Word is a part of Microsoft (MS) Office package and is one of the most popular word processing tools. People use MS Word to create several documents ranging from proposals, reports to articles etc.

However, despite its popularity, only a few people know how to use this powerful tool to its full capability. In this article, we have listed 10 lesser-known MS Word features that you should know about. Here we go…

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Also Read: 10 Important Excel Functions That Can Make Work Easier

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1. Know Your Readability Statistics: If you have ever been interested in the readability level of your writing then you are going to love this hidden feature. Word has the power to not only correct your grammar and spelling, but also your writing’s complexity. For e.g. what an experienced employee considers readable is different from what a fresher does. What is readable to me might not be readable for you.

In order to use the feature, you will first have to turn it on by navigating to File > Options > Proofing > Show readability statistics

Now, whenever you will click on, Review > Spelling & Grammar you will be able to see readability statistics

You may also like to know,

Flesch Reading Ease: It is a way to score the readability of text. The scores range between 1 and 100, with higher scores deemed easier to read.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: It is based on the average number of syllables per word and the average number of words per sentence. This score indicates a grade school level. For example, a score of 6 means that a sixth-grader can understand the document.

2. Highlight a Square Field of Text: If you want to pick a certain area on a document, say, you want to select text in a shape of a square field, hold the Alt key in Windows, while you click and drag your mouse. You will be able to draw a box within the document that will highlight all the characters in that box. Now you can simply give it any color to highlight as important.

3. Add a Calculator to Word: What if you are drafting a document in Word, and you might need to do a few rapid calculations. Sure, you could open a separate calculator, but wouldn’t be easier if you could just get a quick answer right within the Word document? Well it is possible; you can add a calculator to Microsoft Word.

In order to use the feature, you need to click on File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar and select ‘All Commands’ from the drop-down menu > Locate Calculate > Click Add to move it to the Quick Access Toolbar column.

Now, select your calculation numbers and click on the circle mentioned in the below screenshot. You will be able to see answer at the bottom left of the screen.

4. Show Hidden Characters: The symbols that Microsoft now calls “formatting marks” were previously referred to as “nonprinting characters.” By either name, they are characters that take up space or have a formatting function but do not appear on the printed page: spaces, tab characters and paragraph breaks.

In order to use this feature, you need to click on Press Ctrl-Shift-8

5. Beautify Fonts with Kerning: Kerning refers to the “spacing between characters in a proportional font.” Therefore, when using kerning with letters, punctuation, and symbols fit together nicely, you will see less space between them. A good example of this would be the upper case letters T and Y. When those letters are close together, they can run into each other: TY. Kerning will apply a bit of extra space between them.

In order to use the feature, you need to press Ctrl + D > Go to the Advanced tab > Select the checkbox for Kerning for fonts.

6. Translate Languages on the Go: If you are looking to translate your entire Word document or certain text or parts of it, you can take advantage of a Word feature that translates only the selected word or text block or entire document. The good part of this Word feature is that it will not overwrite your original document. It stays as-is, while Word creates a new document for your translated version. This makes sure you preserve the original file.

In order to use the feature, you need to click on, Translate tab that appears on the right and you can choose and change languages > Use sidebar to highlight each word and explore their meaning in full.

7. Save Your Work Automatically: Auto Recover is a feature in Microsoft Word that automatically saves the document you are working on at certain intervals. This allows you to recover the document if your PC malfunctions in the middle of your work.

In order to use the feature, you need to go to File > Options > Save. Check that the AutoSave box is ticked.

8. Add a watermark to your document: If you need to make something very clear about a document, adding a watermark to it is an excellent way to do.

In order to use the feature, you need to click on, “Design” tab > “Watermark” button > On the drop-down menu, click any of the built-in watermarks to insert it into your document > Word places the watermark behind the text.

9. Auto-Update Date & Time: Microsoft Word enables you to create documents for your business or personal use. When typing a letter, you may want to add the date so you and the recipient know when it was written. If you make changes to the document later, you normally need to update the date manually. You can avoid this inconvenience by setting Word to automatically update the date and time whenever you open the document.

In order to use the feature you need to, Select the Insert tab > Select Date & Time located within the Insert tab > Select a Date and Time format from the available list > Ensure that the Update Automatically box is checked.

10. Protect Your Document: You can protect a document from being viewed by an unauthorized user, by using a password, which combine upper, and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

In order to use the feature, you need to click on, File > Info > Protect Document

Conclusion:

Improving efficiency through unexplored features will make us all more productive in our routine. We hope some of these feature will have a positive impact on your daily activities! Did you find this useful? Stay tuned to our blog for more such useful tips.