Microsoft Word: 10 Hidden Features
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You use it every day, but are you using it right? Here are 10 tricks to speed up your writing.
1 The "Spike" (Smart Cut & Paste)
Stop switching back and forth between documents. Select a paragraph and press Ctrl + F3 to cut it to the "Spike". Repeat this for multiple other paragraphs. Then, go to a new document and press Ctrl + Shift + F3 to paste everything you collected at once, in order.
2 Generate Random Text
Need filler text to test a layout? Don't go to a lorem ipsum website. Just type:
...and press Enter. Word will generate 3 paragraphs of 4 sentences each automatically.
3 Instant PDF Editing
Stop searching for "PDF to Word converter" online. Simply go to File > Open and select a PDF. Word will convert it into an editable document, keeping tables and images mostly intact.
4 Vertical Selection Mode
Need to delete the first word of every line? Hold the Alt key and click & drag your mouse. You can now select a vertical column of text, perfect for cleaning up lists or data copied from the web.
5 Instant Case Change
Typed a whole title in lowercase by mistake? Don't retype it. Select the text and press Shift + F3 repeatedly to toggle between UPPERCASE, lowercase, and Title Case.
6 "Tell Me What You Want To Do"
Can't find a menu? Press Alt + Q and just type what you want (e.g., "Insert table", "Margins"). It takes you directly to the command.
7 One-Click Calculator
Did you know Word can do math? Add the "Calculate" command to your Quick Access Toolbar. Then, select any equation (like 50*125) in your text, click the button, and the result appears in the status bar at the bottom.
8 Clipboard History
Press Win + V to see a history of everything you've copied recently. You can pin items you use frequently (like email signatures or addresses).
9 Compare Documents
Go to Review > Compare to see the differences between two versions of a contract or essay. Word creates a "Legal Blackline" showing exactly what was added or deleted.
10 Write Anywhere
Double-click anywhere in the white space of a page (even halfway down). Word automatically inserts the necessary tabs and returns to let you type right there ("Click and Type" feature).