Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Special Characters in Pattern Matching.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 30, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
If you are using the powerful pattern-matching engine in Word, you should understand that you cannot search for some special characters in the same way you do when normally searching. In normal Word searching you indicate the start of a special character by using the caret (^) followed by a character that indicates what you are searching for. For instance, ^p will search for a paragraph mark.
When pattern matching is enabled you cannot use all the special characters you normally use in searching. Instead you must use workarounds, as shown here:
| Normal Search | Pattern Match | Meaning | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ^e | ^2 | Auto-numbered endnote reference mark | ||||
| ^f | ^2 | Auto-numbered footnote reference mark | ||||
| ^b | ^12 | Section or page break | ||||
| ^p | ^13 | Paragraph mark |
Remember that the workaround for endnotes and footnotes is the same. This means that you cannot differentiate between these characters when pattern matching. In addition, you cannot search for a field (^d) when using pattern matching. Searching for white space (^w) is also a little different. You must type a space (press the Space Bar) and then enter the pattern {1,}. This causes Word to search for one or more spaces.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1443) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Special Characters in Pattern Matching.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
When using pattern matching in a search, you can specify individual characters or ranges of characters you want matched ...
Discover MoreThe Find and Replace feature of Word is very powerful. You can even use it to add a unique character to the beginning of ...
Discover MoreThe Find and Replace feature in Word is very powerful. So powerful, in fact, that you can change the formatting on ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2024-10-30 07:22:42
Beepee
Hi. Must agree this is a bit confusing. Have to say that I have received Allen's Tips for ages now and they are usually my first stop for any help I need.
However for all things 'Wildcards' I would recommend the following guide.
https://intelligentediting.com/blog/free-e-book-wildcard-cookbook-for-word/
covers pretty much everything that is needed from Find and Replace, Special characters (the above Tip) and Wildcards.
Beepee
2024-10-30 04:58:17
David Allen
Some examples would have been useful here. I found this somewhat confusing.
2022-05-08 21:46:35
Jackson
Where can I find a comprehensive list of all these special-character codes?
2021-02-16 10:16:49
Andrew
Searching for whitespace also includes tabs, so if you care about that when pattern matching you should search for [ ^t]{1,} which meaning search for any of the characters within the square brackets (in this case a space and a tab) 1 or more times in a row.
Andy
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here:
Comments