✍️ Keyboard Shortcuts in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is widely used for creating and editing documents. Here are some of the most essential shortcuts:

  • Ctrl + A → Select all content in the document
  • Ctrl + B → Bold selected text
  • Ctrl + I → Italicize selected text
  • Ctrl + U → Underline selected text
  • Ctrl + C / Ctrl + X / Ctrl + V → Copy, Cut, and Paste
  • Ctrl + F → Open the Find box
  • Ctrl + H → Open the Replace dialog
  • Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y → Undo and Redo actions
  • Ctrl + E / Ctrl + L / Ctrl + R → Align text (Center, Left, Right)
  • Ctrl + D → Open the Font dialog box

 

📊 Keyboard Shortcuts in Microsoft Excel

Excel is essential for data analysis, calculations, and reporting. Shortcuts make navigating and editing spreadsheets much faster:

  • Ctrl + A → Select all cells in the worksheet
  • Ctrl + B / Ctrl + I / Ctrl + U → Bold, Italic, Underline formatting
  • Ctrl + C / Ctrl + X / Ctrl + V → Copy, Cut, Paste cells
  • Ctrl + D → Fill down (copy content from above cell)
  • Ctrl + R → Fill right (copy content from left cell)
  • Ctrl + F / Ctrl + H → Find and Replace
  • Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y → Undo and Redo
  • Ctrl + Shift + L → Apply/remove filters
  • Alt + = → Insert AutoSum formula
  • F2 → Edit the active cell
  • Ctrl + Arrow Keys → Navigate quickly across rows and columns

 

📋 Comparison Table

Action

Word Shortcut

Excel Shortcut

Select All

Ctrl + A

Ctrl + A

Bold

Ctrl + B

Ctrl + B

Copy / Cut / Paste

Ctrl + C / X / V

Ctrl + C / X / V

Undo / Redo

Ctrl + Z / Y

Ctrl + Z / Y

Find / Replace

Ctrl + F / H

Ctrl + F / H

Formatting (Italic/Underline)

Ctrl + I / U

Ctrl + I / U

Special Feature

Ctrl + D (Font dialog)

Ctrl + D (Fill down)

🚀 Why Shortcuts Matter

  • Efficiency: Speeds up repetitive tasks.
  • Accuracy: Reduces errors by minimizing mouse clicks.
  • Accessibility: Helps users with mobility or vision challenges.
  • Professionalism: Makes document and data handling smoother in workplace settings.

Conclusion: Learning and practicing these shortcuts in MS Word and MS Excel can significantly boost productivity. Whether you’re drafting reports or analyzing data, these keystrokes are your best allies for working smarter, not harder.