Microsoft Word, often known as Winword, MS Word, or Word, is a word processor developed by Microsoft. It is one of the Microsoft Office suite’s office productivity programs. It was created by Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie and initially published in 1983.
Microsoft Word is accessible on Windows, Mac OS X, Android, and Apple iOS. WINE allows it to run on the Linux operating system.
What is Microsoft Word?
Microsoft Word is a word processing application created by Microsoft. On October 25, 1983, it was launched under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems.
Later versions were built for a variety of additional systems, including IBM PCs running DOS (1983), Apple Macintosh running Classic Mac OS (1985), AT&T UNIX PC (1985), Atari ST (1988), OS/2 (1989), Microsoft Windows (1989), SCO Unix (1990), and macOS (2001). Microsoft Word versions before to 2013 can be run on Linux using Wine.
Commercial versions of Word are available as a stand-alone product or as part of the Microsoft Office suite of software, which can be purchased as a perpetual license or as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription. Word can also be obtained by purchasing Windows RT or the no longer available Microsoft Works suite.
What is the purpose of Microsoft Word?
Microsoft Word enables you to generate high-quality documents, reports, letters, and résumés. Microsoft Word, unlike a plain text editor, includes features such as spell check, grammar check, text and font formatting, HTML compatibility, image support, complex page layout, and more.
How does the Microsoft Word editor appear?
An example of a Microsoft Word 2010 document is provided below.
Where do you find or start Microsoft Word?
If you have Microsoft Word or the complete Microsoft Office package installed on your computer, you can find it on the Start menu.
Remember that new PCs do not come with Microsoft Word. It must be purchased and installed on your computer before it can be used. If you do not want (or cannot afford) to buy Microsoft Word, a limited version is available for free on the Microsoft Office website.
Note
You can also attempt free word processing tools that are extremely similar to Microsoft Word. Where can I find a free word processor?
If you have it installed but cannot find it on your Start menu, try the methods below to manually open Microsoft Word.
- Navigate to My Computer or File Explorer.
- Navigate to or pick the C: drive. Select that drive instead if Microsoft Office is installed on a drive other than the C: drive.
- Navigate to and launch the Program Files (x86) or Program Files folder.
- Navigate to the Microsoft Office folder.
- Navigate to the root folder in the Microsoft Office folder. Then, open the OfficeXX folder, where XX is the version of Microsoft Office installed on your computer (for example, Office16 for Microsoft Office 2016).
Tip
If there is no root folder, look for and open a folder with the word “Office” in the name.
- Locate and double-click the WINWORD.EXE file to launch it.
How to Launch Microsoft Word Without a Mouse
- Press the Windows button.
- In the search results, type Word and choose the Microsoft Word entry.
- If Microsoft Word does not open after you select it from the search results, press Enter to open it.
What are the uses of Microsoft Word?
Microsoft Word is a word processor that, like other word processors, may assist users in creating a range of various sorts of documents. Users can, for example, construct a résumé, business contract, instruction document, or letter to another individual. On our word processor page, we’ve included a list of the most common uses for a word processor.
How many lines are there on a page in Microsoft Word?
In Microsoft Word, one page has 29 lines by default.
What file types can Microsoft Word generate and use?
Early versions of Microsoft Word created and used the.doc file extension, whereas newer versions create and use the.docx file extension.
Microsoft Word versions more recent can create and open the following file types:
- .doc, .docm, .docx
- .dot, .dotm, .dotx
- .htm, .html
- .mht, .mhtml
- .odt
- .rtf
- .txt
- .wps
- .xps
- .xml
Example of a Microsoft Word .doc file
We developed a Microsoft Word document that you can open in various word processors, including Microsoft Word. Click the link below to download the example Word document and practice using a word processor.
Why Use Word Rather Than a Plain-Text Editor?
Microsoft Word has several capabilities that are not available in a standard text editor or plain-text file. Among the benefits are the ability to change the formatting (for example, center), adjust the font style, size, and color, include photographs, and much more.
