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: Repeating Your Typing.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 7, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
If you type a word, phrase, or other passage of text, you can use either the F4 shortcut key or the Ctrl+Y shortcut to repeat the typing at another location in your document. These shortcuts must be used before you use any other Word command or type any other text.
Note that if you select a few letters before you start typing (so that your typing replaces what you selected), then any subsequent use of F4 or Ctrl+Y will not repeat everything you typed. For instance, if you select the word "goodbye" and then type "hello," the subscquent use of F4 or Ctrl+Y will result in "ello" being what is repeated.
This happens because Word seems to consider the deletion of the original text ("goodbye"), which is triggered by pressing the "h", as a separate act from the typing of "ello". Pressing F4 or Ctrl+Y only repeats the last repeatable act, so only "ello" (the last act) is repeated.
Even so, the F4 or Ctrl+Y shortcuts can come in very handy when you want to repeat the insertion of a special symbol or you want to repeat some other action, such as searching for a word or phrase.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9569) 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: Repeating Your Typing.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
Some people like to have one space between sentences, while others prefer two. For those in the latter camp, you may ...
Discover MoreWhen you paste something into your document, you expect it to at least be readable. If, instead of letters, you see small ...
Discover MoreWhen editing a document, Word normally replaces whatever text you select with whatever you start to type. Here's how to ...
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 © 2026 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