Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 9, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
In many word processors, an author may call out material with quote marks. For instance, the first time a term is introduced, the author may enclose the term in quote marks. In Word, however, you can call out information with italics. Manually changing quoted material to italics can be very time consuming.
The following macro, QuotesToItalics, checks the current paragraph for quoted material. If there is any, it deletes the quotes and changes the text between the quotes to italics. If the quote marks are unbalanced (there is an opening or closing quote mark with no corresponding closing or opening quote mark), then the quote mark is ignored, and no changes are made. The macro works with either regular quotes or smart quotes.
Sub QuotesToItalic() Dim Redo As Boolean Dim Ptr As Integer Dim Ptr1 As Integer Dim P As String Dim P1 As String If Selection.ExtendMode Then Exit Sub Redo = True While Redo Selection.StartOf Unit:=wdParagraph, Extend:=wdMove Selection.MoveEnd Unit:=wdParagraph P = Selection.Text Ptr = InStr(P, Chr(34)) If Ptr = 0 Then Ptr = InStr(P, Chr(147)) If Ptr > 0 Then Selection.MoveLeft Unit:=wdCharacter, Extend:=wdMove Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=Ptr Selection.MoveEnd Unit:=wdParagraph P1 = Selection.Text Ptr1 = InStr(P1, Chr(34)) If Ptr1 = 0 Then Ptr1 = InStr(P1, Chr(148)) EndChar = Chr(148) Else EndChar = Chr(34) End If If Ptr1 > 0 Then Selection.MoveLeft Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=2, _ Extend:=wdMove Selection.Delete Unit:=wdCharacter Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, _ Count:=Ptr1 - 1, Extend:=wdExtend Selection.Font.Italic = True Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Extend:=wdMove Selection.Delete Unit:=wdCharacter Else Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Extend:=wdMove Redo = 0 End If Else Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Extend:=wdMove Redo = 0 End If Wend End Sub
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9502) 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: Replacing Quoted Text with Italics.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
Don't like the font that Word uses for a default in your new documents? You can pick a different font, but the way you ...
Discover MoreThe strikethrough text feature in Word can be used as part of your document or to indicate that changes have been made to ...
Discover MoreFonts, by default, come with one or more styles that define variations of how that font is displayed in your document. ...
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.
Comments