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.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
If your macro needs to know how many pages are in your document, you can use the Information method to get the desired ...
Discover MoreThe heart of creating powerful programs in VBA is to understand how to create subroutines. These structures allow you to ...
Discover MoreWhen creating macros, it is sometimes necessary to know how many documents are open in Word. This is relatively easy to ...
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, 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