Best Microsoft Word Shortcuts to Save Time Every Day

If you use Microsoft Word often, keyboard shortcuts can make a big difference. They help you write faster, format documents more quickly, and move around long files without constantly reaching for the mouse. Microsoft’s official Word shortcuts page says keyboard shortcuts can help users work more efficiently and can be a helpful alternative to using a mouse.

The best Microsoft Word shortcuts are usually the ones you use every day: saving, copying, pasting, undoing mistakes, formatting text, and jumping through a document faster. Microsoft’s Word shortcuts page includes a long list, but some are much more useful in everyday work than others.

The Most Useful Everyday Word Shortcuts

These are the shortcuts most people should learn first.

Basic document shortcuts

Microsoft lists these among the most frequently used Word shortcuts:

Ctrl + N = create a new document
Ctrl + O = open a document
Ctrl + S = save the document
Ctrl + W = close the document

If you use Word daily, these alone can save a lot of small repeated clicks.

Copy, cut, paste, and select

These are essential in almost every document:

Ctrl + C = copy
Ctrl + X = cut
Ctrl + V = paste
Ctrl + Shift + V = paste text only
Ctrl + A = select all

Paste text only is especially useful when copying from websites or emails and you do not want messy formatting.

Best Word Formatting Shortcuts

Formatting is one of the biggest places where shortcuts save time.

Microsoft’s frequently used Word shortcuts include:

Ctrl + B = bold
Ctrl + I = italic
Ctrl + U = underline
Ctrl + [ = decrease font size by 1 point
Ctrl + ] = increase font size by 1 point

These are useful when you are editing reports, homework, letters, or blog drafts and want to format text quickly without opening font menus.

Best Alignment Shortcuts in Word

For paragraphs and headings, these are very useful:

Ctrl + L = align left
Ctrl + E = center text
Ctrl + R = align right

These shortcuts are simple, but they are some of the easiest ways to speed up document formatting.

Best Editing Shortcuts in Word

Editing faster is where shortcuts really start to matter.

Microsoft lists these among the most commonly used:

Ctrl + Z = undo
Ctrl + Y = redo
Esc = cancel a command

Undo and redo are probably two of the most-used shortcuts in Word for almost every kind of document.

Best Zoom and View Shortcuts

If you work with long or detailed documents, zoom shortcuts are useful too.

Microsoft lists these Word shortcuts:

Ctrl + Plus sign (+) = zoom in
Ctrl + Minus sign (-) = zoom out
Ctrl + 0 = return to 100% zoom
Ctrl + Scroll = zoom in and out with the mouse wheel

These can be handy when reviewing formatting, checking layout, or reading small text.

Best Ribbon Navigation Shortcuts

If you want to work faster without the mouse, ribbon shortcuts are worth learning.

Microsoft says pressing Alt shows Key Tips for the ribbon, and then you can jump directly to tabs such as:

Alt, F = File
Alt, H = Home
Alt, N = Insert
Alt, P = Layout
Alt, S = References
Alt, R = Review
Alt, W = View
Alt, Q = Search or Tell Me box

These are especially useful if you know the feature you want but do not want to click through menus.

Best Word Shortcuts for Long Documents

Long documents usually need more navigation and structure.

One especially useful Microsoft shortcut here is:

Ctrl + Alt + S = split the document window
Alt + Shift + C or Ctrl + Alt + S = remove the split

This can help when you want to compare or edit two parts of the same document at once.

Which Word Shortcuts Should You Learn First?

If you do not want to memorize too many at once, start with these 10:

Ctrl + S = save
Ctrl + C = copy
Ctrl + V = paste
Ctrl + Shift + V = paste text only
Ctrl + Z = undo
Ctrl + Y = redo
Ctrl + B = bold
Ctrl + I = italic
Ctrl + A = select all
Alt, H = open the Home tab

These cover most of the actions people repeat every day in Word.

FAQ

What are the best Microsoft Word shortcuts?

Some of the most useful everyday Word shortcuts are Ctrl + S, Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + Z, Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, and Ctrl + A, all of which Microsoft lists on its Word keyboard shortcuts page.