How To Highlight Text In Word

Highlighting text in Microsoft Word is a simple yet effective way to draw attention to specific content in a document. Whether you’re emphasizing key points in an essay, marking important sections in a report, or just making your notes more visually organized, the highlight tool in Word is invaluable. Here’s a detailed guide on how to highlight text in Word.

1. Highlight Text Using the Highlight Tool

The highlight tool is the most straightforward way to emphasize text in Word.

1. Open the Word document and navigate to the text you want to highlight.
2. Select the text by clicking and dragging your mouse over it.
3. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon at the top of the screen.
4. In the Font group, locate the Text Highlight Color button, which looks like a marker icon.
5. Click the drop-down arrow next to the button to choose a highlight color.
6. Once the color is selected, click the Text Highlight Color button to apply the highlight to the selected text.

2. Highlight Text Before Typing

If you want to type highlighted text directly:

1. Click where you want to start typing in the document.
2. Go to the Home tab and click the Text Highlight Color button.
3. Choose a highlight color.
4. Start typing, and the text will appear with the selected highlight color.

3. Remove Highlighting

If you decide to remove the highlighting from certain text:

1. Select the highlighted text.
2. Go to the Home tab.
3. Click the Text Highlight Color button and choose No Color from the drop-down menu.
4. The highlight will be removed, leaving the text unchanged.

4. Highlight Non-Adjacent Text

Word allows you to highlight multiple sections of text that are not next to each other.

1. Hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Mac).
2. Use your mouse to select the different sections of text you want to highlight.
3. Go to the Home tab and choose a highlight color from the Text Highlight Color button.
4. The selected sections will all be highlighted in the chosen color.

5. Use the Highlight Tool as a Marker

The highlight tool can also work like a marker for continuous highlighting.

1. Go to the Home tab.
2. Click the Text Highlight Color button.
3. Instead of selecting text first, click and drag the cursor over the text you want to highlight.
4. The text will be highlighted as you drag, similar to using a physical highlighter.

6. Highlight Using the Search Tool

If you want to highlight all instances of a specific word or phrase:

1. Press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + H (Mac) to open the Find and Replace dialog box.
2. Type the word or phrase you want to find in the Find what field.
3. Click the Reading Highlight button and select Highlight All.
4. Word will highlight all occurrences of the specified text in the document.

7. Use Conditional Highlighting with Formatting Styles

For documents with a consistent structure, you can highlight text based on styles or specific formatting.

1. Go to the Home tab and click Styles.
2. Choose the style of the text you want to highlight (e.g., headings, quotes).
3. Modify the style settings by right-clicking and selecting Modify.
4. Add highlighting as part of the style. All text with that style will now include the highlight.

8. Highlight in Read-Only Documents

If the document is protected and cannot be edited:

1. Switch to Review mode by clicking the Review tab.
2. Use the Comment tool to add highlights or notes for sections you want to emphasize.

9. Save and Share Highlighted Documents

Once you’ve highlighted the text, save the document to ensure your changes are retained. You can also share the highlighted document via email or cloud services like OneDrive.

1. Click File > Save As and choose a location to save your file.
2. If sharing electronically, ensure the highlights are visible by previewing the file before sending.

10. Highlight for Printing

If you’re printing a document with highlights, ensure your printer settings support color printing. Highlighted text may appear in grayscale or not be visible if printed in black and white.

Also Read: How To Group Pictures In Microsoft Word