Microsoft Word is the most popular word processor in the world, used by millions of people worldwide. Although most users are familiar with its basic features, there are also a number of lesser-known functions that can significantly increase productivity. This article will discuss these hidden gems that can help you customize your Word experience and streamline your workflow.

Customise the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is a useful feature in Microsoft Word that makes frequently used commands available with a single click. Customizing it can save time and increase efficiency.

Location of the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar is located in the top left corner of the Word window. By default, it contains commands such as Save, Undo and Redo.

Add commands

To add commands to the Quick Access toolbar:

  1. Go to the File > Settings > Quick access toolbar menu item.
  2. Select the commands you use most often from the list.
  3. Click on the Add to button, then press OK button.

By customising the toolbar, you can minimise the time you spend browsing menus.

Custom automatic repair shortcuts

Autocorrect is a great feature for quickly typing frequently used phrases and automatically correcting spelling mistakes. You can further increase typing speed by creating custom shortcuts.

Set up automatic repair

To set up custom automatic repair shortcuts:

  1. Go to the File > Settings > Language check > Automatic repair settings menu item.
  2. From To the next field, type the hotkey.
  3. From Here field, enter the full text or phrase that the hotkey will replace.

This feature is particularly useful for inserting long or complex phrases with just a few keystrokes.

Translation of text

Word's built-in translator is a powerful tool that allows you to translate entire documents or specific sections.

Location of the translation device

To access the translator:

  1. Go to the Views tab.
  2. Click on the Translation then the Translation of the designation button.

Translation of full documents

To translate a full document:

  1. Use the Document tab under Translation settings.

This feature supports multiple languages, so you can easily work with international documents.

Spike device

The Spike tool is a unique feature in Word that allows you to collect several pieces of text and paste them together.

Using the spike tool

  • To cut or copy text, press the CTRL+F3 (on Mac CMD+F3).
  • To paste the collected text, press CTRL+Shift+F3 (on Mac CMD+Shift+F3).

This can save a lot of time when reorganising documents.

Compare documents

Word's comparison tool helps you review changes between two versions of a document and highlights differences with colour-coded text.

Comparator location

  1. Go to the Views tab.
  2. Select the Comparison... Opportunities.

Highlight changes

Each author's changes are highlighted in different colours, so you can easily see the edits.

Converting text to table and table to text

Presenting data in tabular form can help to make the data easier to read and understand.

Converting text into a table

  1. Select the text you want to convert into a table.
  2. Go to the Insert tab.
  3. Click on the Table > Converting text to a table button.

Convert table to text

To convert table data back to text:

  1. Place the cursor in the table.
  2. Go to the Arrangement tab.
  3. Select the Convert table to text Opportunities.

This flexibility allows you to present information in the most effective way.

Save customizations

After making your customizations, make sure that all changes are saved in the OK button in the settings window.

Efficient workflow

Using these lesser-known features can significantly increase the efficiency of your workflow in Microsoft Word. Customizing the Quick Access toolbar, setting custom auto-correct shortcuts, using the Spike tool and more can help you work smarter, not harder.

Start incorporating these tips into your daily routine and see how they can increase your productivity!