Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. 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: Comparing Document Versions.
Word includes a tool that allows you to compare two documents to each other. The document in memory is marked with revision marks to indicate the changes from the document on disk. You perform a comparison in this manner:
Figure 1. The Compare Documents dialog box.
When the comparison is done, Word shows the original documents and the compared document, which contains revision marks (using familiar Track Changes markup) to indicate what has changed.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9296) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Comparing Document Versions.
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2019-06-20 16:23:35
Lilli Hausenfluck
Max, You can create some "dummy" documents, I call mine 01doc and 02doc (the numbers keep them at the top of the list when browsing), and store them on your desktop or some easy-to-remember place. Select-copy and paste each selection of text in new documents and save them as 01doc and 02doc, then compare 01doc and 02doc.
By using the same two docs over and over, I don't have to fuss over where they are or what the name is when choosing the documents to compare. After a while, you get really fast at this: select-copy original text, paste in new doc and save as 01doc (replacing last saved version); select-copy revised text, paste in a different new doc and save as 02doc (replacing last saved version); then compare 01doc and 02doc using the instructions above.
Hope this helps.
(see Figure 1 below)
Figure 1. Compare doc settings
2019-06-20 09:51:07
Max Underwood
I wish Word had the capability to execute this "document compare" functionality at the "selection" level.
If I receive update from John that only include Paragraph 4.7.1 of the larger document in non-track change (frequent occurrence sadly) - it would be nice to compare the larger document's legacy paragraph 4.7.1 (only) against John's revised paragraph 4.7.1 input and note any changes as made by John. I'm not aware of anyway to do that - it becomes a manual word by word compare drill or a blind faith replacement of the legacy paragraph 4.7.1 with John's new one and hope he didn't delete anything that was important.
THAT would be a great macro to develop - but beyond my skills.
Thanks for all the help!
2016-10-27 11:55:38
John
Hello.
I have a question. If I save the Compared Document and close Word can I continue later on wit the saved Compared Documet, i.e. without having to start with a new Compared Document?
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. 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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