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: Getting Audible Feedback.

Getting Audible Feedback

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated December 8, 2018)

If you are using a multimedia computer (you know—the type that has more bells and whistles than your home stereo system), then you can configure Word so it makes noises. Granted, every version of Word makes an obnoxious ding whenever you press the wrong key or try to do something it doesn't like, but you can expand the auditory experience to an even wider array of obnoxious noises.

To set up Word to use audible feedback, follow these steps if you are using Word 2007, Word 2010, or Word 2013:

  1. Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or Word 2013, display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. At the left side of the dialog box, click Advanced.
  3. Scroll through the list of options until you get to the General section. (See Figure 1.)

    4. Figure 1. The General section of the advanced Word options.

  4. Make sure the Provide Feedback with Sound check box is selected.
  5. Click on OK.

If you are using Word 2016 or a later version follow these steps:

  1. Display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options. Word displays the Word Options dialog box.
  2. At the left side of the dialog box, click Ease of Access. (See Figure 2.)

    3. Figure 2. The Ease of Access section of Word options.

  3. Make sure the Provide Feedback with Sound check box is selected.
  4. Click on OK.

You have now enabled the use of sounds. If you want to change the sounds Word uses, then do your tweaking in the Sounds applet of the Control Panel. (This is within Windows, not in Word itself.)

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11391) 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: Getting Audible Feedback.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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