top of page

10 Cool Microsoft Word Tricks That’ll Help Your Writing*



1. Speak or Read Aloud is a built-in feature of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. You can use Speak to have text read aloud in the language of your version of Office. Text-to-speech (TTS) is the ability of your computer to play back written text as spoken words.


To use it, simply place your cursor before the word where you want to begin, right-click your mouse, and select “Read Aloud.” I enjoy listening to my fiction writing because it lets me hear what I've written without having to read it aloud to myself. I get to hear someone else reading it, which makes the revision process easier for me.


2. Use the dictation tool to type by speaking. With the "Dictate" button, in the top-right of Word's "Home" menu, you can turn your speech into words seamlessly. This is great for taking quick notes or transcribing interviews.


3. Convert PDFs to editable Word Documents. When you open a PDF in Word, it will automatically convert the form to a .docx format, allowing you to enter text into the document.


4. Use Word's "Translate" feature to read and write in foreign languages. To translate text to another language, all you have to do is select the text, right-click, and tap "Translate" in Word.


5. To zoom in/enlarge the text so it’s easier to read, go to the bottom right of your document and slide or click the + or – symbols. You can also go to the View tab at the top and click “Zoom.”


6. To remove unwanted formatting, press Ctrl + Space or click the Clear All Formatting button. In newer versions of Word, an eraser over an A on the Home tab, just below “Mailings” will perform the same function.


7. To add a link to a document, click on the word/words or image you want to link, then press CTRL + K. A dialog box will open where you can enter your link. You can also do the same in the “Insert” area in the menu.


8. To find a word or phrase in your document, click CTRL + F. A Navigation pane will open. Enter your word or phrase and click Return. You can also Find and Replace the word or phrase by clicking on “Replace” in the top right of the Word ribbon.

9. To get the definition of a word, highlight the word in your document, right-click, and select “Search.” You will also get other resources presented to you, including links to Wikipedia, companies, and more.


10. To create a Side-to-Side view of your document, meaning creating a double-column format, click on the Side-to-Side icon in the View tab of the Word ribbon. You can change it back to the original format by clicking on the Vertical icon in the same area.

Hope these tips help!


*Some of the numbered items have been taken verbatim from google results & Business Insider.


Sign up to get more Writing Tips

Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating
bottom of page