Aligning Numbered Lists on the Period

When David creates a numbered list, Word defaults to left-aligning the numbers, then left-aligning the text that follows (and it always has). Once the number of items in the list goes to more than 9 items, the text is jammed against the numbers. If he goes above 99 items, it looks horrible. David can fix this one list at a time, but wonders if there is a way to change Word's default behavior to make the numbers in a numbered list right-align on the period after the number.

How Word handles numbered lists can be frustrating to many people. The default numbered lists, applied through the Numbering tool on the Home tab of the ribbon, behave exactly like David describes. If you want to change how numbering is formatted, then you need to define a new numbering format by following these steps:

1. Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
2. Select all of the paragraphs you want included in your numbered list.
3. If the paragraphs are already numbered, then click the Numbering tool to remove the numbers.
4. Click the drop-down arrow at the right of the Numbering tool. Word displays a palette of options.
5. Click the Define New Number Format option. Word displays the Define New Number Format dialog box. (See Figure 1.)



Figure 1. The Define New Number Format dialog box.

6. Use the Number Style drop-down list to choose the type of numbers you want.
7. Use the Alignment drop-down list to choose Right.
8. Click OK.

Your list should now have the numbers in the list right-aligned on the period. If you want to change the indenting used in the list, then you should do the following:

1. Right-click on one of the numbers in your numbered list. (Right-click the actual number.)
2. In the resulting Context menu, choose Adjust List Indents. Word displays the Adjust List Indents dialog box.
3. Adjust the Number Position, as desired. (This value is the position at which the right side of the number will be aligned, provided you set right alignment as described earlier in this tip.)
4. Adjust the Text Indent, as desired.
5. Click OK.

The adjustments to the alignment should now be applied whenever you use the number format you created earlier this tip.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13964) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365.