How to Use Shortcut Keys
In Windows, most shortcut keys for Word use the Ctrl key combined with a letter. The Mac version of Word uses letters combined with the Command key. To activate a command using a shortcut key, hold the first key for the shortcut, then press the correct letter key once to activate it. Then, release both keys.
Best Microsoft Word Shortcut Keys
There are many commands available in Microsoft Word, but these 10 keys are used most often: Here are a few examples:
F1 opens the Word Help. F5 opens the Find and Replace tool. F12 opens the Save As dialog box to save the current document with a different name or file extension (for example, to save a DOCX file to DOC format).
In Windows, some of these keys can be combined with other keys:
Ctrl+F1 hides the Ribbon menu in Word.Ctrl+F9 inserts curly brackets, or braces, before and after the cursor location. This makes it easier to enter text inside brackets.Ctrl+F12 displays the Open dialog box to select a new file to open in Word. This key combination bypasses the File menu.
Other Microsoft Word Hotkeys
In Windows, press the Alt key any time you’re in Word to see how to work with only the keyboard. This trick helps you visualize how to use chains of shortcut keys to perform tasks. For example, press Alt+G+P+S+C to open the dialog box to change paragraph spacing options, or press Alt+N+I+I to insert a hyperlink. Microsoft keeps an all-inclusive list of Word shortcut keys for Windows and Mac that quickly do different things. In Windows, make custom MS Word shortcut keys to take your hotkey usage to the next step.
