Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Apply Bullets to Paragraphs in Word
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated January 10, 2021
Applies to: Microsoft® Word® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 or 365 (Windows)
You can add bullets in Microsoft Word documents using several keyboard shortcuts. Since bullets are best applied as a paragraph format, the following shortcuts apply to paragraphs. A paragraph is anything with a hard return after it.
Recommended article: How to Turn Off Automatic Bullets and Numbering in Word
Applying default bullets using Word's built-in keyboard shortcut
To apply default bullets using Word's built-in keyboard shortcut:
- Select the paragraphs to which you want to apply bullets.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + L. Word will apply the default bullets and apply indents to the paragraphs.
Applying bullets using the Bullets drop-down menu
To apply bullets using the Bullets drop-down menu:
- Select the paragraphs to which you want to apply bullets.
- Press Alt > H > U (Alt and then H and then U). A drop-down menu appears.
- Press the right arrow to move through the different types of bullets.
- Press Enter to select the highlighted bullet. Word will apply the bullets and apply indents to the paragraphs.
You can also select Define New Bullet to choose other characters as bullets.
The Bullets drop-down menu includes other types of bullets:
Applying bullets using AutoCorrect
Using Word's AutoCorrect, you can also apply bullets as you type. This method can be used before you type the first paragraph.
To apply bullets using AutoCorrect (this option should be turned on by default):
- Position the cursor at the beginning of a new line where you want to insert a bullet.
- Press Shift + 8 to enter an asterisk (*).
- Press Tab or Spacebar. Word inserts the default bullet and indents the paragraph.
- Type the text for the bulleted paragraph.
- Press Enter at the end of the paragraph. Word should continue the bulleted list.
- To turn off the bullets and return to the Normal style, press Ctrl + Shift + N.
You can also use several other characters for other types of bullets using the AutoCorrect method:
- Type — (two hyphens or dashes at the top of the keyboard) and then press Tab or Spacebar to enter a square bullet.
- Type – (one hyphen or dash) and then press Tab or Spacebar to enter a dash style bullet.
- Type -> (one hyphen and the greater than symbol) and then press Tab or Spacebar to enter a thin arrow.
- Type => (equal sign and the greater than symbol) and then press Tab or Spacebar to enter a thick arrow.
- Type > (greater than symbol) and then press Tab or Spacebar to enter a tail-less arrow.
If you are comfortable using styles in Word, you can also apply styles that include bullets.
Subscribe to get more articles like this one
Did you find this article helpful? If you would like to receive new articles, join our email list.
More resources
How to Remove Hard Returns in Word Documents
14+ Word Selection Shortcuts to Quickly Select Text
How to Superscipt or Subscript in Word (with Shortcuts)
3 Strikethrough Shortcuts in Microsoft Word to Cross Out Text
How to Keep Text Together in Microsoft Word (Paragraphs, Lines or Words)
Related courses
Microsoft Word: Intermediate / Advanced
Microsoft Word: Designing Dynamic Word Documents Using Fields
Microsoft Word: Long Documents Master Class
Microsoft Word: Accessible Word Documents
Microsoft Excel: Intermediate / Advanced
Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca if you'd like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that's convenient for you.
Copyright 2022 Avantix® Learning
You may also like
How to View Document Statistics in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word automatically tracks statistics about your documents. These statistics appear in Word Properties and include the file name, directory, template, author, editing time, last print date and the user who last modified the document.
How to Create a Table Template in Word
If you insert tables frequently in Word, you may want to create a table template to save time. Keep in mind that tables are affected by themes, styles and table styles so if the table template you insert seems to change formatting, the current document may contain different formatting from the original document when the table template was saved. A table template is saved as a building block and will appear in Quick Tables.
How to Delete a Page in Word (Remove Blank or Extra Pages)
In Word, you can delete a page in the middle or at the end of a document using several strategies. You can delete blank pages or pages that contain text and other content. Blank pages can be caused by unnecessary hard returns (pressing Enter too many times), manual page breaks, section breaks, paragraph formatting and tables so you will need to determine what is causing a blank page to remove it.
Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, Microsoft Office and related Microsoft applications and logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in Canada, US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of the registered owners.
Avantix Learning |18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4 | Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca
