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: Transposing Two Paragraphs.

Transposing Two Paragraphs

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 4, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


As you are developing a document, there may be times when you want to transpose two adjacent paragraphs. One way is to use the Shift+Alt+Down Arrow or Shift+Alt+Up Arrow shortcuts to adjust paragraph order. If you want to actually transpose two paragraphs, however, and you need to do that quite often, you could accomplish the task using a macro.

The following macro will make short work of the task. All you need to do is position the insertion point between two paragraphs you want to transpose, and then issue this macro:

Sub TransposeParagraphs()
    Selection.MoveUp Unit:=wdParagraph, _
      Count:=1, Extend:=wdExtend
    Selection.MoveLeft Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
    Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdParagraph, _
      Count:=1, Extend:=wdExtend
    Selection.Range.Cut
    Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdParagraph, Count:=1
    Selection.Range.Paste
End Sub

If you position the insertion point inside a paragraph instead of between paragraphs, the macro assumes you want to transpose the current paragraph with the following paragraph.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9142) 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: Transposing Two Paragraphs.

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

Getting the Expected Space Before a Heading

If your heading styles are designed to add extra space before the heading, you may be surprised when that extra space is ...

Discover More

Inserting a Cross-Reference to an Item in a List

When you create a list using the SEQ field, you may want to create a cross-reference to an item in that field. You can do ...

Discover More

Quickly Selecting Text

Want a really quick way to select text? Just combine the Shift key with a simple mouse click.

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Too Many Edits Prevent Pasting

Sometimes Word can be rather cryptic in the error messages it provides. One such cryptic message warns about "too many ...

Discover More

Jumping to the End of the Document in Error

If you inadvertently move to the end of the document, you might be wondering how to get your insertion point back to ...

Discover More

Added Spaces when Dragging and Dropping Paragraphs

When using Word's editing tools, you may notice some extraneous spaces left where you don't want them. This tip addresses ...

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 7 - 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


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.