Microsoft Word menus

The File Menu

The file menu is one you will find yourself using extensively. It is used to create new documents,
open existing documents and saving your new/updated documents. It also includes the page
setup, print preview, and other important functions relating to your document and its properties.

New: This creates a new Microsoft Word document. The page setup of the new document, ie,
the size, margins, etc, will depend on your page settings.
Open: This opens an existing Microsoft Word document, it will open a file explorer window
allowing you to navigate to the file you want to open.

Close: This will close the current word document. Microsoft Word may prompt you to save the
file, if you have made changes to the document since the last save.

Save: Saves the current document, replacing the existing file (if previously saved).

Save As: This allows you to save the document as a different file. This is very useful, imagine
you open your letterhead template and write a letter that you want to save, if you just saved it
(using the option above), it would replace your letterhead template. When you click on Save
As you will be able to choose the new filename and location for your document.

Save As Web Page: This option will save the current document with the HTM(L) extension,
allowing it to be viewed by a web browser.

Search: Clicking Search will open the basic search window, allowing you to search your
computer for documents containing certain text.

Versions: This feature allows you to save different versions of the current Microsoft Word
document. For example, if you changed your letterhead and wanted to keep the older version
too.

Web Page Preview: Clicking on this option will display your current document as it would look
in a web browser. When you click, Microsoft Word will open the document in your default web
browser.

Page Setup: This opens the page setup options dialogue box. It allows you to set the properties
(dimensions, margins, etc) of the current document and change the default for new Microsoft
Word documents.

Print Preview: Selecting this option opens the print preview window, allowing you to preview
how your document will look when printed.

Print: Opens the print dialogue box allowing you to print the current document.

Send To: Hovering your mouse over this option will allow you to send your document via email,
or export it to Microsoft Powerpoint (if installed).

Properties: This will open the Microsoft Word document properties dialogue box, allowing you
to view/edit various properties of the document. Including author information, statistics, type,
location and filesize of the document.

The A symbol in fig 1.1 above shows where a list of recently opened documents are listed. This
is a very handy feature of Microsoft Word, it saves using the normal opening procedure.

Exit: Clicking this will exit Microsoft Word, it may prompt you to save any unsaved documents.

The Edit Menu

The edit menu, as its name suggests, includes commands relating to the editing of your
document. It includes important editing features such as undo, repeat, cut, copy, paste, select
all, find, replace and more.

Undo (last task): This option allows you to undo the last thing you did in your Microsoft Word
document, in our example (fig 1.1) you can see our last action was to type some text. This is a
handy command, especially if you delete something by accident.

Repeat (last task): This repeats your last action. In our example clicking on the Repeat Typing
will repeatedly insert the same piece of text into the document.

Cut: This command will cut (delete) the currently selected element. For example if you highlight
(select) some text and then click on cut, it will be deleted.
Copy: The Copy command will copy the curently selected element (text, image, etc) into the
office clipboard. It can then be inserted (pasted) into a document using the Paste command
(see below), which will appear in the edit menu once you have copied something to the office
clipboard.

Office Clipboard: This command will display the current contents of the office clipboard,
allowing you to click on the stored elements to insert (paste) them directly into the current
document. Elements (text, images, etc) can be added to the clipboard using the Copy command
(see above), this clipboard will also show any elements stored in the Windows Clipboard.
Paste: This will paste (insert) into the current document the last element to be stored in the
Office Clipboard.

Paste Special: Clicking on this command will bring up the Microsoft Word Paste Special
dialogue box, it allows you to control the format of the text that will be inserted (pasted) from the
Office/Windows clipboard.

Paste as Hyperlink: This command allows you to link (create a hyperlink) to a certain place in
another Microsoft Word document, Excel worksheet, PowerPoint slide, or Access database. To
achieve this, first copy the element that you want to link to into the clipboard, and then select
the Paste as Hyperlink command.
note: The target file must have been saved previously, likewise if you are linking to an element
in the current document, it must be saved first.

