Word displays the Customize Keyboard dialog box. Word provides no built-in shortcut that will apply a highlight to text, but you can easily create your own shortcut by following these steps: The other part deals with how you can actually highlight whatever text has been selected, using just the keyboard. While this is helpful, it is only part of the solution. Many were quick to respond with ways that told how to use the keyboard to select text, such as holding down the Shift key while using the arrow keys or using any number of other selection methods. The ambiguity around the word "highlight" was evident when WordTips subscribers were asked how they can highlight text using the keyboard only, and not the mouse. It is analogous to a highlighter you use to mark text on a printed page.) In short, you first select text, and then you highlight the selected text by using the Highlight tool. (The Highlight tool is available on the Formatting toolbar. Highlighting, on the other hand, is a formatting task accomplished by using the Highlight tool. You select text before you are going to do something with it, such as applying an editing or formatting command. In Word parlance, the two words have very specific meanings. He wondered if there was a way to highlight selected words using just the keyboard.īefore answering, there is something that needs to be clarified: There is some ambiguity when it comes to the word "highlight." For instance, if I say I am going to highlight a word, some people think that means I am going to double-click the word. He prefers to not use the mouse, preferring the keyboard instead. I can add/remove highlighting without it affecting the tracked change at all.Frank noted that it seems the Highlight tool is only accessible by using the mouse. If I have Track Changes on and the ‘Track Formatting’ option turned off, my text changes are tracked. If I have Track Changes on and the ‘Track Formatting’ option turned off and add or remove my highlight, it behaves as adding/removing a highlight normally would without Track Changes. If I change text, I get the change bar for that, but adding or removing highlighting doesn’t affect anything to do with that text. If I have Track Changes on and the ‘Track Formatting’ option selected when I add the yellow highlight, I get a formatting change balloon telling me that I’ve added highlight formatting equally, if I have ‘Track Formatting’ selected when I remove the highlight, I get another formatting balloon re highlighting. I just tested what I think you were dong in Word 2010, and I don’t get the same issues. (Thanks to Tony Jollans on the Microsoft Office Word Discussion Group who alerted me to this solution: ) Continue using the shortcut key to turn highlighting on and off.This is necessary when you have a shortcut key assigned to the highlighting function - for some reason, the function is ‘sticky’ as soon as you select a new color. Click the toolbar icon to turn off the ‘sticky’ highlighter.
Click on the drop-down arrow next to the toolbar icon.Once changed, the new color applies whenever you press the shortcut key combination. The default highlight color is yellow, but you can change it. Removing highlighting: Select the highlighted text, then press Ctrl+Alt+H.Adding highlighting: Select the text you want to highlight, then press Ctrl+Alt+H.In Word 2007, someone realized that a key combination for turning highlighting on and off would be a good idea, so they included one - Ctrl+Alt+H. Save this key combination in the template (7).If this key combination is available, displays (6).That way, when you move to Word 2007 you won’t have to reassign the keys or remember something different. Suggestion: Use Ctrl+Alt+H, the same as Word 2007. Put your cursor in the Press new shortcut key field (5) and press the key combination you want to assign to color highlighting.