The computer mouse is a great invention but for speed it is not match for the keyboard. In this article, I share essential Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts.

Apple Mac users: replace Ctrl with the Command key.

Essential shortcuts

  • Ctrl-Left Arrow:  Move the cursor a whole word to the left
  • Ctrl-Right Arrow:  Move the cursor a whole word to the right
  • Ctrl-Del:  Delete the whole word to the right of the cursor
  • Ctrl-Backspace:  Delete the whole word to the left of the cursor
  • Ctrl-S:  Save the document
  • Ctrl-C:  Copy the selected text
  • Ctrl-V:  Paste the copied text
  • Ctrl-F:  Find
  • Ctrl-Z:  Undo the last action
  • Ctrl-Y:  Repeat the last action

Taking it further

Once you are consistently using the above, you will want to expand your shortcut repertoire.

  • Ctrl-Shift-Right Arrow:  Select the whole word to the right of the cursor
  • Ctrl-Shift-Left Arrow:  Select the whole word to the left of the cursor
  • Ctrl-PgDn:  Repeat the last search action (searches downwards)
  • Ctrl-O:  Open a document
  • Ctrl-X:  Cut the selected text
  • Ctrl-B:  Bold
  • Ctrl-I:  Italics
  • Ctrl-U:  Underline
  • Ctrl-F6:  Switch to another open Word window
  • F12:  Save as
  • Home:  Move the cursor to the start of a line
  • End:  Move the cursor to the end of the line
  • Ctrl-Home:  Move to the start of the document
  • Ctrl-[:  Reduce the size of the selected text
  • Ctrl-]:  Increase the size of the selected text
  • Ctrl-Enter:  Insert a page break

Twice the benefit

A favourite of mine is Ctrl-K, which inserts a link to a web page and other types of content. The tech term for these is hyperlinks. I use them constantly because they save screen space and make for elegant text.

So, instead of writing:

The APA, https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/author-date, now stipulates that et al should be used to cite three or more authors, even on first instance.

You can write:

The APA now stipulates that et al should be used to cite three or more authors, even on first instance.

You can create hyperlinks to web pages, other documents, places in your current document, and email addresses.

More shortcuts.