This tutorial shows how to find and replace text in Microsoft Word.
If you want to find and replace text with specific font formatting (e.g., boldness, italics), please see my previous tutorial “How to Find and Replace Font Formatting in Microsoft Word.”
Watch all the steps shown here in real time!
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The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.
Are you on a Mac? Please see “How to Find and Replace Text in Word for Mac.”
How to Find and Replace Text
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon.
- Select Replace in the Editing group.
- Type the text you want to find in the Find what text box in the Find and Replace dialog box.
- Type the replacement text into the Replace with text box.
- Select the More button to expand the dialog box.
- Select a direction option in the Search menu.
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- All searches the entire document.
- Down searches below your current cursor placement.
- Up searches above your current cursor placement.
- (Optional) Refine your search with additional options such as Match Case (i.e., lowercase and uppercase letters) and Find whole words only, which will prevent Word from finding words that are part of compounds, such as “sun” in “sunshine.”
- Select Find Next to find the next occurrence of the text. Once found, select Replace to make the replacement. (See step 10 for the Replace All option.)
- Select the OK button in the dialog box that appears at the end of the search.
- (Alternative to Find Next and Replace) Select Replace All to make all the replacements at once.
- Select OK in the dialog box reporting how many replacements were made.
- Select the Close button.
Pro Tip: Find and Replace Keyboard Shortcut
Press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + H to open the Find and Replace dialog box directly in the Replace tab.
Related Resources
How to Find and Replace Special Characters in Microsoft Word
How to Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color in Microsoft Word
Updated December 16, 2022