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If you want to insert an indent in Word, you can either choose the automatic replacement or the manual variant. The indent gives your document a professional and stylish touch.
Manually inserting the indent in Word
The manual method is particularly useful if you want to insert an indent at a specific point. Microsoft Word offers several options for doing this:
- Using the keyboard: Use the following keyboard shortcut to quickly insert an indent: Windows: Ctrl + minus (on the numeric keypad). Mac: Alt + hyphen. Note: On laptops without a separate numeric keypad, the combination may vary. Alternatively, you can customize the function keys in System Preferences.
- Using the toolbar: In Word, go to the menu bar on Insert. Then click Symbol and then on More Symbols. Finally, select the indent (Unicode: 2013) from the list and click Insert.
- Using the ASCII code: Enter the ASCII code for the dash by pressing and holding the Alt key on Windows while typing 0150.
Use Word’s auto-substitution
Microsoft Word can make your work easier by automatically converting certain characters into a dash. This function is activated by default, but can also be customized if necessary:
- Automatic conversion by input: If you enter two hyphens (–) in a sentence directly after each other and then insert a space, Word will automatically convert them into an indent.
- Example: Input: This is a test — an indent. Result: This is a test – an indent.
- Customize settings for auto-correction: If the auto-correction doesn’t work, you can check the settings: Open Word and go to File → Options → Document check → AutoCorrect options. In the AutoFormat tab, activate the option Replace hyphens (–) with em dashes.
- Tip: Create your own abbreviation for the dash: Under AutoCorrect options, you can define your own abbreviation, e.g. -gd, which is automatically converted into a dash.
