Need a synonym (same meaning, different word)? Position your cursor inside the offending word and hit SHIFT-F7. You’ll sound so literate!

Make a mistake? Instead of pulling down the Edit menu to hit “undo,” simply hit Ctrl-Z. This shortcut works in other programs as well.

When copying and pasting text, I usually choose “Paste Special” from the Edit menu (instead of plain old “paste”) and then choose “Unformatted text.” That way, the new text inherits the formating of the text around it. Less cleanup!

Above the vertical scroll bar (right above the up button), you will see a small rectangle. Grab it and drag it down to open “another” window in the same document. Excellent for comparing two sections in the same file!

Your teacher says to write a 500 word essay. Instead of hand-counting those words, let Microsoft Word help. In Word 2003, simply right-click on any Word toolbar and choose “Word Count.” In Word 2007, click the Review menu item, and then click “Word Count” in the “Proofing” box. It will let you know when you’ve met the “minimum requirements” of the assignment!

Need a quick English-to-Spanish (or vice-versa) translation of a document? In the newest version of Word, pull down the Review menu and choose Translate. Nifty!

To quickly center a line or paragraph, hit Ctrl-E. It’s much faster than using the toolbar button.

To continue searching a document for the same word or phrase already used, hit Shift-F4. It’s much faster than continually opening the Find/Replace dialog box!

In Word 2003, right click on any of the Toolbars and choose the Word Count toolbar. Dock this handy counter to let you know when your school paper meets your teacher’s “size” requirements To see this option in Word 2010, click the Reference tab and then choose “Word Count” under the proofing section.

Need a Watermark in Word? Pull down the Format menu, click Background, and then choose “Printed Watermark” at the bottom of the list. If you are using Word 2007 or higher, click “Page Layout” and then “Watermark.”