Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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 Measurement Units.
Word allows you to modify your work environment extensively. One of the changes you can make involves the default units of measurement used in dialog boxes and on the ruler. By default, Word uses inches, but you can customize the program so it will use centimeters, picas, points, or millimeters.
To change the default measurement units, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Advanced options in the Word Options dialog box.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6698) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Changing Measurement Units.
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2018-08-09 04:43:39
Dolly Mohan Kotwani
Great Help Thank you
2017-12-19 04:50:12
Moulana
Thank you
2017-11-13 10:14:14
ray allen
Being able to use metric units of measure to specify paper sizes is only half the solution.
I also want to specify type sizes in millimeters, but have been unable to find a way to do that in MS Office.
There is a Germain digital typesetting standard (DIN 16507-2), but most programmers seem to ignore either this standard or the English Metric Unit (https://startbigthinksmall.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/points-inches-and-emus-measuring-units-in-office-open-xml/) and assume that the entire the world uses Imperial units of measure.
Any suggestions?
2017-11-09 00:29:58
Arjay Talosig
thank you!
2017-10-27 03:34:01
clara
Thank you. It was most helpful.
2017-10-22 04:29:15
Minni
Thank you for useful info
2017-10-04 10:03:09
Kenneth
This was helpful. Thanks Allen
2017-08-22 00:17:26
Itzshari
Thank you soo much
2017-08-05 11:06:19
Salman
Thank u very much
2017-04-12 07:34:18
Binura
Great help
2017-02-09 04:31:58
from mongolia
Thank you
2017-01-26 07:46:34
Hams
Tips was to the point and thus very helpful. Thank you
2017-01-03 13:34:43
barakat nasher
great thanks. this was helpful.
2016-12-13 10:04:19
bob
it was confusing to use!!!!!
2016-12-06 04:59:08
Jean
Tips was to the point and thus very helpful Grazzi.
2016-08-25 15:08:19
Elena
Much appreciated
2016-08-09 13:16:52
Frank
Thanks you
2016-07-27 10:13:01
Lori Collins
I cannot get to a "Word Options" screen. Options does not come up on my File drop down. Please advise!
2016-07-21 10:40:53
Christian
THANK YOU SO MUCH ! :D
2016-06-23 05:05:52
Hilario Diaz
thanks
2016-06-02 02:05:09
Ed Babington
I have changed the default measurement setting to centimetres and use centimetres throughout all documents. Why then do the default normal, narrow, wide etc margin measurements still appear in imperial measures? How can they be removed?
2016-03-17 13:15:39
Thalia
Hi. My MS Word on my Mac is always in the unit of centimeters. I keep changing it to inches but when I close the Word and open again, it's back to centimeters. What do I do???
2015-02-22 20:17:17
Floyd
Thankyou so much!
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.
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Copyright © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: 
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