Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 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.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 19, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
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. (The even font sizes apply only in the range of 12-28 points. Outside of that range you'll get what may seem a capricious selection of font sizes such as 36, 48, 72, 80. Test out the shortcut, and you'll get a quick feel for the font sizes.)
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, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Quickly Increasing Point Size.
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!
Part of the formatting you can add to your text is underlining. That simple word (underlining) represents quite a few ...
Discover MoreThin spaces are a typographic device that allows you add a bit of space between elements of a document. There are no thin ...
Discover MoreIf you need to format a number so that it appears as currency, it is not as easy to do in Word as it is in Excel. You can ...
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, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 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:
Comments