The basic ways to change text after you've written it
Modifying text means changing what you've already written — making it bold, italic, underlined, a different size, a different color, or moving it to a new place. Most programs do this the same way: select the text first, then explore the change. You select by clicking at the start of the text, holding the mouse button, and dragging to the end. On a keyboard, you can hold Shift and use the arrow keys to select word by word or line by line.
Once text is selected (it will appear highlighted in blue or another color), you can explore formatting. The toolbar at the top of your program shows buttons for the most common changes — bold, italic, underline. You can also use keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+B for bold, Ctrl+I for italic, Ctrl+U for underline on Windows, or Cmd+B, Cmd+I, Cmd+U on Mac. These shortcuts work in almost every program that handles text.
You can also delete selected text by pressing Delete or Backspace, or replace it by typing new text while it's selected — the new text will overwrite the old. This is faster than deleting first and then typing.
Key Takeaways
- Select text by clicking and dragging, or by holding Shift and using arrow keys, before making any change to it.
- Bold, italic, and underline use the same keyboard shortcuts across nearly all programs: Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+U on Windows or Cmd+B, Cmd+I, Cmd+U on Mac.
- You can change font size, color, and alignment from the toolbar or Format menu without selecting text first if you position your cursor where you want the change to start.
- Find and Replace (Ctrl+H or Cmd+H) lets you change the same word or phrase throughout a document at once instead of editing each instance separately.
- Undo (Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z) reverses your last change, and you can undo multiple times to go back several steps.
Changing font size, color, and style
The toolbar usually shows a dropdown menu for font size — it might say "12" or "11" by default. Click it to see options like 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and larger. Select your text first, then click the size you want. The same applies to font choice: there's usually a dropdown that says "Arial" or "Calibri" or another name. Different fonts look different on screen and in print, and some are easier to read than others. Sans-serif fonts like Arial and Helvetica have no decorative lines; serif fonts like Times New Roman have small lines at the ends of letters.
To change text color, look for a button with an "A" and a colored bar underneath, usually near the font size dropdown. Click the small arrow next to it to open a color palette. Select your text first, then pick the color. Most programs also let you highlight text with a background color — look for a marker or highlighter icon in the toolbar.
If you want to change multiple things at once — size and color and style together — you can do that. Select the text, then make each change in order. The text will keep all the changes you explore.
Using Find and Replace to change text throughout a document
If you've used the same word or phrase many times and want to change it everywhere at once, use Find and Replace. Press Ctrl+H on Windows or Cmd+H on Mac, or go to the Edit menu and click "Find and Replace." A dialog box will open with two fields: one for the text you want to find, and one for what you want to replace it with.
Type the word or phrase you want to change in the "Find" field. Type the new version in the "Replace" field. You can then click "Replace All" to change every instance at once, or click "Replace" one at a time if you want to check each one before it changes. This is much faster than scrolling through a long document and editing each one by hand.
Be careful with Find and Replace on short words — if you search for "the" and replace it with "that," you'll change "the" inside other words too, turning "weather" into "weathat." Most programs let you check a box for "Match whole words only" to avoid this problem.
Moving and copying text
To move text from one place to another, select it, then cut it using Ctrl+X on Windows or Cmd+X on Mac. The text will disappear. Click where you want it to go and paste it using Ctrl+V on Windows or Cmd+V on Mac. The text will appear in the new location.
To copy text instead of moving it — so the original stays where it is — select it and press Ctrl+C on Windows or Cmd+C on Mac. Then click where you want the copy to go and paste it. You can paste the same copied text multiple times in different places.
You can also select text and drag it to a new location with your mouse, though this works better in some programs than others. If dragging doesn't work the way you expect, use cut and paste instead — it's more reliable.
Undoing changes and fixing mistakes
If you make a change you didn't mean to make, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Cmd+Z on Mac to undo it. The change will reverse and your text will go back to how it was. You can press Ctrl+Z multiple times to undo several changes in a row, going back step by step.
Most programs also have a Redo button (usually next to the Undo button in the toolbar) or you can press Ctrl+Y on Windows or Cmd+Y on Mac. This re-applies the change you just undid, in case you changed your mind. Undo and Redo let you experiment without worry — you can always go back.
Some programs keep a history of all your changes. In Microsoft Word, you can click the arrow next to the Undo button to see a list of recent changes and click on one to undo back to that point. Google Docs shows a version history where you can see who changed what and when, and you can restore an older version of the document if you need to.
Removing formatting and starting fresh
Sometimes text gets formatted in ways you don't want — maybe it's bold and italic and a weird color, and you just want it plain. Select the text and look for a "Clear Formatting" button in the toolbar, or press Ctrl+M on Windows (in some programs). This removes all formatting and returns the text to the default style.
If you want to remove just one type of formatting — say, make bold text not bold — select the text and press Ctrl+B again. Pressing the same shortcut twice toggles the formatting off. The same works for italic (Ctrl+I) and underline (Ctrl+U).
In some programs, you can select text and use the Format menu to access more detailed options. You might see choices like "Remove Direct Formatting" or "Reset to Default Style," which do the same thing as the Clear Formatting button.
Working with special characters and symbols
If you need to type a character that's not on your keyboard — like © or € or ñ — most programs have an Insert menu with a Symbol or Special Character option. Click it to open a dialog showing available characters. You can search by name or scroll through categories. Click the character you want and it will be inserted at your cursor.
On Windows, you can also hold Alt and type a number code on the numeric keypad to insert a symbol. For example, Alt+0169 gives you ©. On Mac, you hold Option and press a key combination — Option+G gives you ©. These codes vary by character, so you may need to look them up.
If you use certain symbols often, you can create a shortcut. In Microsoft Word, go to Insert > Symbol, find your character, and click "AutoCorrect." You can then type a short code (like :c:) and Word will automatically replace it with the symbol.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I select all the text in a document at once?
Press Ctrl+A on Windows or Cmd+A on Mac. All the text in the document will be highlighted. You can then explore formatting to everything, or delete it, or copy it. This is useful when you want to change the font or size for an entire document.
Can I undo changes after I've closed and reopened a document?
Usually no — once you close a document, the undo history is cleared. However, some programs like Google Docs and Microsoft Word Online keep a version history, so you can restore an older version of the document. Check your program's File menu for "Version History" or "Revision History."
What's the difference between deleting text and using backspace?
They do the same thing — both remove text. Backspace deletes the character to the left of your cursor, and Delete removes the character to the right. If you have text selected, both will delete the entire selection. Use whichever is more convenient for where your cursor is.
How do I change the spacing between lines of text?
Select the text or paragraph you want to change, then go to the Format menu and look for "Line Spacing" or "Paragraph." You'll see options like Single, 1.5, or Double. Click the one you want. Double spacing is often used for drafts and editing because it's easier to read and leaves room for handwritten notes.
Can I modify text in an email the same way as in a document?
Yes — Gmail, Outlook, and most email programs have the same bold, italic, and underline buttons in the compose window. Select text and click the button, or use the keyboard shortcuts. However, some email programs have fewer formatting options than word processors, and some recipients may not see the formatting if they use older email clients.