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: Indent and Justify Command.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 22, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
WordPerfect has a command, F4, which indents a paragraph from the left margin and justifies it. Some folks would like to see such a command in Word, but there is no single command that will perform this operation. You can indent a paragraph by pressing Ctrl+M (indents the left margin to the next tab stop) and you can justify it by pressing Ctrl+J (makes sure the text extends all the way from the left to the right margin). This two-step approach to the desired formatting is the best one can do, without creating a macro to combine the two steps.
There is one advantage to doing this formatting in Word over doing it in WordPerfect, however. In WordPerfect you need to select the entire paragraph before pressing F4, but in Word you only need to make sure that the insertion point is within the paragraph you want to format.
An even better approach in Word is to create a style that defines how you want the formatted paragraph to appear. Simply follow the steps for creating a style (as described in other issues of WordTips) and make sure that the style has the desired indents, justification, line spacing, font size, etc. Then, you can apply all these attributes in one simple step by applying the style to the paragraph.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9450) 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: Indent and Justify Command.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!
There are times that you just want to begin a paragraph (perhaps a heading) at the top of a new page. Word allows you to ...
Discover MoreNeed to indent an entire paragraph from the left margin? It's easy to do using the tool described in this tip, easily ...
Discover MoreThere is no need to press Enter a second time at the end of each paragraph. Let Word take care of the spacing ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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