stands out by displaying detailed readability statistics, including a grade-level analysis. This comprehensive feedback system helps users consistently elevate the quality and clarity of their writing.

AutoText lets you store frequently used phrases for quick insertion into Word documents via the Quick Parts option. Highlight a piece of text and save it as a customizable building block with a designated name, category, and insertion format. The Building Blocks Organizer offers an efficient way to review, modify, or delete these snippets, streamlining document creation.

Eliminating unwanted text formatting can be achieved with two simple approaches. One method involves copying highlighted text and pasting it using the 'Keep Text Only' option to strip all embedded styles. The alternative employs a clear formatting button on the Home tab that removes most formatting except highlighting, allowing users to choose the method that fits their needs.

Microsoft has upgraded the search functionality across Office apps, especially spotlighting Word. The new search bar displays a curated list of recent actions, suggested commands, recent searches, and recently opened files. Typing a query returns matching menu actions and definitions from Bing, allowing users to execute commands or further explore web results directly. This refined search experience streamlines document management and boosts productivity.

When Word indicates a document is corrupt, you can fix it using the Open and Repair feature. Navigate to the file location through File, Open, and Browse, then select the file without opening it. Use the drop-down menu next to Open to choose Open and Repair, allowing Word to scan and correct any corruption, resulting in a successfully opened document.

Default font settings are customized by choosing the preferred typeface, size, and additional attributes from the font settings menu, then applying these changes to all documents based on the normal template. Further personalization is achieved by adjusting the scale and other options in the Advanced tab. Restarting the application ensures that all new documents display the updated settings.

Word allows you to quickly transform a block of text into multiple columns. Select the text or press Ctrl-A, then navigate to the Layout tab and choose the desired number of columns to reformat your content. Enhancing the layout by justifying the text creates a clean, evenly spaced appearance.

A process unfolds to embed a Microsoft Excel worksheet directly into a Word document using the Insert tab and Object option. With the spreadsheet inserted as a table, data can be entered and later saved with a unique file name, establishing a live link between the document and the spreadsheet. Updates made in Excel automatically reflect in the Word file, ensuring that changes are seamlessly integrated.