Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. 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: Changing Cell Alignment.

Changing Cell Alignment

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 8, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007 and 2010


4

If you desire, you can independently specify the alignment of every cell in a Word table. Originally, the cell alignment matches the alignment of the paragraphs from which the table was created. You can override this, however, by using the paragraph alignment tools in the Paragraph group of the Home tab of the ribbon. Simply position the insertion point in the cell whose alignment you want to adjust, and then click one of the tools.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6027) applies to Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Changing Cell Alignment.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Last Document Saves Not Saved

Click the Save button and you expect your document to be saved, right? What if you later discover it wasn't really saved? ...

Discover More

Finding Text Not Using a Particular Font

Word makes it easy to find text that uses a particular font or font characteristics. What it doesn't do is make it easy ...

Discover More

Using Find and Replace to Change Text Case

Can you really use Find and Replace to change the case of text in your document? Not really, but that shouldn't stop you ...

Discover More

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!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Aligning Positive and Negative Whole Numbers in a Column

When you use a table to present numeric information, you may want to have Word align the numbers in the table. This can ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Background Color in All Tables

When working with tables (particularly those created by others), you can spend a large amount of time getting the ...

Discover More

Heading Changes for Multi-page Tables

When you have a long table that extends over multiple pages, Word allows you to specify one or more rows to be repeated ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two less than 9?

2021-11-10 16:00:14

Tomek

@Kieren:
Just to be clear, when you have a table in the document and click inside it, two new tabs appear: Table Design and Layout. So you have two different tabs named the same, somewhat confusing. The one further right has the Table tools including alignment buttons.

This is for Word in MS365, but probably is the same for earlier versions.


2015-03-04 12:02:52

Rick.G.

Kieren, in Word 2010, in the Ribbon's Layout tab (for tables), in the Alignment group there are 9 buttons to align text in cells. I suspect it is the same for Word 2007. Or if you don't need to change the vertical alignment, you can use the 4 buttons that Peter refered to. They are in the paragraph group on the home tab.


2015-03-03 13:57:19

Peter Kirkpatrick

By "paragraph alignment tools" he means the various buttons and settings that control alignment. eg the 4 buttons for left/centre/right/full justification are all "alignment tools". As far as I know there isn't a button with that specific name.


2015-03-03 08:05:23

Kieren Beasley

http://wordribbon.tips.net/T006027_Changing_Cell_Alignment.html?awt_l=7nvfE&awt_m=JEvPg5T7frkF4X
If you desire, you can independently specify the alignment of every cell in a Word table. Originally, the cell alignment matches the alignment of the paragraphs from which the table was created. You can override this, however, by using the paragraph alignment tools in the Paragraph group of the Home tab of the ribbon. Simply position the insertion point in the cell whose alignment you want to adjust, and then click one of the tools.

Where are the Paragaph Alignment Tools in Word 2007? I have looked in the aragraph group.


This Site

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.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.