Elain Brown Tech 06.21.2022 19:Jun PM EDT

10 Things to Know About the Things You Can Do on Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word has always been a very helpful tool commonly used for work and school.

The products of Microsoft Office have provided us with a lot of products to be used for different tasks and needs.

The software developed by Microsoft continues to be the tool of choice for a lot of us. Even for those with no prior experience with computers, Microsoft Word is an easy program to use because it is supported by the robust Microsoft Office software.

Microsoft Office was launched in 1998, and it has been more than two decades since its first version was publicly released. The computing company has come a long way in continuously supporting, improving, and upgrading Microsoft Word and its other products. Here are some of the useful features of Microsoft Word that only some use:

Microsoft Word

Voice Dictation

In MS Word, the software has a feature wherein it will type text while you speak. You can avoid having to type out your words on the keyboard by using this feature, which allows you to use the speech-to-text feature to speak out your words rather than typing them.

As long as you have a subscription to Microsoft 365, the feature should work on devices running MacOS, Windows 10, and even iOS and Android. This would be helpful to those who are injured or disabled. Or even if you just feel tired or lazy, this feature will surely give you a helping hand.

Audio Transcription

This feature is also available in the Microsoft 365 subscription for Word. According to DigitalTrends, you can convert your recorded interviews into actual words that appear on the screen if you open Word on the web. This saves you from having to manually type everything out yourself.

You also have the option to begin recording. After that, Word will work its magic in the background to generate a full transcript, which will be displayed in the sidebar. You have the option of clicking on the transcript to make changes to it or copying it into your primary document.

Translation

Microsoft Word can also be used in translation. If there are instances wherein you need to type text in a different language or dialect that you do not understand, you will not need to Google Translate each and every word to piece your writing together.

If you are using Word, which is part of Microsoft 365, Word will automatically make an offer to translate your document for you. You can also translate phrases into the languages of other countries. To use the feature, all you need to do is check if you enabled this feature in your Microsoft 365 and go to the options in the Review tab.

Highlighting the Square Field of Text

This feature is definitely underrated, and some users just do not know that they can do this in Word. According to PCMag, you can create a highlight effect in the center page of your document.

If you click and drag your mouse while holding down the Alt key in Windows or the Option key on a Mac, you will be able to draw a box within the document that will highlight all of the characters that are contained within that box.

Highlight a Sentence With a Click

A lot of users might not utilize this, but highlighting could also be very useful when studying. Apparently, Word has a feature that will enable you to quickly highlight an entire sentence; simply click at the beginning of the sentence while holding down the control key on Windows or the command key on a Mac.

Calculator

Do you wonder how our teachers were able to translate those mathematical problems in our test papers? Microsoft Word has a built-in calculator for that. You can use the integrated calculator in Microsoft Word to help you solve equations while you are working on your document.

To begin with, add it to the Word menu by going to the File menu, clicking Options, selecting Quick Access Toolbar, and then selecting All Commands from the drop-down menu that appears.

Equations

With Word, you can insert a variety of well-known equations with just the click of a button. The Equation Editor has always been regarded as an essential component of Microsoft Word's overall functionality.

You can insert complicated mathematical equations into Word. Just click the Insert function, then tap Equation, and then select or add the equation you want.

After it has been inserted into your document, you are free to change the formatting or change the letters to numbers at your choice. This would be very useful when trying to write physics, chemistry, and mathematics-related equations.

PDF or HTML Files

Your document can be easily converted to a PDF or an HTML file by using Word. You just need to click "save as." Then a menu of different options to choose from will be displayed. From there, saving your Word document to PDF or HTML will be possible.

Take note that the Web Page function may incorporate a significant amount of additional code. This won't necessarily have an effect on the page, but if you need to make any changes, it could make things a little more complicated.

Inspect Your Document

Another Word feature that a lot of people are not familiar with is its ability to inspect your document. According to MUO, you have the ability to check your documents in Word using the Document Inspector for any information that you wish to keep confidential.

Before you share a document with others, the Document Inspector can assist you in removing this kind of information. Some information about the user is automatically appended to the file whenever a document is created, edited, or even just modified.

Resume Assistant

Last on our list is the feature called Resume Assistant. Microsoft Word tailored this feature to users who are looking for help in making their resume. You can use Word to get some ideas on how to type your resume, and then you can modify it so that it stands out from the other applicants' resumes.

You can activate the Resume Assistant by going to the Review tab, then selecting Resume Assistant from the drop-down menu that appears.