What is Microsoft Word and How to Use it?

If you need to create a document, you probably consider the Microsoft Word application. This tool is useful for creating a wide variety of professional documents quickly and easily. In addition, today it is the most popular text editor in the world. This is because a part of the Microsoft Office Suite, installed on more than 1 billion devices worldwide with different operating systems.

In 1989, Microsoft Word 1.0 was released for Windows, it was one of the first text editors to offer a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface.

Due to ease of use and robust features, today it is a simple text editor for home and office. It is now also available for Mac, as well as a web version with an Office 365 subscription.

What is Microsoft Word?

It is a word processor, which means that it is an application that you use to “process” – format, manipulate, save, print, share a text-based document.

For both beginners and advanced users, Word is still the best word processor in the world. Its in-built features allow you to create visually appealing and effective documents quickly.

Microsoft Word also includes options like spell checker, grammar checker, text and font formatting, HTML support, image support, advanced page layout, and more. You can check your grammar and spelling, as well as the complexity of your writing.

The appearance of computers promoted the development of this word processor that facilitated the work of writing. The MS Word automated and improved the task of writing manuscripts since it allowed to review the writing as many times as necessary, edit it and reformulate it before the printing stage.

Features of Microsoft Word:

It allows the user to write texts, monographs, essays or articles, in a simple and orderly way.
It can be used with almost any operating system and is one of the most widely used word processors in the world.
Allows you to make documents that can be saved on the computer and printed.
It has different versions as it is frequently updated e.g. desktop version, a web version, and an application for mobile and tablets.
It uses text and graphic resources and allows you to interact with other programs of the Office Suite such as Excel (graphics and data from spreadsheets can be pasted into Word).

Microsoft Word Functionalities:

Letter Format: Allow you to choose between multiple fonts. Through the icons on the toolbar, you can adjust the size, highlight in bold, underline or italicize any paragraph, sentence, word, or character of the text.

Sheet Size: Allow you to configure the size of the sheet and its arrangement, either vertical or horizontal.

Cut, copy, and paste the text: By clicking the right button of the mouse, or using keyboard commands, a selected portion of the text can cut or copied, and pasted elsewhere in the document.

Allows you to insert images to accompany the text.
From the tool’s menu, it allows you to create explanatory tables to show data or statistics.
It allows you to create tables to capture information, you can also export a table already made in Microsoft Excel.
Check Spelling: It highlights in red or blue any types of grammar and syntax errors that it detects.

Character counter: Count the characters or words in the written document.

Lists: It allows making lists and numbering from the bullet option in the tools menu.

Header and footer: It allows adding at the top or bottom of the document, e.g. title, author names, or numbering.

Page number: Automatically number the pages of the document.

Paragraph format: Allow you to customize the text format through spacing, line spacing, paragraph marks, or indentation, which are on the toolbar in the paragraph section.

Footnotes: It allows adding additional information or data about some part of the text to the end of the page.

Change control: Records all corrections and changes made to the text.

To print: Let’s preview the document and print it.

Templates: Allow you to use preset layouts in which only the information is modified. There are templates for envelopes and labels.

Save: Allow you to save the document in different formats.

Assistant: It has an assistant who solves any doubts that may arise during the execution of the program.

How do you access Word on the computer?

Make sure the MS Word program is installed on the computer.
To Open Microsoft Word; double-click on the corresponding shortcut icon. It can be found in the Start menu> Microsoft Office folder > Word.
Begin with the writing of the brief.

What is Microsoft Word used for?

MS Word can be used to write different types of documents due to its many features and tools. This program has chosen by a large number of users because it is a fairly simple word processor. It is a part of the Microsoft Office Suite and installed on computers with different operating systems. With the use of this well-known application, you can create a variety of business, educational, and personal documents. Here is just an example of what is Microsoft Word used for?

For Business, Education, or Personal Use:

MS Word is a great tool for creating business, educational, and personal documents. Or you can start using professionally free and paid-designed templates. Using a professionally designed Envato Elements template ensures that you make the right impression. So, find templates to help you in the creation of the following great looking designed documents:

Letter
Report or paper
Proposal
Newsletter
Brochure
Directory
Poster
Flyer
Postcard
Mark
Banner
business card
Invoice
Receipt
Product packaging
Mailing label

For personal use, you can also find free as well as paid templates to help you to create professional documents. One way to use MS Word is to create gift certificates. There are also many personal ways to use Microsoft Word. Here are just a few:

Invitation card
Gift tag
Prescription card
Local card
Certificates

As you can see, Microsoft Word is very useful for both your personal and professional life!

Over the years, it has become more instinctive. Even if you’re just starting to use it, you can easily figure things out and navigate the simplest tasks.

By the way, it has many features for the advanced user. You don’t know those features and how to use them, you can skip things that can make your workflow much easier.

Consult the Microsoft Word user interface:

No matter which version you use, the user interface closed similar:

The Main Menu provides access to key command groups:

File
Home
Insert
Design
Layout
References
Mailings
Review
View
Help
Search box
Share

Click any of these items to reveal more detailed commands. For example, when you click File, you get the following options.

New
Open
Info
Save
Save as
History
Print
Share
Export
Close

You’ll then see Quick Access Toolbar lets you perform frequently-used tasks in Word with a single click. These include:

Save
Undo
Redo
You can customize which buttons appear on your Quick Access Toolbar.

Go to the next level with Microsoft Word templates:

If you want to take your documents to the next level without having a degree in graphic design yourself, then you can use a pre-designed template. The best templates are created by professional designers who make the biggest design decisions for you: fonts, colors, formatting, image layout, and more. All you need to do is add your own text and images customize formatting elements as you see fit, and have a professional-looking document.

For best results, use the highest quality Word template. They are specially designed to be customizable. They often come with the support of designers after the sale.

An excellent source of premium templates is Envato Elements. For a small monthly subscription, you get unlimited downloads of templates and other design elements you need, such as fonts, photos, and more.

Get an unlimited download of high-quality Word templates from Envato Elements.

For one-time projects, consider Word templates from Graphic River. Here you can access thousands of templates and other design tools, but for a fee.

How to get help and support from Microsoft Word:

It accesses powerful word processing tools. But more features mean more complexity. Fortunately, Microsoft provides a Help and Learning page. Here you will find training, access to the community of other users, and a way to get support.

The Microsoft Word Help and Learning page provides tutorials and access to technical support.

Good-looking, high-impact documents at your fingertips

You can create a document from scratch or speed up the process using a template. Subscribe to Envato Elements to download unlimited templates and other design ingredients. But if you need a template for single-use, Graphic River may be a better source for you.