Let Word Do the Formatting for You

If you want Word to “clean up” the formatting in your document, you can—with the AutoFormat feature. AutoFormat applies consistent styles to headings, body text, bulleted lists, and so on. AutoFormat also makes other minor fixes, such as turning "straight" quotation marks into “smart” quotation marks.

AutoFormat behind the scenes   AutoFormat “as you type” is already turned on by default. For example, if you’ve enclosed a word in asterisks to indicate that it should be bold, or have typed three hyphens to create a line across the page, you’ve seen AutoFormat in action. To control the changes AutoFormat makes, click AutoFormat (Format menu) and then click the Options button. On the AutoFormat as You Type tab, make sure the check boxes are selected for all the options you want.

AutoFormat on demand   You can also apply additional formatting to your documents by clicking AutoFormat to accept or reject each proposed change. After your document is formatted, you can use the Style Gallery (Format menu) to quickly switch between different document designs.

Don’t want Word to format automatically as you type?   You can turn off this formatting by clicking AutoFormat and then clicking Options. On the AutoFormat and AutoFormat as You Type tabs, clear check boxes for actions that you do not want completed.