How to Indent in Word

While writing, it is important to use indents before the start of a new paragraph. This keeps it looking nicely formatted. This wikiHow teaches you different ways to indent paragraphs in Microsoft Word.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Indenting a Sentence

  1. Image titled Indent in Word Step 1
    1
    Open your document in Microsoft Word. You can do this by double-clicking the file on your computer.
  2. Image titled Indent in Word Step 2
    2
    Press Tab ↹ on the keyboard. This inserts a standard indent, which is 0.5” wide.[1]
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  3. Image titled Indent in Word Step 3
    3
    Type your sentence. Once you reach the end of the line, Word will automatically arrange your text so that only the first line contains that 0.5” space.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Indenting an Entire Paragraph

  1. Image titled Indent in Word Step 4
    1
    Open your document in Microsoft Word. You can do this by double-clicking the file on your computer.
  2. Image titled Indent in Word Step 5
    2
    Highlight an entire paragraph. To do this, click the mouse before the first word, then drag the cursor (don’t let go of the button!) all the way to the end. When you lift your finger from the button, the paragraph should appear highlighted in blue.
  3. Image titled Indent in Word Step 6
    3
    Press Tab ↹ on the keyboard. The entire selected paragraph will move 0.5” to the right.
    • To move the paragraph another 0.5”, press Tab ↹ again.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using a Hanging Indent

  1. Image titled Indent in Word Step 7
    1
    Open your document in Microsoft Word. You can do this by double-clicking the file on your computer.
    • A hanging indent indents the second line of a paragraph instead of the first. This type of indent is most often used in bibliographies and reference pages.
  2. Image titled Indent in Word Step 8
    2
    Highlight an entire paragraph. To do this, click the mouse before the first word, then drag the cursor (don’t let go of the button!) all the way to the end. When you lift your finger from the button, the paragraph should appear highlighted in blue.
  3. Image titled Indent in Word Step 9
    3
    Right-click the highlighted area. A pop-up will appear.
  4. Image titled Indent in Word Step 10
    4
    Click Paragraph….
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    5
    Click the drop-down menu under “Special.” It’s in the “Indentation” section.
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    6
    Select Hanging.
  7. Image titled Indent in Word Step 13
    7
    Click OK. The second line in the paragraph will move 0.5” inward.
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References

  1. ↑ http://www.owled.com/apa1.html

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 89,925 times.
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Co-authors: 5
Updated: September 9, 2022
Views: 89,925
Categories: Microsoft Word
Article SummaryX

Press the Tab key before the first word of a sentence to indent the line.
To indent an entire paragraph, highlight the text, then press Tab.

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