Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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 Displaying the Font Dialog Box.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 9, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016
If you want to quickly format some characters in your document, try this trick:
Figure 1. The Font tab of the Font dialog box.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10556) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Quickly Displaying the Font Dialog Box.
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2020-08-16 13:10:23
Lee McIntyre
Access the Font Dialog Box even more quickly using the simple keyboard shortcut Ctrl-D.
2017-10-29 13:00:44
Theodore J. Duke
After a second forehead slap, I realized that it is not always necessary to select text in these matters. A right-click on the backwards P (Paragraph Symbol) in Word brings up the format text dialog for the text that it immediately follows.
2017-10-28 13:08:14
Theodore J. Duke
"Ted, it works just fine for me in Word 2016. -Allen"
I'm slapping my forehead to remind me to pay more attention. Apparently, when "testing" I was not selecting the word before right clicking.
My apologies.
2017-10-27 08:19:40
Please advice on how I could make Word 2013 List the loaded fonts in their names rather than by their glyphs.
The present way MS Word 2013 displays fonts of non Latin type faces is confusing when we try to select fonts by their name. Yes MS word 97 had a "customize"ppup menu with tabs that allowed this change in display mode, but I did not find this option in MS Word 2013.
Thanks for you help
Said Dias
2017-04-24 15:13:19
Allen
Ted, it works just fine for me in Word 2016.
-Allen
2017-04-24 14:56:54
Ted Duke
In Word 2016, this "Tip" does not directly apply. However; Crtl+Shift+F will display the Font dialog box at any time.
2017-04-24 10:05:31
Rodney Mitchal
I was wondering if there was perhaps a shortcut key that would immediately display the paragraph format dialog box?
Up until recently, I would use Alt + O, P but have inadvertently reconfigured the Alt + O Office Access Key and that keystroke combination no longer works for me and I have been unable to find out how to restore that particular Office Access Key.
Shift + F10 seems to work as an alternative method for the 2013 version of Word, but not for the 2010 version, which is what I use at the office.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Mitch
2017-04-24 08:40:53
Bob
I count 3 ways quicker in comments below than in the tip itself, but that is one of the beauties of this site; the useful comments! (especially when the tip itself falters)
2017-04-23 19:07:47
Nick Rea
For those who like to use Word's keyboard shortcuts - Ctrl Shift F or Ctrl Shift P brings up the same dialog box - with focus on the Font or Point Size items, respectively.
2017-04-22 13:44:20
daslondon
I have started finding the tips useful! But in this case I am wondering how formatting is quicker by right-clicking to get the context menu. Why not just go straight to the font group in the ribbon?
2017-04-22 08:32:35
Paul Stregevsky
in Word 2010 and 2013, this tip does not work when the selected text is inside a table.
2017-04-22 04:28:34
Vuong Viet
What about Ctrl+D shortcut key? Your method is more and more complex than Ctrl+D shortcut Key.
2017-04-22 04:26:21
Vuong Viet
What is nine more than 1?
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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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