Microsoft Word Shortcuts: The Basics

I don't know about you all, but utilizing the keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Word is probably one of my weakest areas. Sure, I know most of the basics, but I don't always use them in practice as much as I should. Not to mention that there are a whole slew of shortcuts that are less commonly known that I really need to learn.

My ultimate goal is to get to a point where I never have to remove my hands from the keyboard. I've got a long way to go to get there, but I'm determined. If you'd like to join me in this endeavor, this will be an ongoing series to achieve this skill.

We'll start with the basics this week. I'm assuming that you are already familiar with most of these, but there were a few that I wasn't aware of.

Shortcut	Output
Ctrl+A	Selects all text and graphics in the active window
Ctrl+B	Bold - Formats selected text; make text bold, or remove bold formatting
Ctrl+C	Copies the selection to the clipboard
Ctrl+F	Find - Searches for specified text in the active document
Ctrl+I	Italic - Formats selected text; make text italic or remove italic
Ctrl+N	Open a new word document quickly
Ctrl+O	Opens a previously saved document
Ctrl+P	Prints the active file, also gives the opportunity to change print options
Ctrl+S	Saves the active document with its current file name, location and format
Ctrl+U	Underline - Formats selected text; make text underlined or remove underline
Ctrl+V	Paste - Inserts the contents of the clipboard at the insertion point (cursor) or whatever is selected
Ctrl+W	Closes the active window, but does not Exit Word
Ctrl+X	Cut- Removes the selection from the active document and places it on the clipboard
Ctrl+Y	Redo - After an action has been undone, it can be reinstated in the document
Ctrl+Z	Undo the last action. This selection can be repeated several times
Alt+F4	Exit - Closes Microsoft Word