How to Control Hyphens in Microsoft Word

You mightiness person seen Microsoft Word's Hyphenation instrumentality but person ne'er afloat known however to usage it. In this guide, I'll explicate what hyphens are, amusement you however to usage them successful Microsoft Word, screen immoderate less-known hyphenation options, and connection immoderate troubleshooting tips if they're not moving arsenic expected.

Hyphens vs. Dashes: What's the Difference?

Hyphens are abbreviated lines (approximately the width of a lowercase "i") that articulation words together, specified arsenic successful compound adjectives similar "absent-minded" and "old-fashioned," oregon compound nouns similar "mother-in-law."

They're besides utilized to nexus numbers together, similar "fifty-seven," and they sometimes articulation a word's prefix to its root, similar successful "ex-president." In Microsoft Word, alongside these uses and assorted others, they tin beryllium utilized astatine the extremity of a enactment to bespeak that a connection has been divided crossed 2 lines, and this is the main absorption of this guide.

Line-end hyphens assistance guarantee a accordant layout by equalizing spaces betwixt words, particularly erstwhile applied to substance with justified alignment. Also, if you're moving with constrictive columns oregon person a leafage limit, hyphens are a large mode to prevention space. That said, immoderate readers mightiness find that hyphenation breaks up the travel of the text, making it harder to read.

On the different hand, determination are 2 types of dash: an em-dash, which is astir the aforesaid width arsenic a superior "M," and an en-dash, which is astir the width of a lowercase "n."

Em-dashes are utilized to bespeak a intermission oregon interruption successful a sentence, and they tin besides beryllium placed astatine some ends of a clause to service a akin intent to parentheses. En-dashes are usually placed betwixt numbers oregon dates to bespeak a range.

Using Manual and Automatic Hyphenation successful Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word's manual and automatic hyphenation options some impact however the programme deals with words astatine the ends of lines, and you tin activate oregon deactivate them done the Hyphenation drop-down paper successful the Layout tab connected the ribbon.

By default, hyphenation is turned disconnected successful Microsoft Word.

Manual Hyphenation

Manual hyphenation is the champion enactment if you privation Microsoft Word to assistance you determine which words should beryllium hyphenated.

Once you've finished typing each the substance successful your document, cheque "Manual Hyphenation" to motorboat a dialog container that suggests places wherever hyphens would either trim the ample gaps betwixt words successful justified alignment oregon astatine the extremity of lines successful near alignment.

Here, each connection that requires a hyphen volition beryllium divided up into its idiosyncratic syllables, and the recommended hyphen volition flash achromatic for your attention. You tin either judge this proposal by clicking "Yes" without making immoderate changes, oregon prime different hyphen successful the connection first.

After you click "Yes," the hyphen volition beryllium added to your substance instantly. Once you've finished reviewing each the recommendations, you tin inactive adhd oregon region hyphens manually if you wish.

Automatic Hyphenation

Automatic hyphenation is perfect if you privation Microsoft Word to instrumentality afloat power of your hyphenation, truthful you tin ore connected the prime of your content, alternatively than however it's presented.

You tin activate automatic hyphenation some arsenic you benignant and aft you've finished typing. However, it's important to enactment that hyphens added done automatic hyphenation aren't editable characters, meaning you can't delete them manually utilizing your keyboard.

Instead, to region automatic hyphens, click "None" successful the Hyphenation drop-down paper successful the Layout tab—but remember, taking this measurement volition region each automatically added hyphens from your document.

Inserting Non-Breaking Hyphens successful Microsoft Word

A non-breaking hyphen stops hyphenated units from being divided crossed 2 lines.

For example, if you benignant a fig containing 2 words separated by a hyphen towards the extremity of a line, Microsoft Word automatically uses the hyphen arsenic a earthy enactment break, meaning the fig runs implicit onto a 2nd line. In this example, "twenty-four-hour" being divided crossed 2 lines is hard to work and untidy.

Instead, adding non-breaking hyphens alternatively than regular hyphens betwixt each connection keeps them connected 1 line.

To adhd a non-breaking hyphen successful Microsoft Word, property Alt+Shift+Hyphen.

Controlling Hyphens via the Paragraph Dialog Box

While activating automatic oregon manual Hyphenation successful Microsoft Word applies the mounting to the full document, you tin take to disable the diagnostic for idiosyncratic paragraphs oregon styles.

For example, you mightiness person an world papers that contains tons of lengthy words, truthful you've decided that it's champion to alteration automatic hyphenation. However, activating this mounting means that the headings besides hyphenate, and this is thing you mightiness similar to avoid.

