You can remove a single hard return or paragraph mark by dragging over it and pressing Delete.

Removing a single hard return or paragraph mark Click the same command to hide the paragraph marks and other nonprinting characters. Paragraph marks, tabs, spacing and manual page breaks will display but will not print. Click Show/Hide ¶ in the Paragraph group.To view hard returns or paragraph marks and other nonprinting characters in Microsoft Word: Recommended article: How to Add or Remove Page Breaks in Microsoft Wordĭo you want to learn more about Microsoft Word? Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom Word courses > Showing hard returns or paragraph marks The fastest way to remove extra hard returns (typically two hard returns) is to use Word's Find and Replace command and special characters. In Word, it's better not use use hard returns (where you've pressed Enter or Return) to handle spacing after paragraphs or create new pages. In order to view and delete hard returns, you should display paragraph marks or symbols. You can easily remove or delete hard returns or paragraph marks in Microsoft Word using Find and Replace. That said, this is how you can get rid of any paragraph markers and other hidden formatting symbols that are showing up within your document when they are not supposed to.Remove Paragraph Marks or Hard Returns in Microsoft Word DocumentsĪrticle by: Avantix Learning Team | Updated January 10, 2021Īpplies to: Microsoft ® Word ® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 or 365 (Windows) In the same way, you can choose to show other hidden symbols in your Word documents.īecause the Ctrl + Shift + 8 shortcut is so easy to learn and use, I don’t recommend turning on your paragraph symbols or other hidden symbols using the Display tab in the Word Options dialog box. If you have the paragraph symbol selected in this dialog box, it means that they will display in all of your Word documents. In other words, with the Paragraph Symbol selected in the Word Options dialog box, the Show/Hide ¶ command will not work for you for getting rid of these formatting symbols. Click Options at the bottom of the File tab.

If using the Show/Hide ¶ command did not work for you, then you will need to unselect the paragraph symbol in the Word Options dialog box to get rid of your paragraph symbols.

How to remove word formatting marks