Clear: This command allows you to remove any formatting from the currently selected
(highlighted) element (text/image). It also allows you to delete the selected element.

Select All: This will select (highlight) every element in the current document.

Find: Find allows you to search the current document for a certain word or phrase.

Replace: Replace allows you to replace a given text with a substitute of your choice.

Goto: Goto allows you to go directly to a certain page, section, line, bookmark, comment,
footnote, endnote, field, table, graphic, equation, object, or heading.

Links: This allows you to manage any linked objects in the current document. A linked object is
information (data) that is stored in another file, for example a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet,
Microsoft Access database, or other compatible source. We will be covering linked objects in a
future Microsoft Word tutorial.

Objects: This command allows you to manage any embedded objects within the current
document.

The View Menu

This menu is used to control not only the visual layout of your Word document but also the
printing configuration. It is also used to select which toolbars are visible in the Word
environment. Commands include web layout, print layout, outline, task pane, toolbars, ruler,
header and footer, footnotes, full screen view and zoom.
Normal: Selecting this will show your current document in a layout without the document
margins.

Web Layout: The Web Layout view will show you how the current document will look on a web
browser, a full-screen layout.

Print Layout: This view will show the document in a layout including all margins and page
breaks.

Outline: The Outline view allows you to change the structure of your document, when selected
it will open the Outline Toolbar. The Outline Toolbar allows you to, amongst other things, move
headings up or down and/or change the heading types.

Task Pane: This command toggles (shows/hides) the Task Pane. The task pane is designed to
give you quick access to frequently used commands, including Document Commands, The
Office Clipboard, Basic Search, Style and Formatting and more.

Toolbars: When you hover your mouse pointer over Toolbars you will be presented with a
submenu, this includes all of the different toolbars that are available. You can toggle (hide/show)
the different toolbars by simply clicking on them within the submenu.

Ruler: Clicking on this will toggle (hide/show) the document ruler which appears across the top
and down the side of the Microsoft Word document.

Document Map: The document map is a handy feature which allows you to navigate the
current document, it will list the headings (heading 1, heading 2, etc) in the current document.
To go directly to a certain paragraph heading, simply click on it in the left hand pane that opens.
Header and Footer: This allows you to edit the header and footer of the current document. We
show you how to edit the header and footer in our letterhead tutorial here.

Footnotes: This command will show all footnotes and endnotes (you will be promoted for
which) within the current document. Footnotes and Endnotes will be covered in a future
Microsoft Word tutorial.
Markup: This will toggle (hide/show) any Markup (comments and tracked alterations/additions)
in the current document.

Full Screen: This will show the current Microsoft Word document in full screen mode.

Zoom: This will open the zoom dialogue box, enabling you to change the percentage of zoom
for the current view.

The Insert Menu

The insert menu is used to place various objects into your document, such as page numbers,
pictures, symbols, comments and other objects. Commands include break, date and time, field,
symbol, reference, web component, text box, file and hyperlink.
Break: This command opens the Break dialogue box, allowing you to insert page breaks and
section breaks into the current document.

Page Numbers: Clicking on Page Numbers will open a dialogue box, which allows you to insert
page numbers into the document using various options.
Date and Time: This command will open the Date and Time dialogue box. You can choose
from many different date and time formats, you may also have different languages to choose
from.

Autotext: Choosing this option will open the Microsoft Word Autotext dialogue box. We will
cover Autotext in a future tutorial.

Field: This command allows you to enter specified fields into your document. The available
fields include Date & Time, Document Automation, Document Information, Equations and
Formulas, Index and Tables, Links and References, Mail Merge, Numbering and User
Information.

Symbol: This allows you to insert symbols and special characters into your document. For
example, if you wanted to include a copyright symbol or a trademark symbol, then you would
use this feature. Other symbols (special characters) include currency symbols, mathematical
symbols and foreign language alphabet characters.

Comment: This command will place a comment into the document at the location of the cursor.
You will be able to type your comment into the comment box, once done, simply click anywhere
outside of the comment box.