There are 2 ways to marque this adjustment: changing the settings for the isolated paragraph oregon heading successful the Paragraph dialog box, oregon modifying the applicable style.

Turning Off Hyphenation successful a Single Paragraph oregon Heading

To forestall an idiosyncratic paragraph oregon heading from hyphenating, spot your cursor anyplace successful the applicable text, and click the Paragraph Settings dialog container launcher fastener successful the bottom-right country of the Paragraph radical successful the Home tab connected the ribbon.

Now, successful the Line And Page Breaks tab, cheque "Don't Hyphenate," and click "OK."

Turning Off a Style's Hyphenation

On the different hand, if you've formatted your papers utilizing styles, first, right-click the applicable benignant successful the Style Gallery successful the Home tab connected the ribbon, and click "Modify."

Then, click the "Format" drop-down paper astatine the bottommost of the Modify Style dialog box, and prime "Paragraph."

Finally, successful the Line And Page Breaks tab, cheque "Don't Hyphenate," and click "OK" doubly to adjacent some dialog boxes.

Other Hyphenation Options

Alongside the settings I've already discussed, determination are 3 much options you tin set to guarantee hyphenation works precisely arsenic required successful your document. To entree these settings, aft clicking "Hyphenation" successful the Layout tab connected the ribbon, prime "Hyphenation Options."

Then, marque immoderate indispensable changes successful the Hyphenation dialog container arsenic follows:

1. Hyphenate Words In Caps: This enactment is astir applicable if you person acronyms successful your papers that you don't privation to beryllium divided crossed 2 lines. Uncheck this enactment to halt this from happening.
2. Hyphenation Zone: For most, this enactment volition beryllium grayed out, arsenic it's not supported successful the DOCX record format, which has been the default since Word 2007. However, if you're utilizing an older mentation of the program, the hyphenation portion allows you to specify the maximum magnitude of abstraction betwixt the last connection connected a enactment and the right-hand borderline earlier a hyphen is added.
3. Limit Consecutive Hyphens To: If you person activated automatic hyphenation, determination mightiness beryllium instances erstwhile Microsoft Word adds hyphens astatine the ends of 2 oregon much consecutive lines. If you deliberation this looks untidy oregon makes the substance much hard to read, click the field's "Up" arrow erstwhile to alteration the fig to "1."

When you've finished adjusting the hyphenation options, click "OK."

What to Do if Automatic Hyphenation Isn't Working successful Microsoft Word

If you've checked Automatic Hyphenation successful the Hyphenation drop-down database of the Layout tab connected the ribbon, but Word inactive isn't inserting immoderate hyphens, instrumentality a look astatine these imaginable causes and fixes.

Cause: The Paragraph oregon Style Settings Are Set to "Don't Hyphenate"

To alteration an isolated paragraph's hyphenation settings, spot your cursor successful the paragraph, and click the Paragraph Settings dialog container launcher fastener successful the bottom-right country of the Paragraph radical successful the Home tab connected the ribbon.

Next, successful the Line And Page Breaks tab, uncheck "Don't Hyphenate." Lastly, click "OK."

If you're moving with Microsoft Word's styles, right-click the applicable benignant successful the Style Gallery successful the Home tab connected the ribbon, and prime "Modify."

Next, click the "Format" drop-down paper astatine the bottommost of the Modify Style dialog box, and prime "Paragraph."

Finally, successful the Line And Page Breaks tab, uncheck "Don't Hyphenate," and click "OK" doubly to adjacent some dialog boxes.

Cause: The Spelling and Grammar Proofing Tools Are Disabled

Microsoft Word won't hyphenate your substance automatically if it isn't perpetually reviewing your enactment for spelling and grammar issues.

To hole this, successful the Review tab connected the ribbon, click the Language button. Then, click "Set Proofing Language."

Now, successful the Language dialog box, marque definite "Do Not Check Spelling Or Grammar" is unchecked, and click "OK."

Cause: Your Document Doesn't Require Hyphens

If, aft analyzing your text's structure, syllable divisions, and spaces betwixt words connected each line, Microsoft Word doesn't adhd immoderate hyphens, there's apt thing to fix—your substance looks large arsenic is! However, if you inactive privation to unit a agelong connection astatine the extremity of a enactment to tally implicit to the adjacent line, adhd a hyphen manually.

---

Adding hyphens isn't the lone mode to organize and operation substance successful Microsoft Word. For example, you could add non-breaking spaces to support words unneurotic connected the aforesaid line, insert leafage and conception breaks to conception your chapters, and use the program's paragraph settings to power however sections of substance are laid retired and interact with each other.