This tutorial shows how to cut, copy, and paste in Microsoft Word.
[Typewriter sounds]
Hello, my name is Erin.
[Chime sound]
Today’s tutorial shows three ways to cut, copy, and paste in Microsoft Word.
First, we’ll look at how to use the keyboard shortcuts.
Then, we’ll use the tools in the ribbon.
Finally, we’ll use the shortcut menu.
Plus, stay tuned the for the bonus tip at the end which shows how to choose a pasting option after pasting your text.
Before we begin, let’s quickly answer the question: What does it mean to cut, copy, and paste?
When you cut text or an image, you are removing it from its original location,
which can be your current Word document or another editable location, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Docs.
Once cut, it will be placed in the Clipboard,
which is a temporary storage area on your computer.
When you copy text or an image, you are placing a duplicate in the Clipboard,
but you are not removing it from its original location.
After cutting or copying,
you can then use the paste function to move the text or image from the Clipboard to a new location in your document.
Note that we’ll explore Word’s Clipboard and another storage option called the Spike in a separate tutorial.
I’ll be using Word for Microsoft 365.
These steps also apply to Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.
We will cover this topic in Word for Mac in a separate tutorial.
The following keyboard shortcuts typically work in Windows across all Microsoft Office apps,
Adobe Acrobat, and many other locations such as email platforms, social media comment boxes, and website text boxes.
To cut or copy, first select the text or image.
And then press Ctrl + X to cut.
Or Ctrl + C to copy.
Your text or image should now be cut or copied.
To paste, place your cursor where you want to insert the text or image.
And then press Ctrl + V.
The ribbon method requires more steps than the keyboard shortcuts;
however, it offers more customization options for pasting.
To cut or copy, begin by selecting the text or image.
And then select the Home tab in the ribbon if you’re not already there.
Next, select Cut
or Copy from the Clipboard group.
Your text or image should now be cut or copied.
To paste, place your cursor where you want to insert the text or image.
And once again select the Home tab in the ribbon if you’re not there.
Now, select the Paste button to paste the text or image without additional options.
[Chime sound]
For additional options, you can select the Paste Options menu arrow,
where you can choose from several options.
Keep Source Formatting maintains the formatting of the pasted text.
Formatting is things like font, font size and font color.
Merge Formatting changes the formatting of the pasted text to match the formatting of the new location.
Picture, which is only available in Word for Microsoft 365,
pastes the text or other content as an image.
Lastly, Keep Text Only removes the formatting of the pasted text and adds the formatting of the new location.
After making your selection, the text or image should be pasted into the new locaiton in your document.
The difference between Merge Formatting and Keep Text Only is a bit confusing,
so let’s dig into them a little deeper.
Merge Formatting matches the formatting of the pasted text to the formatting of the new location.
However, it doesn’t remove existing emphasis formatting, which are boldness, italics, or underlining.
For example, if you use Merge Formatting to paste a twenty-word paragraph with black font and five bold words
into a location with red font, all twenty words will turn red.
But, the five bold words will still be bold.
Keep Text Only removes all formatting from the pasted text, including emphasis formatting,
and then adds the formatting of the new location to the pasted text.
So, if you use Keep Text Only to paste that same twenty-word paragraph with black font and five bold words
into a new location with red font,
all twenty words will turn red, and the boldness will be removed from those five words.
You can also choose Paste Special, which opens the Paste Special dialog box
with additional options including pasting as HTML format and unformatted Unicode text.
Additionally, Set Default Paste opens the Word Options dialog box
where you can choose default options for pasting within the same document, pasting between documents,
and pasting from other programs.
The shortcut menu attached to the Mini toolbar lets you cut, copy, and paste from inside the document.
To begin, select the text or image you want to cut or copy.
Then, right-click it and select Cut or Copy from the shortcut menu that will appear with the Mini toolbar.
Your text or image now should be cut or copied.
To paste, right-click the location where you want to insert the text or image,
and then select an option from the shortcut menu.
Again, the options are Keep Source Formatting,
Merge Formatting,
Picture if you are using Microsoft 365,
or Keep Text Only
After you make your decision, the text or image should be pasted into the new location in your document.
Immediately after you’ve pasted your text, the Paste Options button will appear.
This button lets you change the formatting of the text you just pasted by choosing
Keep Source Formatting, Merge Formatting, Picture in Microsoft 365 only, or Keep Text Only.
Please note that the Paste Options button will disappear once you perform another function
such as typing text or pressing the Enter key.
So, if you want to use this button you have to do so immediately after pasting your text.
I have created many other videos about Microsoft Word
including “How to Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color in Microsoft Word”
and “How to Insert and Modify Images in Microsoft Word.”
Please see the complete list in the playlist titled “How to Use Microsoft Word.”
If you’re just starting out or need a refresher, I also have a separate playlist called Microsoft Word Basics.
Both playlists are linked in the description box below.
The companion blog post for this video showing all the steps we just performed
appears on erinwrightwriting.com, along with all my other step-by-step tutorials
to help you excel in the office and in the classroom.
Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s a specific topic that you would like me to talk about in the future.
And please subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss future tutorials.
And give this video a thumbs-up if you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for watching!
[Typewriter sounds]