Reference: The Reference command will allow you to insert a footnote, caption, cross-
reference, index, and tables.

Web Component: This command is used to insert any web components into your Microsoft
Word document.

Picture: Allows you to insert a picture into your document. You will be offered various locations
to locate the image, including clip art, the file system on your computer, and a digital camera or
scanner.

Diagram: The Diagram command will open the diagram gallery dialogue box. You can choose
from a selection of diagrams to insert into your document, including an organization chart, cycle
diagram, radial diagram, pyramid diagram, venn diagram and a target diagram. You may have
less or more diagrams available to insert, depending on your Microsoft Word installation.

Text Box: This allows you to insert text boxes, we will be covering text boxes in a future tutorial.

File: Enables you to insert part or all of a file into the current document.

Object: This command will insert an object of your choice, including media clips, Microsoft
Excel charts and worksheets, Microsoft Powerpoint slides and presentations.

Bookmark: This handy feature allows you to bookmark a certain element (text, image, etc). You
can name the bookmark and then return to it at any time by using the goto command in the edit
menu.

Hyperlink: The Insert Hyperlink dialogue box allows you to add a hyperlink to an existing file,
web page, certain place in the current document, a new document, or an email address.

The Format Menu

A guide to the format menu which controls your font's properties along with the borders and
shading options. Commands include paragraph, bullets and numbering, columns, tabs, text
direction, background, autoformat, reveal formatting and more.
Font: This will change the font attributes of either the currently selected text, or any subsequent
text, using the font dialogue box.
Paragraph: This command will open the Paragraph dialogue box, allowing you to make
changes to either existing text or subsequent text. To change an existing paragraph, select the
text you wish to change and then use this command to make the alterations, such as alignment,
indentation, and spacing.

Bullets and Numbering: This is a handy command, it creates indented lists with various
formats. You can either click the command and then start typing your list (pressing enter for the
next line), or you can select some existing text to convert to a list. The listing format options
include bulleted, numbered, outline numbered, and other styles.

Borders and Shading: This command allows you to create borders and shading on elements
within your Microsoft Word document. The borders and shading can be applied to text,
paragraphs, pictures, and more.

Columns: The Columns command will split the current document into the number of columns
you specify. You can either split the whole page, or just from that point onwards.

Tabs: This command allows you to manage tabs, including the alignment, spacing, and whether
the tab has a leader or not.

Drop Cap: A drop cap is a letter at the start of a paragraph of text that spans 2 or more rows of
text, you will often see a drop cap in a book at the start of a chapter. This tool allows you to
either add a drop cap character to your document or change an existing letter (at the start of a
sentence) to a drop cap.

Text Direction: This allows you to change the text direction of a text object, for example a text
box.

Change Case: The Change case tool allows you to alter the case of existing text. Options
include sentence case, lowercase, uppercase, title case, and toggle case.

Background: This changes the background colour (color) of your Microsoft Word document. It
also allows you to add watermarks and use different gradient effects.

Theme: The themes command will open the theme dialogue box, allowing you to change the
theme of your document, including heading style, hyperlinks and background colour (color).

Frames: This command opens the Frames dialogue box.

AutoFormat: The AutoFormat feature will format a whole document with preset attributes.

Styles and Formatting: This will open the Styles and Formatting toolbar, allowing you create
headings, lists and more.

Reveal Formatting: Clicking on this will show a dialogue box detailing the format attributes of
the selected element.

Object: Allows you to make changes to any existing objects within the current document.

The Tools Menu

The tools menu will also be one you may use regularly, it includes the options command which
controls spelling and grammar, security and more. Commands include language, word count,
speech, letters and mailing, macro, customize and more.
Spelling and Grammar: This command will check the spelling and grammar of the current
Microsoft Word document. It also allows you to add words to the dictionary, as well as changing
the dictionary language (if available).
Language: The language tool has various options, including setting the language of the
document, translating text, open the thesaurus and manage hyphenation.

Word Count: This will open the Word Count dialogue box, enabling you to count the amount of
words in the whole document, or the currently selected text.

