How to Use Microsoft Word (10 Core Skills for Beginners)

Do you want to learn how to use Microsoft Word quickly? This tutorial teaches ten core skills for beginners.

Table of Contents

1. How to Start a New Document
2. How to Change the Font, Size, and Color
3. How to Change the Alignment, Line Spacing, and Indentations
4. How to Add Headings
5. How to Change the Margins
6. How to Add Images
7. How to Add Page Numbers
8. How to Add Headers and Footers
9. How to Run the Editor (Spelling and Grammar Check)
10. How to Save and Print Your File

Please note that this is a quick start guide. I have in-depth tutorials for most of these topics for those who would like to learn more.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps are similar in Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016.

We will cover these ten core skills in Word for Mac in a separate tutorial.

How to Start a New Document

1. Open Word on your computer.

When Word opens, you will be in the Home screen of the Backstage view.

2. Select Blank document to start a new document. (Alternatively, select Open if you want to open an existing Word document.)

When the new document opens, you will be in the Home tab and your cursor will automatically be placed towards the top, left-hand corner of the page, ready to type.

How to Change the Font, Size, and Color

You can change the font, size, and color before or after you type text. However, if you want to change existing text, first left-click, hold, and drag with your mouse to select the text.

1. Select the Home tab if you are not already there (see figure 2).
2. Select the menu arrow to open and choose from the (A) Font, (B) Font Size, or (C) Font Color menus in the Font group in the ribbon.

If you selected existing text, that text will change immediately. If you haven’t selected existing text, all new text will feature the choices you just made.

Further Reading: How to Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color in Microsoft Word

How to Change the Alignment, Line Spacing, and Indentations

Like the font choices shown above, you can change the alignment, line spacing, and indentations before or after you type text. However, if you want to change existing text, first left-click, hold, and drag with your mouse to select the text.

1. Select the Home tab, if you are not already there (see figure 2).
2. Select the Align Left, Center, Align Right, or Justify button to position the text on the page.

3. Select the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu arrow and then choose a spacing option from the drop-down menu.

4. Select the Decrease Indent or Increase Indent buttons to adjust the indent as necessary.

Further Reading: How to Adjust Line Spacing in Microsoft Word and Three Ways to Indent Paragraphs in Microsoft Word

How to Add Headings

You can turn existing text into a heading or choose a heading level before typing the heading text.

1. Select the Home tab if you are not already there (see figure 2).
2. Select a heading level from the Styles group.

3. If the heading level you want isn’t visible, select the More button.

4. Select a heading level from the menu that appears over the Styles group.

Further Reading: How to Create and Customize Headings in Microsoft Word

How to Change the Margins

You can change the page margins for your entire Word document at once.

1. Select the Layout tab in the ribbon.

2. Select the Margins button and then select an option from the drop-down menu.

Further Reading: How to Adjust the Page Margins in Microsoft Word

How to Add Images

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert the image.
2. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon, select the Pictures button, and then select the location of the image:

• • This Device lets you choose an image stored on your computer or network server.
  • Stock Images lets you choose stock images, icons, cutout people, stickers, and illustrations. The full stock image library is only available to users signed into Word for Microsoft 365.
  • Online Pictures lets you search for images through Bing, Microsoft’s search engine.

For this tutorial, we will insert an image stored on the device.

3. (For “This Device” option only) Locate and select the image in the Insert Picture dialog box and then select the Insert button.

Your image should now appear in your Word document.

4. (Optional) Select one of the resizing handles and then drag the image to a new size.

5. (Optional) Select the Layout Options button and then choose how the image is positioned with the surrounding text:

A. In Line with Text

B. Square

C. Tight

D. Through

E. Top and Bottom

F. Behind Text

G. In Front of Text

The effect of each option will depend on the size of your image and the density of your text. So, you may need to experiment with several options to find the one most suited to your content.

Further Reading: How to Insert and Modify Images in Microsoft Word

How to Add Page Numbers

1. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 13).
2. Select the Page Number button and then select a location from the drop-down menu, followed by a design from the submenu.

3. Select the Close button to close the Header and Footer tab. (This tab only appears when the Header and Footers areas are active.)

Further Reading: How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word

How to Add Headers and Footers

1. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 13).
2. Select the Header or Footer button and then select a design from the drop-down menu.

3. Type your text into the placeholders.

4. Select the Close button to close the Header and Footer tab (see figure 18).

Further Reading: How to Insert Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word

How to Run the Editor (Spelling and Grammar Check)

In Word for Microsoft 365, the spelling and grammar check is called the Editor. Your spelling and grammar options will depend on which version of Word you are using. Therefore, your interface may look different than the images shown below.

1. Select the Review tab in the ribbon and then select the Editor button. (Older versions of Word will have a Check Document button, instead.)

2. Select the corrections or refinements category you want to review in the Editor pane.

3. If Word finds a possible error, select a recommendation or select Ignore Once or Ignore All.

Word will automatically move to the next issue within the category.

4. Select a new category or select the closing X to close the Editor.

What Is the Difference between the Editor Button and the Spelling and Grammar Button?

You may notice a Spelling and Grammar button next to the Editor button in the Review tab. This button provides a quick way to check only spelling or spelling and grammar without checking the additional refinements reviewed by the Editor.

Further Reading: How to Use the Editor in Word for Microsoft 365

How to Save and Print Your File

I recommend saving your file before printing just in case there is a disruption during the printing process.

1. Select the File tab in the ribbon.

2. Select the Save tab in the Backstage view.

3. Select the location where you want to save the File.

4. Type a name in the File Name text box and then select the Save button.

5. Once you have saved your document to a specific location, you can then select the Save icon if you make changes to the document later.

6. To print, reselect the File tab (see figure 26) and then select the Print tab in the Backstage view.

7. Ensure the correct printer is selected and turned on, enter the number of copies into the text box, and then select the Print button.

From there, follow any additional dialog boxes provided by your printer.