Microsoft word is one of the most popular used programs in the industry. Here are 7 Microsoft Word tips and tricks you should know about.
An astonishing 83% of enterprises — that’s how many use some form of Microsoft Office. That’s more than eight in 10 organizations, non-profit or not, that utilize MS Office apps.
That count doesn’t even include regular consumers who use the platform. According to some estimates, there are about 1.2 billion individual users of MS Office.
That includes the super-popular MS Word program, which has evolved so much over the years. Nowadays, you can use it for more than just writing — you can even draw with it!
That said, we’ve come up with the best Microsoft Word tips that everyone who uses the app should know in 2020. Whether you’re a newbie or seasoned user, these are the MS Word tricks you should nail this year.
1. Master the Most Common Keyboard Shortcuts
Did you know that keyboard shortcuts can save you a staggering 64 hours every year? That should be enough reason to master these time-saving Microsoft word tricks ASAP.
You don’t have to memorize all of them — just those for the most common MS Word commands you use.
If you’re part of the 77.68% of the Windows-using population, here are some of the best shortcuts you should use:
- Ctrl + A to select and highlight all text
- Ctrl + C to copy highlighted text
- Ctrl + X to cut highlighted text
- Ctrl + V to paste copied text
- Ctrl + Enter to insert a page break
If you, on the other hand, are a Mac user, simply replace the Ctrl button with the Command (cmd) button. So, if you want to select all text, press Command + A, and then press Command + C if you wish to copy it. To insert a page break on MS Word on Mac, hit Command + Return.
2. Read Aloud What You’ve Written
According to some estimates, the World Wide Web is home to 500 million blogs. If you’re thinking of jumping on this bandwagon, you’d want not only to write well but also sound fantastic.
If you’re using Microsoft Word for editing text, take advantage of its “Read Aloud” feature. This will help you write (and sound) better, as an AI voice will transform the written text into an audible format. The voice will read aloud any highlighted text on the document.
To enable the feature, open the Quick Access Toolbar, which is at the very top of the MS Word app. It looks like a dash with a small, inverted triangle right underneath. Click that and then select the “Read Aloud” option.
Doing this should enable the feature and also add it to your Quick Access Toolbar. The button itself has the letter A with a few curved lines right beside it. If you want Word to read aloud your entire text, just select all the text and then click this button.
3. Check the Entire File for Spelling and Grammar Mistakes
To ensure your files are free of typos and grammar errors, use the built-in MS Word “Spelling & Grammar” tool. You’ll find this under the Review tab, the icon of which shows “ABC” with a checkmark. Click that, and Word will proofread the file, starting with the first misspelled word.
4. Find Out How Readable Your Content Is
Speaking of spelling and grammar, you can also use MS Word to determine the readability of a piece. You’d want to know how readable your content is if you’re writing with a specific target in mind. This may be Grade 4, Grade 8, college, or post-graduate readers.
To determine what your content’s US grade level is, you need to access MS Word’s Proofing options.
Go to File, select Options, then maneuver to the Proofing tab. Place a checkmark on the box for “Check grammar with spelling”. Finally, mark the box that says “Show readability statistics.”
From here on, you can simply hit Alt + 7 on a Windows device or Option + 7 on Mac. This will launch the Spelling & Grammar tool. Once done with the spell check, the last window should display the readability stats.
5. Use MS Word as a Sketch Pad
Aside from letting you paste or insert pictures, MS Word enables you to draw on the app in freehand form. You’ll find this option right under the “Draw” tab located at the top section of the app. Pens are available in various kinds — from ballpoint- to highlighter-types.
6. Save Files in PDF Format
PDF stands for “Portable Document Format,” and it’s a great format since you can use it on almost all types of devices. That’s why PDF has become the most widely-used online file format. The public web alone houses over 2.2 billion PDF files.
That said, you can save your word files as PDF files through MS Word’s built-in file exporter. To do this, choose the “Save As” option instead of just “Save”. Doing this will give you a list of other formats, including PDF, that you can save your Word file in.
You can also convert PDF to Word by opening the PDF file using the MS Word app. However, doing so will only automate the conversion of the file into a text-based format. You have to save the file as PDF to convert the Word file into PDF format.
7. Safeguard Your Documents
In the first quarter of 2020 alone, 8.4 billion document breaches have already occurred. That’s a 273% increase in document leakage compared to the first quarter of 2019.
You can prevent this from happening to your documents by setting passwords on Word files.
To do this on a Windows computer, click the File option on Word and then choose the Info option. This will allow you to modify and manage document permissions. It’s also where you can turn on password encryption and secure each file with a password.
On Macs, you’ll find the password set-up option under the Tools tab. Click “Protect Document” to bring up the “Password Protect” menu. You can create different passwords for opening and modifying the file.
Use These Microsoft Word Tips to Get the Most Out of the App
There you have it, the most useful Microsoft Word tips that will help you make the most out of this app. Start with the keyboard shortcuts, as these can have a huge impact on your productivity. From there, consider setting passwords on each of your MS Word files for better security.
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