AutoSummarize: This can be a handy feature of Microsoft Word, depending on the type and
format of your document. It will summarize a document using the attributes you give it, for
example, you can choose the percentage of the document to be used for the summary, as well
as the format of the summary.

Speech: This will open the Speech Recognition feature of Microsoft Word (if installed/available).

Track Changes: Clicking on this command will cause Microsoft Word to track any subsequent
changes to the document. These changes can then be viewed by turning on the Markup option
on the Edit menu.

Compare and Merge Documents: This feature enables you to easily compare and/or merge 2
documents.

Protect Document: This command allows you to control the protection of the document,
including tracked changes, comments and forms.

Online Collaboration: Enables NetMeeting allowing you to communicate with others in real
time via the internet or local network.

Letters and Mailing: Gives you access to various features, including the Mail Merge Wizard,
the Letter Wizard, the Envelopes and Labels tool, and the Mail Merge Toolbar.

Macro: This opens the Macro Dialogue box, allowing you to manage subsequent and existing
macros. We will be covering Microsoft Word macros in a future tutorial.

Templates and Add-Ins: Opens the Templates and Add-Ins Dialogue box, allowing you to add,
remove or update styles and template.

AutoCorrect Options: Opens the AutoCorrect dialogue box, enabling you to manage
capitalisation, and also the replace text as you type settings.

Customize: Allows you to customize the Microsoft Word toolbars, commands, and other
options.

Options: This opens the main options dialogue box in Microsoft Word. It allows you to change
many aspects of the current document and Microsoft Word environment.

The Table Menu

Tables are a great way of laying out content within your document. The table menu provides all
you need to manage your tables and cells. Includes draw table, insert, delete, merge cells, split
cells, split table, autoformat, convert, sort and more.
Draw Table: This command opens the Tables and Borders dialogue box with the draw table
tool active. First you draw the outline of your table, then using the same tool, you can create
cells by vertical or horizontal movements within the table.
Insert: Allows you to insert a whole table or just columns, rows and cells into the current
document.

Delete: Delete complete tables, columns, rows and selected cells.

Select: This command allows you to select the current table, column, row or cell.

Merge Cells: This tool will merge the currently selected cells into one.

Split Cells: This will split the selected cell/s into your chosen amount of columns and rows, it
will also offer (if more than one cell selected) to merge the selected cells before the split.

Split Table: This command will split the current table, making the split at the currently selected
cells.

Table AutoFormat: This command will open the Microsoft Word Table AutoFormat dialogue
box, where you can choose from a number of different table templates, including preset fonts
and cell background colours (colors).

AutoFit: This tools gives you several options for resizing the selected table in relation with the
contents or window. It also allows you to automate the distribution between columns and rows.
Heading Rows Repeat: This handy tool will repeat the currently selected row at the top of
every page for the length of the table.

Convert: This command will convert existing text into a table format. The text will have to have
a common separator to indicate the different columns, it will also needs new paragraphs where
you would like each row.

Sort: This opens the Sort Table dialogue box. You can choose which column you would like to
sort and by what order.

Formula: This tool allows you to apply a formula to the selected cell. For example, if you
wanted to add up the contents of several rows in a specific column, you could use the SUM
formula in the Formla dialogue box.

Hide Gridlines: This simply hides the gridlines of the selected table.

Table Properties: This will display the various properties of the selected table.

