Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, 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: Applying Bold Italics.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 6, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365
As I am formatting documents, there are many times I need a particular word or passage to be formatted in both bold and italics. Word includes tools (on the Home tab of the ribbon) that apply bold and italics, but not bold italics. I got tired of doing two clicks, so I created my own tool to apply both formats at once. The resulting macro can then be assigned to the Quick Access Toolbar.
The simplest way to do this is with a macro:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, 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:
Sub BoldItalics1()
Selection.Font.Bold = True
Selection.Font.Italic = True
End Sub
This macro turns on the attributes, but it doesn't do any toggling. In other words, you can't turn off bold italics by using the same macro, as you can with the individual Bold and Italics tools. This led to the "next generation" macro, which essentially checks to see the state of the selected text before making any changes:
Sub BoldItalics2()
With Selection.Font
If .Bold And .Italic Then
.Bold = False
.Italic = False
Else
.Bold = True
.Italic = True
End If
End With
End Sub
The macro checks to see if the Bold and Italic properties are set for the selection. If so, then it turns off those properties; if not, it sets them to True. The result is that your selection will be set either to "full" bold and italic or those properties will be turned off—you won't end up with the properties mixed.
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 (12122) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Applying Bold Italics.
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!
Do you want a superscript and subscript character to appear directly above each other? There are multiple ways you can ...
Discover MoreDon't like the font that Word uses for a default in your new documents? You can pick a different font, but the way you ...
Discover MoreThe formatting in a document is often a mix of styles and explicit formatting, applied over time. You may want to apply ...
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.
Comments