How to Find and Replace in Word
Learn how to use Microsoft Word's Find and Replace feature to quickly search for text, replace words, find formatting, and work with special characters.
Quick Answer
Press Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+H (Mac) to open Find and Replace. Enter your search text in "Find what" and replacement text in "Replace with," then click Replace All.
Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest)
Press the Shortcut
With your Word document open, press:
Ctrl + H
Command + H
Enter Your Text
In the Find and Replace dialog:
- • Find what: Type the text you want to find
- • Replace with: Type the replacement text (leave empty to delete)
Choose a Replace Option
Click one of the buttons:
- Replace:Replace the current match and move to the next
- Replace All:Replace every match in the document at once
- Find Next:Go to the next match without replacing
Pro Tip: Use Ctrl+F (or Command+F) if you only need to find text without replacing.
Method 2: Using the Ribbon Menu
Go to the Home Tab
Click the Home tab in the Word ribbon at the top of the screen.
Click Replace
In the Editing group on the far right, click Replace. On smaller screens, you may need to click the Editing dropdown first.
Use Find and Replace
The Find and Replace dialog opens. Enter your search and replacement text, then click Replace or Replace All.
Advanced Search Options
Click More >> in the Find and Replace dialog to reveal advanced options:
Match case
Only find text with exact capitalization. "Word" won't match "word" or "WORD".
Find whole words only
Only match complete words. "the" won't match "there" or "other".
Use wildcards
Enable pattern matching. Use * for any characters, ? for single character.
Sounds like (English)
Find words that sound similar. "their" matches "there" and "they're".
Find all word forms
Match different forms of a word. "run" finds "running", "ran", "runs".
Ignore punctuation
Match text regardless of punctuation marks within the search phrase.
Finding Special Characters
Click More >> then Special to find special characters. Common codes:
| Character | Code | Use For |
|---|---|---|
| Paragraph mark | ^p | Line breaks between paragraphs |
| Tab character | ^t | Tab stops |
| Manual line break | ^l | Shift+Enter line breaks |
| Page break | ^m | Manual page breaks |
| Any character | ^? | Wildcard for any single character |
| Non-breaking space | ^s | Spaces that don't break lines |
Example: To replace double paragraph marks with single ones (remove extra blank lines), find ^p^p and replace with ^p.
Finding and Replacing Formatting
You can find and replace text formatting like fonts, styles, and colors:
Open Advanced Options
In the Find and Replace dialog, click More >> to expand options.
Click in Find What Field
Place your cursor in the "Find what" field, then click the Format button at the bottom.
Select Formatting to Find
Choose from Font, Paragraph, Style, or other formatting options. Select the specific formatting you want to find.
Set Replacement Formatting
Click in "Replace with" field and use Format again to set the new formatting. Leave the text fields empty to only change formatting.
Example: To change all bold text to italic, leave both text fields empty. Set Find format to Bold and Replace format to Italic, then click Replace All.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the keyboard shortcut for Find and Replace in Word?
Press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+H on Mac to open Find and Replace. For Find only, use Ctrl+F (Windows) or Command+F (Mac).
Can I find and replace formatting in Word?
Yes, click the "More >>" button in Find and Replace, then use the "Format" button to search for specific formatting like fonts, styles, or paragraph settings.
How do I replace special characters in Word?
Click "More >>" then "Special" to find special characters like paragraph marks (^p), tab characters (^t), line breaks (^l), and more.
Can I undo a Replace All in Word?
Yes, immediately press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) to undo. Word treats Replace All as a single action that can be undone.
How do I delete text using Find and Replace?
Enter the text you want to delete in "Find what" and leave "Replace with" completely empty. Click Replace All to remove all instances.
Why isn't Find and Replace finding my text?
Check if "Match case" is enabled when it shouldn't be. Also verify you're searching the entire document (not just a selection) and that there are no extra spaces or formatting in your search term.