Keyboard shortcuts in
Word

Frequently used shortcuts

This table shows the most frequently used shortcuts
in Microsoft Word.
To do this Press
Open a document. Ctrl+O
Create a new document. Ctrl+N
Save the document. Ctrl+S
Close the document. Ctrl+W
Cut the selected content to the Ctrl+X
To do this Press
Clipboard.
Copy the selected content to the Ctrl+C
Clipboard.
Paste the contents of the Clipboard. Ctrl+V
Select all document content. Ctrl+A
Apply bold formatting to text. Ctrl+B
Apply italic formatting to text. Ctrl+I
Apply underline formatting to text. Ctrl+U
Decrease the font size by 1 point. Ctrl+Left bracket ([)
Increase the font size by 1 point. Ctrl+Right bracket (])
Center the text. Ctrl+E
Align the text to the left. Ctrl+L
Align the text to the right. Ctrl+R
Cancel a command. Esc
Undo the previous action. Ctrl+Z
Redo the previous action, if possible. Ctrl+Y
Adjust the zoom magnification. Alt+W, Q, then use the Tab key in
the Zoom dialog box to go to the value
you want.
Split the document window. Ctrl+Alt+S
Remove the document window split. Alt+Shift+C or Ctrl+Alt+S

Use the Access Keys for ribbon tabs

To go directly to a tab on the ribbon, press one of the
following access keys. Additional tabs might appear
depending on your selection in the document.
To do this Press
Move to the Tell Me or Search field on the Ribbon to search for Alt+Q,
assistance or Help content. then
enter the
search
term.
To do this Press
Open the File page to use Backstage view. Alt+F
Open the Home tab to use common formatting commands, paragraph Alt+H
styles, and the Find tool.
Open the Insert tab to insert tables, pictures and shapes, headers, or Alt+N
text boxes.
Open the Design tab to use themes, colors, and effects, such as page Alt+G
borders.
Open the Layout tab to work with page margins, page orientation, Alt+P
indentation, and spacing.
Open the References tab to add a table of contents, footnotes, or a Alt+S
table of citations.
Open the Mailings tab to manage Mail Merge tasks and to work with Alt+M
envelopes and labels.
Open the Review tab to use Spell Check, set proofing languages, and Alt+R
to track and review changes to your document.
Open the View tab to choose a document view or mode, such as Read
Mode or Outline view. You can also set the zoom magnification and Alt+W
manage multiple document windows.

Work in the ribbon with the keyboard

To do this Press
Select the active tab on the ribbon and Alt or F10. To move to a different
activate the access keys. tab, use access keys or the
arrow keys.
Move the focus to commands on the ribbon. Tab key or Shift+Tab
Move between command groupings on the Ctrl+Left or Right arrow key
ribbon.
Move among the items on the ribbon. Arrow keys
Show the tooltip for the ribbon element Ctrl+Shift+F10
currently in focus.
Activate the selected button. Spacebar or Enter
Open the list for the selected command. Down arrow key
Open the menu for the selected button. Alt+Down arrow key
When a menu or submenu is open, move to Down arrow key
the next command.
Expand or collapse the ribbon. Ctrl+F1
Open the context menu. Shift+F10
To do this Press

Or, on a Windows keyboard, the

Windows Menu key (between the
right Alt and right Ctrl keys)
Move to the submenu when a main menu is Left arrow ke
open or selected.

Navigate the document

To do this Press
Move the cursor one word to the left. Ctrl+Left arrow key
Move the cursor one word to the right. Ctrl+Right arrow
key
Move the cursor up by one paragraph. Ctrl+Up arrow key
Move the cursor down by one paragraph. Ctrl+Down arrow
key
Move the cursor to the end of the current line. End
Move the cursor to the beginning the current line. Home
Move the cursor to the top of the screen. Ctrl+Alt+Page up
Move the cursor to the bottom of the screen. Ctrl+Alt+Page
down
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view up by one Page up
screen.
Move the cursor by scrolling the document view down by Page down
one screen.
Move the cursor to the top of the next page. Ctrl+Page down
Move the cursor to the top of the previous page. Ctrl+Page up
Move the cursor to the end of the document. Ctrl+End
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. Ctrl+Home
Move the cursor to the location of the previous revision. Shift+F5
Move the cursor to the location of the last revision made Shift+F5,
before the document was last closed. immediately after
opening the
document.
To do this Press
Cycle through floating shapes, such as text boxes or Ctrl+Alt+5, and
images. then the Tab key
repeatedly
Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal Esc
navigation.
Display the Navigation task pane, to search within the Ctrl+F
document content.
Display the Go To dialog box, to navigate to a specific Ctrl+G
page, bookmark, footnote, table, comment, graphic, or
other location.
Cycle through the locations of the four previous changes Ctrl+Alt+Z
made to the document.

Preview and print documents

To do this Press
Print the document. Ctrl+P
Switch to print preview. Ctrl+Alt+I
Move around the preview page when zoomed in. Arrow keys
Move by one preview page when zoomed out. Page up or Page
down
Move to the first preview page when zoomed out. Ctrl+Home
Move to the last preview page when zoomed out. Ctrl+End

File formats that are supported in Word

The following table describes the file formats that are supported in Word,
alphabetized by extension.

Extension Name of file format Description

.doc Word 97-2003 Document The binary file format for Word 97-Word 2003.

.docm Word Macro-Enabled Document The XML-based and macro-enabled file format for Word 2019, Word
2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, and Office Word 2007. Stores Visual Basic
Extension Name of file format Description

for Applications (VBA) macro code.

.docx Word Document The default XML-based file format for Word 2019, Word 2016, Word
2013, Word 2010, and Office Word 2007.

.docx Strict Open XML Document Conforms to the Strict profile of the Open XML standard (ISO/IEC
29500). This profile of Open XML doesn't allow a set of features that are
designed specifically for backward-compatibility with existing binary
documents, as specified in Part 4 of ISO/IEC 29500.

.dot Word 97-2003 Template Template for Word 97-Word 2003 files.

.dotm Word Macro-Enabled Template Template for creating new Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word
2010, and Office Word 2007 files that contain macros. Users who want
to include UI customizations or macros in the template should use this
file format.

.dotx Word Template Template for creating new Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word
2010, and Office Word 2007 files that don't contain macros.

.htm, .ht Web Page A web page that is saved as a folder that contains an .htm file and all
ml supporting files, such as images, sound files, cascading style sheets,
scripts, and more. Good for posting on a site or editing with Microsoft
Office FrontPage or another HTML editor.

.htm, .ht Web Page, Filtered Saving in the Web Page, Filtered file format removes Microsoft Office-
ml specific tags. If users save in filtered HTML and then re-open the file in
an Office application, text and general appearance are preserved.
However, some features might work differently.

.mht; .mh Single File Web Page A web page as a single file that includes an .htm file and all supporting
tml files, such as images, sound files, cascading style sheets, scripts, and
more.

.odt OpenDocument Text A file format for saving Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013 files so
that they can be opened in document applications that use the
OpenDocument format. Users can also open documents in the .odt
format in Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013. Formatting might be
lost when users save and open .odt files.

.pdf PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), a PostScript-based electronic file

format that was developed by Adobe Systems. It preserves document
formatting and enables file sharing.

Files that use the PDF file format can be saved and opened by using
Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.
Extension Name of file format Description

Important: PDF files might not have a perfect page-to-page

correspondence with the original. For example, the pages might break
at different locations.

.rtf Rich Text Format RTF controls the representation and formatting of a document, both on
the screen and in print. When they use the .rtf file format, documents
created under different operating systems and with different software
applications can be transferred between those operating systems and
applications.

.txt Plain Text When users save a document as a .txt file, the document loses all
formatting.

.wps Works 6-9 Document This is the default file format of Microsoft Works, versions 6.0 through
9.0.

.xml Word 2003 XML Document The XML format supported in Office Word 2003.

.xml Word XML Document The XML file format supported in Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013,
Word 2010, and Office Word 2007 (Open XML).

.xps XPS Document XML Paper Specification, a file format that preserves document
formatting and enables file sharing. When the XPS file is viewed online
or printed, it keeps exactly the format that users intended, and the data
in the file can't be easily changed.

You can use Word 2019, Word 2016, or Word 2013 to save documents
in the XPS Document file format, but you can't open them by using
Word 2019, Word 2016, or Word 2013.

working with documents

Refer link
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/word2016/creating-and-opening-

documents/1/
Excel

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/

Powerpoint

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/powerpoint/