Tip
The functions listed above are also accessible in a rich-text editor like WordPad, which comes with Microsoft Windows.
Why Use Word Rather Than WordPad?
Many of the same fundamental capabilities are available in a rich-text editor, such as WordPad. Where Microsoft Word differs is in its capacity to perform more complicated functions. Mail merges, spellchecker, styles, tables, headers and footers, WordArt, columns, margins, and more advanced features are available.
Create a document
- Launch Word.
- Choose Blank document.
Alternatively, if Word is currently open, go to File > New > Blank document.
Using a template to build a document
- Launch Word.
If Word is already open, go to File > New.
- To open a template, double-click it.
Tip: Pin templates you like so you can view them every time you open Word.
Select the template, and then click the pin symbol that appears next to the template’s name.
Search for a Template
Look for a template.
- Launch Word. If Word is already open, go to File > New.
- Type a search term such as letter, resume, or invoice into the Search for online templates box.
Alternatively, type a category into the search box, such as Business, Personal, or Education.
- To see a preview of a template, click on it. To see additional templates, use the arrows on the side of the display.
- Click Create.
Download a copy of a Word for the web document to my computer
You don’t need to download a copy of the OneDrive desktop program if you already have your OneDrive files on your computer.
Any modifications you make to the files in your computer’s OneDrive folder will be immediately synced the next time you connect to the Internet.
- Select File > Save As.
- Choose Download a copy.
- Choose a location to store the file, then click Save.
Here’s a shortcut
If you already know which document you want, you can save a copy to your computer without opening it. Simply download a copy from OneDrive.
Tip: You may also use this method to download multiple documents at once.
- Choose the document to be downloaded.
- Select Download from the OneDrive menu.
- Choose a location to store the file, then click Save.
How Use Microsoft Word Free
If you don’t want to pay for a word processor and Google Docs won’t suffice, you have other options.
When it comes to writing, most people—and most companies—think of Microsoft word. Whether it’s a résumé or an essay, it’ll most likely come as a.docx file, Word’s widely accepted default file format, and anybody you’re dealing with will almost certainly want one in return.
There’s just one problem: to use it as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription, you must either a one-time cost or a regular subscription… Alternatively, do you?
Word on the Web
The internet has a plethora of features.
Microsoft provides a free version of Microsoft Word for everyone to use on the internet. You must create a Microsoft account, which is also free. Because the program is completely web-based, you can access it from any computer, and your data are always synced and kept in the cloud. There are certain limits, but for many people, Word on the web may be enough.
Collaboration on documents is as simple as you’d expect from a web program, and you receive all of the basic formatting options available in the desktop edition of Word.
It is feasible to create some very complicated layouts using Word on the web, and you can gain some inspiration from Microsoft’s free templates.
This online Word version is not as strong or versatile as the desktop edition for Windows and macOS. You don’t receive alignment guides or live layout options, for example, and you can’t produce citations or a bibliography. You also don’t get any of the advanced proofing and reference features. Furthermore, to utilize the online version, you must have an active internet connection. These aren’t dealbreakers for everyone, and Word on the web is an excellent tool.
Word Apps Mobile
Using Word for Android to see a document.
Microsoft Word for Android and iOS are both free to download. You only need a Microsoft account to use the mobile app version of Word, but there is one caveat: If you wish to use the mobile app version of Word on an Android device with a screen size smaller than 10.1 inches or on an iPad, you must pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription. The free edition is confined to cell phones.
That means you won’t be connecting a keyboard and pounding out several thousand words of a report—unless you type really quickly on your phone’s keyboard (or you particularly love portable Bluetooth keyboards).
As you might expect from a smartphone app, these apps are also constrained in other ways, such as the smaller screen size and the formatting and style options for the papers you create.
Nonetheless, they’re perfect for rapid adjustments and document browsing. If, for example, someone sends you a Word document and you don’t want to pay for the full edition of the software, you can easily access it using your phone. If you only need something to produce simple and brief Word documents with basic formatting, the mobile phone software will suffice.
Get a Family Member to Pay
Up to six people can share a family subscription.
Family plans are available almost everywhere, from Apple to Spotify. The same is true for a Microsoft 365 subscription, so if you want to obtain all of the features of Word (and Excel and PowerPoint) for free, you should ask someone else in your family to pay for the software.
For the most up-to-date pricing, see the Microsoft 365 plans page. At the time of writing, an individual subscription cost $69.99 per year, while a family subscription cost $99.99 per year. This family subscription is valid for up to six people, each of whom can install the Office programs on up to five devices.
You may have to use all of your persuading skills to persuade a relative to pay for you to have free access to Microsoft Office—but you may have a particularly generous family, or you may be able to repay the favor in some other way. At the very least, splitting the $100-a-year charge six ways means you’re receiving Microsoft Word for a lot less money.
Use an Alternative
Google Docs allows you to save documents in Word format.
It may appear to be unfair to recommend an option in a lesson on how to use Microsoft Word for free, but keep in mind that many of these alternatives are now completely capable of doing the same tasks. docx file format that Word uses, and no one needs to know you’re not using Word to send or receive files. That implies you won’t be left out if the rest of your coworkers use Word but you don’t.
There is, of course, Google Docs, which is absolutely free to use and can be accessed via a computer browser as well as a mobile app.
While it lacks the reach and range of features that Microsoft Word has, particularly when it comes to specific layout types and possibilities for larger documents, it can be accessed from any computer and sharing documents is simple.
When it comes to desktop software, there’s the classic OpenOffice, which includes a word processor as well as a slew of other freebies. The office suite is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems. Pages, Apple’s free word processor, is another option if you’re using a Mac.
How to Get Microsoft Word Help and Support
Microsoft Text provides you with advanced word processing capabilities. However, more features imply greater complexity.
Fortunately, Microsoft has a Help & Learning page. You’ll discover training, access to a user community, and a method to obtain help here.
FAQs
Is it possible to use Word for free?
You are fortunate. Basic versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are available for free in your browser at the new Office.com. They’re the same Microsoft Office apps you’re used to, except they’re completely free and run online.
What is the price of Word?
Microsoft Office 2019 Download: $149.99
You can buy individual pieces of the Office suite, but given that Word 2019 is $139.99 (opens in new tab), it’s a better deal to buy the entire platform if you plan on using even one more Office software.
Can I just get Microsoft Word?
If you only want to use Word and do not want to install the suite’s other components, your best option is to buy and install Word separately and not worry about downloading the office suite at all. Word is available for a one-time installation charge of $129 online.
How can I install Word on my computer?
Then, press the Windows key and navigate to the Office software for which you want to make a desktop shortcut. Select Open file location from the context menu after right-clicking the application name or tile. Right-click the program’s name and choose Send To > Desktop (Create shortcut). A application shortcut appears on your desktop.
Do laptops include Microsoft Word?
Although most laptops now come with Windows 10, not all of them include Microsoft Office software programs. In fact, finding one requires some investigation. This guide’s list includes laptops with basic specs all the way up to those with substantial power.
What is the free Word version?
It may not be your first option to use Microsoft Word on a smartphone or tablet, but it is doable and free. Microsoft formerly maintained a dedicated Word app for both iOS and Android, but it has now combined Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on mobile into a single Microsoft Office app.
Can I use Word online for free?
To get started with Office for free, simply open your browser, go to Office.com, and choose the app you wish to use. You can choose among online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, as well as contacts and calendar apps and OneDrive online storage.
Is Word now available for free?
Microsoft Office apps are available for free. For business, school, or personal usage, you’ll most likely need access to a Microsoft Word document, a PowerPoint presentation, or another fundamental tool from Microsoft 365 at least once in 2022.
Why isn’t Microsoft Word free?
Except for the ad-supported Microsoft Word Starter 2010, Word has never been free, except as part of an Office trial. When the trial period expires, you will be unable to continue using Word unless you purchase either Office or a standalone copy of Word.
