How to Insert a Check Mark in Word (5 Ways to Insert a Check or Tick Mark with Shortcuts)

Insert or Type a Check Mark or Tick Mark Symbol in Microsoft Word (with Shortcuts)

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated April 30, 2023

Applies to: Microsoft^® Word^® 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 or 365 (Windows)

You can insert or type a check mark or tick mark symbol in a Word document in several ways. Check marks can be inserted using built-in commands or keyboard shortcuts. It's important to note that there is a difference between inserting a static check mark and inserting a clickable check box which is typically used in a Word form.

Recommended article: How to Show or HIde White Space in Word Documents

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In this article, we'll review 5 ways to insert a check mark symbol in a Word document:

1. Insert check marks as bullets
2. Use the Insert Symbol command
3. Add and use a custom Word keyboard shortcut
4. Add and use an AutoCorrect shortcut
5. Use an Alt code shortcut by pressing Alt and then entering a number sequence

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1. Insert a check mark by inserting bullets

If you want to insert a check mark at the beginning of one or more paragraphs, you can apply custom bullets using the Wingdings font (or a similar font).

To apply check marks as custom bullets to paragraphs:

1. Select the paragraph(s) to which you want to add check marks.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Paragraph group, click the arrow beside Bullets. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Click Define New Bullet. A dialog box appears.
5. Click Symbol. A dialog box appears.
6. Select Wingdings from the Font drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can select another font such as Wingdings 2 or Segoe UI Symbol.
7. Click the desired check mark.
8. Click OK.
9. Click Font. A Font dialog box appears.
10. Select the desired font color and size. This dialog box offers the same options as the regular Font dialog box.
11. Click OK twice.

The check marks will be added at the beginning of the paragraph(s).

In the Define New Bullet dialog box (below), you can select Symbol, Font or Picture:

The following characters appear when you select Wingdings as the Symbol font for bullets:

In the Define New Bullet dialog box, you can select Picture and then navigate to a picture you want to use as a bullet and then double-click it.

2. Insert a check mark using Insert Symbol

If you want to add a check mark in a line of text (or at the end of a line of text), you can use Insert Symbol.

To insert a check mark using Insert Symbol in the Ribbon in Word:

1. Position the cursor in the Word document where you want to insert a check mark.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Symbols group, click Symbol. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Click More Symbols. A dialog box appears.
5. If necessary, click the Symbols tab.
6. Select Wingdings from the Font drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can select another font such as Wingdings 2 or Segoe UI Symbol.
7. Scroll through the list of symbols until you find the check mark symbol you want to use and then click it.
8. Click Insert.
9. Click Close.

Once the check mark has been inserted, you can change its size or color using the Home tab in the Ribbon or by right-clicking and selecting formatting options from the mini-toolbar.

In the example below, Wingdings is selected in the Symbol dialog box:

3. Insert a check mark using a custom Word keyboard shortcut

If you insert a check mark frequently, you can create your own keyboard shortcut for the check mark symbol.

To create a keyboard shortcut for a check mark:

1. Position the cursor in a Word document.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Symbols group, click Symbol. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Click More Symbols. A dialog box appears.
5. If necessary, click the Symbols tab.
6. Select Wingdings from the Font drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can select another font such as Wingdings 2 or Segoe UI Symbol.
7. Scroll through the list of symbols until you find the check mark symbol you want to use and then click it.
8. Click Shortcut. A dialog box appears.
9. Click in the box below Assign New Shortcut key.
10. Press the keys you want to assign (such as Ctrl + Alt + M). Don't type any text, just press the keys. Be careful not to override a useful built-in shortcut such as Ctrl + C.
11. Click Assign. Typically the location for these shortcuts is the Normal (or default) template.
12. Click Close twice.

Test the shortcut in your document by pressing the assigned keys.

The Customize Keyboard dialog box appears as follows:

Since these shortcuts are typically saved in the Normal template, when you exit Word, if you are prompted to save the Normal template, click Yes.

4. Insert a check mark using an AutoCorrect shortcut

You can also insert a check mark automatically using AutoCorrect.

To set up an AutoCorrect entry for a check mark:

1. Position the cursor in a Word document.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Symbols group, click Symbol. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Click More Symbols. A dialog box appears.
5. If necessary, click the Symbols tab.
6. Select Wingdings from the Font drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can select another font such as Wingdings 2 or Segoe UI Symbol.
7. Scroll through the list of symbols until you find the check mark symbol you want to use and then click it.
8. Click AutoCorrect. A dialog box appears.
9. In the Replace box, enter the name of the entry (such as cm1).
10. Click Add.
11. Click OK.
12. Click Close.

To insert the entry in the document, type the entry (such as cm1) and then press the Spacebar.

The AutoCorrect dialog box appears as follows:

Since these shortcuts are typically saved in the Normal template, when you exit Word, you should be prompted to save it.

5. Insert a check mark using an Alt keyboard shortcut

You can press the Alt key in combination with numbers on the numeric keypad to insert a check mark symbol.

To insert a check mark symbol in a Word document using Alt:

1. Position the cursor where you want to insert the check mark symbol.
2. Press Alt + 0252 or Alt + 0254 on the numeric keypad. If the sequence doesn't work, press NumLock on the numeric keypad. Word will insert a different character.
3. Select the character, click the Home tab in the Ribbon and select Wingdings from the Font drop-down menu.

If you want to create clickable check boxes, you could create a Word form using controls or create a dynamic form using Microsoft Forms.

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