Microsoft Word tips: essential tricks to write smarter and faster

Microsoft Word, a word-processing application developed by Microsoft and designed to facilitate the creation of text-based documents, is an invaluable asset for various writing tasks in professional and academic settings. MS Word tips will help you format documents with ease, increase their visual appeal, organize your content, and streamline the documentation process. MS Word hacks make it easier to navigate documentation and format documents with templates offering a starting point for students so that they enhance the overall document accessibility.

Whether you are someone who does term paper writing or creates business reports, MS Word is a part of your routine. With that being said, most users don’t understand the full capacity of MS Word’s text-based capability and barely scratch the service of what it has to offer. Sure, you can always fix your writing issues by asking an essay expert to write a paper for me, but we would also like students to elevate their game with Microsoft Word tips that can help them on their academic journey. 

Microsoft Word tips to improve your workflow

Here is a curated list of 20 practical Microsoft Word tips that can dramatically boost your efficiency and output quality:

Use styles for consistency

If you want your document to have a uniform look and appear more professional and put-together, use built-in styles like Heading 1, Normal, Title. These can be found in the navigation bar and applied as you edit. Styles make navigation and table of contents easier and will ensure that your document has a clean polished look, with section breaks and proper headings. 

Master the navigation panel

How to use Microsoft Word at maximum speed? Master the basics of the navigation panel and browse through the whole document by using a headings list. A headings list is created by dragging and dropping headlines that match specific paragraphs in the text. 

Use the search feature 

The navigation panel control comes in handy when you have a long document that has to be scanned quickly and efficiently. You can also use the search feature (found at the bottom of the navigation panel) to pinpoint sections you will need to visit later without having to scroll down to locate each and every one of them separately.

Customize the QAT

The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) is used to save time spent on choosing basic commands like print, save, and undo. You can still use those when necessary, but with QAT, your documentation will be handled on another level of efficiency. QAT ensures you can access these functions in one click, with users customizing their experience based on the type of commands they utilize most in their workflow. 

Word can also provide a full list of shortcuts on demand if the ones that you need most are missing from the toolbar. QAT will help you avoid falling into the trap of repetitive tasks, allowing you to concentrate on what truly matters, which for most students is getting homework help from a professional writing service.

Utilize Find and Replace

The Find and Replace features are great for advanced editing and correcting errors. By utilizing the Find and Replace shortcut that locates words and phrases and replaces them with the ones that fit the context, users automatically reduce time on having to find each word and phrase manually. If you switch to the advanced settings option, the Find and Replace feature will also find wildcards and special characters that need to be substituted.

Modify headers and footers 

Headers and footers are important because they can enhance the readability of the document. You can use customized templates to apply different styles and graphics to your headings and footers section. This includes modifying the page numbers as well as adding specific section-related content (the author’s name, document titles).

Adjust the table of contents

One of the most effective Microsoft Word tips that you can use for editing documents is enabling the table of contents feature when working with texts. You can adjust Word settings so that it generates a perfect table of contents based on your document’s structure and the heading styles. Every time you make changes to the document, click Update Table to make Word change it accordingly and provide a relevant layout. The table of contents is activated through the References panel.

Use the Format Painter

Using the Format Painter helps researchers maintain a proper formatting style. The Format Painter tool copies formatting from one part of the text to another, thus preserving the consistency of the document and ensuring the text looks the same in terms of coloring, font size, and style. The paragraph settings don’t have to be adjusted manually, and the Format Painter tool is initiated by selecting the formatting text, pressing the Format Painter icon, and applying it to the highlighted text.

Use the keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can be classified as one of those Microsoft Word tips that will make your life easier and ensure you have a great time structuring complex documents like a pro. Just like students buy thesis to improve their grades and secure their future careers, shortcuts such as Ctrl+C (Copy), Ctrl+V (Paste), Ctrl+Z (Undo), and Ctrl+F (Find) will improve the organizational processes and help you avoid wasting time on endless mouse clicking. 

Use comments for feedback 

Using the comment feature helps when working on collaborative projects. Comments provide a way to leave notes throughout the text - something that you can come back to when you need to revise the structure or ensure the smooth transitions between paragraphs. Reviewers offer constructive feedback and highlight the selected text with color so you can later comment on the target text and offer suggestions. Using comments for feedback is one of the best Microsoft Word tips and tricks as it encourages users to streamline communication and resolve issues collectively.

Use the dictate feature

The dictate feature is on the list of the tips and tricks of MS Word that sound too good to be true. It is a built-in tool for easy conversion of speech into text. If you are a naturally slow typer, the dictate tool will save the day. It will transcribe your ideas and concepts into written content, allowing for a more polished look that does not require the extensive use of a keyboard to be efficient. Make sure to narrate the text clearly, concisely, and without pauses.

Use the autocorrect feature

Many people tend to overlook the autocorrect feature as it hasn’t received proper marketing and is considered redundant. However, it is one of the best ways to ensure your document remains perfect. The autocorrect tool has built-in software models that scan the text and replace misspelled words with the correct ones. Another bonus feature is the ability to customize its functions to your specific preferences. Type in the most common phrases that you use in writing, and the autocorrect will suggest word replacements that fit.

Create custom templates

One of the most effective Microsoft tips and tricks is the one that also looks the simplest. The template principle lies in standardizing the document formatting styles. Each style should have a range of necessary components to remain consistent across various documents. These are uniform headings throughout the text, predefined styles that make your document stand out and transform it into a memorable text, and placeholders allowing you to achieve a “clean” look for all of your content. Customized templates are important for writing business emails, replying to customers, and creating business reports.

Use section breaks

If you need to work on the document structure, the best approach to organizing the text is applying the section breaks for clarity. A section break has the unique power (which is often underestimated due to how simple it is) to divide the document into logical, distinct parts. Once the document is structured and divided, you can now apply different footers and headers to each of the sections. This works well if you have separate requirements and guidelines for each section and need to be extra careful not to mix them up in the editing process. Using section breaks is an optimal decision for long, complex documents. It allows you to work with individual sections, polishing them to perfection, while other sections remain intact.

Use read mode for proofreading

The read mode handles unnecessary toolbars, removes distractions, and delivers the best possible layout for your document so you can improve your focus, concentrate on the task at hand, and avoid getting distracted by pop-up notifications, side panels, and menu bars. It also allows you to comment on your own documents, highlighting specific areas of interest. Moreover, the comments that you add throughout the text will not alter its main structure. If you are always editing late at night when the natural lighting is scarce, try switching your Word document to a night mode to reduce pressure on your eyesight and make the layout more muted. The night mode uses subdued lighting for a more relaxed, stress-free atmosphere.

Conclusion

Despite being life-changing for both students and researchers, some of the Microsoft Word tips and tricks displayed above are often overlooked due to their sheer simplicity and ease of use. Applying these tips when editing and structuring documents, however, will allow you to enhance the look of your text and make it appear polished and meticulously curated. Tips such as the dark mode reading trick, using section breaks, and creating custom templates are rarely talked about in the Microsoft Word community. However, knowing how to use the table of contents to your advantage and utilize styles for more consistency can make a serious difference in how your document appears on screen and is perceived by others.