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: Shortcut for Show/Hide.
Word has a number of non-printing characters that it commonly uses in a document. These characters include spaces, tabs, paragraph marks, and a few other such characters. When you are editing and formatting documents, it is often useful to view these characters, as they can affect the appearance of your document.
The normal way to display the non-printing characters is to click on the Show/Hide tool (it looks like it has a backwards P—a pilcrow character—on it). If you are loathe to remove your hands from the keyboard in order to use the mouse, you might want to memorize a quick little shortcut: Ctrl+* (that's the asterisk), which can also be written as Shift+Ctrl+8. This shortcut key toggles the Show/Hide tool on and off.
Note that this keyboard shortcut only works on the 8 key on the alphabetic keyboard—not on the numeric keypad. So, pressing Ctrl+* (multiplication key) on the numeric keypad will not work to toggle the Show/Hide tool.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13029) 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: Shortcut for Show/Hide.
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2021-05-03 18:44:25
John Tompa
Thank you Andrew. I have done that, using Ctrl-* and it works correctly.
Interestingly, it showed ShowAll having Ctrl-8 assigned to it. So I tried Ctrl-_ , (_ and 8 are on the same key, 8 being the uppercase value, _ the lowercase value). But it showed Ctrl-8. And when later I tried Ctrl-_, nothing happened.
But Ctrl-* works fine.
BTW, I previously tried Ctrl-* using the * on the numerical keypad, and nothing happened. Here I used the value on the alphabetic keypad.
2021-04-30 10:23:20
Andrew
John - You can assign any key or key combination you want to this by assigning it to the "ShowAll" command in the Customize Keyboard dialog (which is available through the Customize Ribbon dialog).
2021-04-29 04:53:10
John Tompa
I tried this shortcut and Ctrl+* didn't work. I have a French keyboard and the layout is different. Ctrl+8 does work, but is less convenient because the 8 is in the shift position of the _ key on the top line, which makes it a three key press: Ctl+Shift+_.
As expected neither the Ctl+8 or the Ctl+* work with the numeric pad.
Any ideas for a 2 key press alternative?
2021-04-26 10:10:41
Paul Stregevsky
If someone can share a shortcut for toggling "Show text boundaries" on and off, I'd be much obliged. Ideally, a shortcut that doesn't require a macro.
2021-04-25 04:38:36
Arya Larijani
Thanks, Allen
2021-04-24 04:38:19
The shortcut for Show/Hide in the form Shift+Ctrl+8 does not work on my MacBookPro, the Microsoft Word for Mac version 14.46
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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: 
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