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How to Clear Formatting in Word

Remove formatting you don't want and get a clean file

By Tricia Goss Tricia Goss Writer Pima College Tricia Goss has been a writer and editor for 10+ years. She's written tips and tutorials for Microsoft Office applications and other sites. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 14, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Word Excel Powerpoint Outlook

What to Know

Method 1: Select the affected text. Go to the drop-down arrow at the bottom of the Styles box. Select Clear Formatting.Method 2: Select the affected text. Choose Clear All Formatting in the upper-right corner of the Font group on the Home tab. This article explains how to clear formatting in Word in a couple of ways in Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013 and Word 2010. It includes information on using a plain text editor to remove formatting.

How to Clear Formatting in Word Using Clear All Formatting

Adding formatting to text in a Microsoft Word document, such as bold, italics, or underlining, can add emphasis and clarity to the file. However, such formatting could also cause trouble in certain circumstances, such as when copying and pasting between documents. There are several ways to clear formatting in Word using its built-in tools or a plain text editor. Use the Clear Formatting option in the Styles group to clear the formatting of a section of text or the entire Word document. Select the text from which you want to remove formatting in Word. Use your mouse to highlight only part of the text or select all the text in the document by selecting anywhere inside the document and pressing Ctrl+A to highlight all the text. Select the drop-down arrow in the lower-right corner of the Styles box to expand the Styles menu. Select Clear Formatting. Any formatting applied to the selected text will be removed.

How to Clear Formatting in Word Using the Clear All Formatting Button

The same results can be achieved using a shortcut button on the ribbon. Clear formatting from any or all of the text in a document. Select the text from which you want to remove formatting in Word. Use your mouse to highlight only part of the text or select all the text in the document by selecting anywhere inside the document and pressing Ctrl+A to highlight all the text. Select Clear All Formatting in the upper-right corner of the Font group on the Home tab of the ribbon. It resembles an upper-case letter A with a pink rubber eraser in front of it. Any formatting applied to the selected text will be removed.

How to Clear Formatting in Word Using Notepad

Strip text of any formatting using a plain text editor, such as Notepad. This is beneficial if you've copied and pasted text from the internet or want to paste text from Word into an online content management system. Open the document with the text from which you want to clear formatting. Type "notepad" into the Windows Search box and press Enter. A new, blank Notepad file will open. Return to the Word document. Select the text from which you want to remove formatting in Word. Use your mouse to highlight only part of the text or select all the text in the document by selecting anywhere inside the document and pressing Ctrl+A to highlight all of it. Press Ctrl+C to copy the highlighted text. Alternatively, select Copy in the Clipboard group of the Home tab. Go back to the Notepad file. Select anywhere inside the window and press Ctrl+V to paste the text copied from Word. Alternatively, select Edit > Paste. Use the mouse to select the plain text in the Notepad file. Press Ctrl+C or select Edit > Copy to copy the text. Paste it back in Word or anywhere else you want to use it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Use Microsoft Word How to Add a Border in Google Docs How to Insert a PDF Into Word How to Make a Brochure in Microsoft Word How to Insert a Document in Word The 4 Best Free Text Editors for Windows & Mac How to Hyperlink in Word Documents How to Remove a Page Break in Word What Is a Text File? How to Convert a Word Document to JPG How to Insert Source Code Into a Word Document How to Insert Comments in Word How to Insert a Link in an Email With Mac OS X Mail How to Do Subscript in Word How to Add and Remove a Border From a Word Document How to Show the Ruler in Word Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies