Word vs Google Docs Shortcuts
A side-by-side comparison of keyboard shortcuts between Word (67 shortcuts) and Google Docs (28 shortcuts) on macOS. See how common actions map across both apps.
Shared Categories
These shortcut categories exist in both apps. Compare how the same actions are mapped to different key combinations.
Paragraph formatting
| Word | Action | Google Docs |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘ E | Center Align | — |
| ⌘ J | Justify | ⇧ ⌘ J |
| ⌘ L | Align Left | ⇧ ⌘ L |
| ⌘ R | Align Right | ⇧ ⌘ R |
| ⌃ ⇧ M | Indent Paragraph | — |
| ⇧ ⌘ M | Remove Indent | — |
| ⌘ T | Hanging Indent | — |
| ⇧ ⌘ T | Remove Hanging Indent | — |
Only in Word
Frequently used (16)
| ⌘ Z | Undo |
| ⌘ Y | Redo |
| ⌘ X | Cut |
| ⌘ C | Copy |
| ⌘ V | Paste |
Navigate (6)
| ⌥ ← | Move One Word Left |
| ⌥ → | Move One Word Right |
| ⌘ ↑ | Move Up One Paragraph |
| ⌘ ↓ | Move Down One Paragraph |
| ⌘ ← | Move to Line Start |
Edit text (8)
| ⌘ N | New Document |
| ⌘ O | Open Document |
| ⌘ S | Save |
| ⌥ ⌘ C | Copy Formatting |
| ⌥ ⌘ V | Paste Formatting |
Character formatting (13)
| ⌘ B | Bold |
| ⌘ I | Italic |
| ⌘ U | Underline |
| ⇧ ⌘ W | Underline Words Only |
| ⇧ ⌘ D | Double Underline |
Insert special characters (4)
| ⌘ F9 | Insert Empty Field |
| ⇧ Return | Insert Line Break |
| ⌘ Return | Insert Page Break |
| ⇧ ⌘ Return | Insert Column Break |
Review (2)
| ⌥ ⌘ A | Insert Comment |
| ⇧ ⌘ E | Track Changes |
Footnotes and endnotes (2)
| ⌥ ⌘ F | Insert Footnote |
| ⌥ ⌘ E | Insert Endnote |
Drawing (1)
| ⌃ ⌘ Z | Toggle Drawing Mode |
Only in Google Docs
Common actions (4)
| ⌘ K | Insert Link |
| ⌥ ⌘ M | Insert Comment |
| ⌘ F | Find |
| ⌘ H | Find And Replace |
Text formatting (9)
| ⌘ B | Bold |
| ⌘ I | Italic |
| ⌘ U | Underline |
| ⇧ ⌘ X | Strikethrough |
| ⌘ . | Superscript |
Heading styles (7)
| ⌥ ⌘ 0 | Normal Text |
| ⌥ ⌘ 1 | Heading1 |
| ⌥ ⌘ 2 | Heading2 |
| ⌥ ⌘ 3 | Heading3 |
| ⌥ ⌘ 4 | Heading4 |
Switching Between Word and Google Docs
Both Word and Google Docs are popular tools in the Microsoft Office category. When switching between them, the biggest challenge is re-learning keyboard shortcuts — actions you perform automatically in one app require conscious effort in the other.
The comparison above highlights where shortcuts overlap (making the transition easier) and where they differ (requiring new muscle memory). Focus on learning the differences first, since the shared shortcuts will transfer naturally.
For a complete shortcut reference, visit the full shortcut pages: