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: Quickly Increasing Point Size.
Word provides a way to quickly increase the point size of a selection. To do this, follow these steps:
Every time you press Ctrl+], the point size of the selection will increase by one point. Decrease the size by pressing Ctrl+[. If you want more precise control over the point size (for instance, making something 11.5 points), you must use the Font dialog box; just press Ctrl+D.
You can also use Ctrl+Shift+> to increase the size by two points every time. Note that it will only increase to even numbers, which means it will increase to an even number if your current font size is odd before increasing by two points. For example, if your font size is set to 11 and you press Ctrl+Shift+>, then it will increase to 12 first and then to 14, 16, 18, etc. Likewise, pressing Ctrl+Shift+< will decrease the size.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10027) 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: Quickly Increasing Point Size.
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2015-08-18 14:32:17
Nic
Assuming you have a US keyboard.
Microsoft's support for non-US keyboards is not good.
I understand Sweden is a small country (population wise (we're huge in area) and therefore not a key market. But if you don't want to support us properly, then at least give us a discount!
2015-08-17 11:02:46
Rick G.
Peter, thank you for supplying the (important) details on how Ctrl+Shift+> really behaves!! I'm sure I would have been puzzled & annoyed if I had to learn those additional rules by trial and error.
2015-08-15 11:31:00
Peter Wezel
Thank you for this useful tip. I did not know about the option of Crtl+[ or ]. Personally, I always use Crtl+Shift+< or >, which is very intuitive to use.
Just a small correction: Crtl+Shift+< or > indeed change to even numbers, but that is true only in the interval of 12-28 points. Above 28 points the next steps are 36, 48, 72, 80, 90, 100 etc. Below 12 points the behaviour is the same as Crtl+[, i.e. decrease by 1 point at a time (12, 11, 10, 9, 8 etc.)
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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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