Getting Rid of Trailing Spaces in Table Cells

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 13, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


1

Randy works with tables regularly in his documents. It is not uncommon for cells in a table to have trailing spaces. Randy wonders if there is a way to find and delete any trailing spaces in a table.

Perhaps the easiest way to get rid of trailing spaces in table cells is to follow these steps:

  1. Select the cells within the table that you want to affect.
  2. Press Ctrl+E. Word centers all the text in the table cells and, at the same time, removes any trailing spaces.
  3. Press Ctrl+L. Word now aligns all your text at the left of the cell.

This process sounds simple, but there are a couple of caveats to keep in mind. First of all, you cannot select the entire table in step 1. If you do so, then Ctrl+E (step 2) centers the table, not the contents of the cells within the table. If you want to get rid of trailing spaces in all cells, then make sure you select just the cells and not the end-of-row markers that appear to the right of the rightmost column in the table.

Another caveat is to understand that if you are using styles for the text within the table, these steps can mess up those styles because you are applying explicit formatting (centering and then left justifying) over the top of whatever the style may specify for the text. So, if you are using styles, you may want to press Ctrl+Q instead of Ctrl+L in step 3. This returns the paragraph formatting within the table to whatever is appropriate for the styles that are applied to the text in the table.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9994) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365.

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

Selecting Default Paragraph Formatting

Want to return a paragraph's formatting back to it's pristine, unaltered state? You can do so by using the shortcut ...

Discover More

Unable to Set Margins in a Document

If you find that you cannot set the margins in a document, chances are good that it is due to document corruption. Here's ...

Discover More

Checking for Duplicate Rows Based on a Range of Columns

When working with data in Excel, you might want to figure out which rows of data represent duplicates of other rows. If ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Creating and Using Standardized Tables

If you have a common table layout that you want to use again and again, you'd benefit by having an easy way to save that ...

Discover More

Jumping to the Ends of Table Columns

Need a quick shortcut to jump to the top or bottom of a table column? Here's the two shortcuts you are searching for.

Discover More

Placing Text in Empty Table Cells

Tables are often used to organize information into an understandable format. If your company requires that tables in ...

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 3 + 2?

2024-01-13 10:51:19

Ann Olmsted

Thank you! I've been looking for a simple way to remove those trailing spaces quickly for a very long time.


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.