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: Determining a Paragraph's Style in VBA.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 21, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Word allows you to use styles to format both paragraphs and individual characters in your document. These styles can greatly simplify the consistent application of formatting across an entire document. If you are writing a VBA macro, you may have a need to determine the name of the style applied to a particular paragraph. You can do that by using the Style property with a Paragraph object, as follows:
sParStyle = ActiveDocument.Paragraphs(J).Style
When this line is executed, sParStyle (a string variable) will contain the name of the style used on the document paragraph specified by the index value J. In other words, if J has a value of 5, then sParStyle will contain the name of the style used for the fifth paragraph in the document. (When counting paragraphs, don't forget that "empty" paragraphs are also significant. Paragraphs, in Word, are determined by each press of the Enter key.)
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11363) 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: Determining a Paragraph's Style in VBA.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
Macros are very good at completing mundane, repetitive tasks. For instance, you could use the macro presented in this tip ...
Discover MoreNeed to know what shortcut keys are defined? You can use a single macro command line to print out the definitions.
Discover MoreDocuments consist of a series of paragraphs, arranged in the order in which you need them. What if you need to reverse ...
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