The fastest way to remove all formatting from text in Word

Select the text you want to clear, then press Ctrl+A to select all text in the document, or click and drag to select just the portion you need. With the text highlighted, press Ctrl+Spacebar on Windows or Command+Spacebar on Mac. This removes bold, italic, underline, color, font changes, and most other direct formatting — leaving only the plain text and paragraph structure.

If you want to keep some formatting (like bold headings) but remove everything else, select only the text you want to change before using the keyboard shortcut. Word will leave untouched text alone and only affect what you have highlighted.

The Ctrl+Spacebar method works in Word on Windows, Word on Mac, and Word Online. It is the fastest route when you need to strip formatting quickly without opening menus.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl+Spacebar (Windows) or Command+Spacebar (Mac) with text selected to remove bold, italic, color, and font changes in one step.
  • The Clear Formatting button in the Home tab does the same thing and works if you prefer clicking over keyboard shortcuts.
  • Clearing formatting removes direct changes you made but keeps styles applied by Word templates or your document structure.
  • Paste Special with the "Unformatted Text" option strips formatting when copying text from other documents or websites.

Using the Clear Formatting button in the ribbon

If you prefer not to use keyboard shortcuts, the Home tab in Word's ribbon has a button labeled Clear Formatting (it looks like an eraser). Select your text first, then click the button. It does exactly what Ctrl+Spacebar does — removes bold, italic, underline, font color, and font changes.

The button location varies slightly between Word versions. In Word 2019 and newer on Windows, look in the Home tab under the Font group on the left side. In Word on Mac, it is also in the Home tab but may be in a dropdown menu labeled "Clear" depending on your version. In Word Online, click Home, then look for the eraser icon in the formatting toolbar.

This method takes one extra click compared to the keyboard shortcut, but it is easier to remember if you do not use Word every day.

Clearing formatting when pasting from other sources

When you copy text from a website, email, or another document, Word often pastes it with the original formatting — colors, fonts, sizes, and styles you did not ask for. To paste only the text without any formatting, use Paste Special.

On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+V after copying the text you want to paste. A dialog box opens. Select Unformatted Text from the list and click OK. On Mac, press Command+Control+V instead. In Word Online, right-click where you want to paste, then choose Paste Special and select Keep Text Only.

This method is especially useful when combining text from multiple sources and you want everything to match your document's formatting instead of keeping each source's original look.

The difference between clearing formatting and clearing styles

Word distinguishes between direct formatting (changes you made by hand, like clicking the Bold button) and styles (pre-built formatting sets that Word applies to whole paragraphs or sections). Ctrl+Spacebar and the Clear Formatting button remove direct formatting only.

If your text is still styled after clearing formatting — for example, it is still in a larger font or a different color — that formatting came from a style, not from direct changes. To remove style formatting, select the text and click the Normal style in the Styles panel (or press Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows). This resets the text to your document's base style.

Understanding this difference matters when you inherit a document with heavy formatting and want to start over. Clearing formatting handles the obvious changes, but styles may still be controlling the look underneath.

Clearing formatting from an entire document at once

If you need to remove formatting from a whole document, select all text with Ctrl+A, then use Ctrl+Spacebar or the Clear Formatting button. This removes all direct formatting from every paragraph and line at once.

Be aware that this also removes formatting you may want to keep — like bold in headings or italics in emphasis. If you want to preserve some formatting, select only the sections you need to change instead of the whole document. A safer approach is to select one section at a time, clear it, then move to the next.

After clearing all formatting, your document will use only the styles defined in your template. If those styles do not match what you want, you can then explore new formatting or change the template styles themselves.

Clearing formatting in tables and lists

Clearing formatting works the same way inside tables and bulleted or numbered lists. Select the cells or list items you want to change, then press Ctrl+Spacebar or use the Clear Formatting button. The text loses its direct formatting but stays inside the table or list structure.

If you want to remove the table or list structure itself (not just the formatting), you need a different approach. For tables, select the table, right-click, and choose Delete Table. For lists, select the list items and click the bullet or numbering button in the Home tab to toggle it off. Clearing formatting alone will not remove the table or list — it only removes the visual styling of the text inside.

Why formatting sometimes does not clear

Occasionally you will clear formatting and the text still looks different. This usually means the formatting came from a style or from the document template, not from direct changes. Clearing formatting only removes what you applied by hand.

Another reason formatting may persist is if the text is inside a text box, header, footer, or comment. These containers sometimes have their own formatting rules that override document-wide changes. Select the text inside the container and clear formatting there specifically.

If clearing formatting does not work at all, try selecting the text again and using Paste Special to paste it as unformatted text into a new location in your document. This is a more aggressive method that removes all formatting without exception.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing formatting delete the text itself?

No. Clearing formatting removes only the visual styling — bold, italic, color, font changes — but leaves the words and sentences intact. Your text stays exactly where it is and says exactly what it said before.

Can I undo clearing formatting if I change my mind?

Yes. Press Ctrl+Z when ready after clearing formatting to undo the change. Word keeps an undo history, so you can step back through multiple actions if needed. If you have already saved the document, you cannot undo past the save point.

What is the difference between Ctrl+Spacebar and Ctrl+M?

Ctrl+Spacebar clears direct formatting (bold, italic, color, font). Ctrl+M removes paragraph indentation only — it does not touch font or text styling. Use Ctrl+Spacebar for most formatting removal and Ctrl+M only if you need to fix indentation.

Does clearing formatting work the same way in Word Online as in the desktop version?

Mostly yes. The Clear Formatting button is in the same place in both versions. Keyboard shortcuts work in Word Online, but Ctrl+Spacebar may not work in all browsers — if it does not, use the button instead. Paste Special also works in Word Online but may be in a slightly different menu location.

Can I clear formatting from multiple non-adjacent sections at once?

Yes. Hold Ctrl while clicking to select multiple separate sections of text, then press Ctrl+Spacebar or click Clear Formatting. Word will remove formatting from all selected sections even if they are not next to each other in the document.