Top 50 Keyboard Shortcuts and their Functions - Tips & Tricks

Top 50 Keyboard Shortcuts and their Functions; a keyboard shortcut is a set of one or more keys that invoke a command in software or an operating system.


Keyboard and computer shortcuts are designed to make routine computer functions quicker and easier to perform, boosting productivity and efficiency.

Shortcut Keys and their Functions: Some commonly used computer short cut keys are documented below.



Short-cut Keys and their Descriptions



Alt + F: File menu options in current program.



Alt + E: Edit options in current program



F1: Universal Help in almost every Windows program.



Ctrl + A: Select all text.



Ctrl + X: Cut



Shift + Del: Cut selected item.



Ctrl + C: Copy selected item.



Ctrl + Ins: Copy selected item.



Ctrl + V: Paste selected item.



Shift + Ins: Paste.



Home: Goes to beginning of current line.



Ctrl + Home: Goes to beginning of document.



End: Goes to end of current line.



Ctrl + End: Goes to end of document.



Shift + Home: Highlights from current position to beginning of line.



Shift + End: Highlights from current position to end of line.



Ctrl + Left arrow: Moves one word to the left at a time.



Ctrl + Right arrow: Moves one word to the right at a time.



Shortcut Keys and their Functions: Below is a listing of all the major shortcut keys in Microsoft Word.



Shortcut Keys and their Descriptions



Ctrl + A: Select all contents of the page.



Ctrl + B: Bold highlighted selection.



Ctrl + C: Copy selected text.



Ctrl + X: Cut selected text.



Ctrl + P: Open the print window.



Ctrl + F: Open find box.



Ctrl + I: Italic highlighted selection.



Ctrl + K: Insert link (Shortcut Keys and their Functions).



Ctrl + U: Underline highlighted selection.



Ctrl + V: Paste.



Ctrl + Y: Redo the last action performed.



Ctrl + Z: Undo last action.



Ctrl + L: Aligns the line or selected text to the left of the screen.



Ctrl + E: Aligns the line or selected text to the center of the screen.



Ctrl + R: Aligns the line or selected text to the right of the screen.



Ctrl + M: Indent the paragraph.



Ctrl + Shift + F: Change the font.



Ctrl + Shift + >: Increase selected font +1pts up to 12pt and then increases font +2pts.



Ctrl + ]: Increase selected font +1pts.



Ctrl + Shift + <: Decrease selected font -1pts if 12pt or lower, if above 12 decreases font by +2pt.



Ctrl + [: Decrease selected font -1pts.



Ctrl + Shift + *: View or hide non printing characters.



Ctrl + L: Moves one word to the left.



Ctrl + R: Moves one word to the right.



Ctrl + : Moves to the beginning of the line or paragraph.



Ctrl + : Moves to the end of the paragraph.



Ctrl + Del: Deletes word to right of cursor.



Ctrl + Backspace: Deletes word to left of cursor.



Ctrl + End: Moves the cursor to the end of the
document.



Ctrl + Home: Moves the cursor to the beginning of the document.


Ctrl + Spacebar: Reset highlighted text to the default font.



Ctrl + 1: Single-space lines.



Ctrl + 2: Double-space lines.



Ctrl + 5: 1.5-line spacing.



Ctrl + Alt + 1: Changes text to heading 1.



Ctrl + Alt + 2: Changes text to heading 2.



Ctrl + Alt + 3: Changes text to heading 3.



Alt + Shift + D: Insert the current date.



Alt + Shift + T: Insert the current time.



In addition to the above shortcut keys users can also use their mouse as a method of quickly do something commonly performed.



Below some are examples of mouse shortcuts.



Mouse shortcuts and their Descriptions



Click, hold, and drag: Selects text from where you click and hold to the point you drag and let go.



Double-click: If double-click a word, selects the complete word.



Double-click: Double-clicking on the left, center, or right of a blank line will make the alignment of the text left, center, or right aligned.



Double-click: Double-clicking anywhere after text on a line will set a tab stop.



Triple-click: Selects the line or paragraph of the text the mouse triple-clicked.



Ctrl + Mouse wheel: Zooms in and out of document (Shortcut Keys and their Functions).



100 Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 10



A list of 100+ keyboard short-cuts for Windows 10, including shortcuts for copy, paste, and more.



Here's the full list of keyboard short-cuts for Windows 10 - all the Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts you need to know



Keyboard shortcut → Action



Windows key
→ Open or close Start Menu.


Windows key + A → Open Action center.


Windows key + C → Open Cortana in listening mode.


Windows key + D → Display or hide the desktop.


Windows key + E → Open File Explorer.


Windows key + G → Open Game bar when a game is open.


Windows key + H → Open the Share charm.


Windows key + I → Open Settings.


Windows key + K → Open the Connect quick action.


Windows key + L → Lock your PC or switch accounts.


Windows key + M → Minimize all windows.


Windows key + R → Open Run dialog box.


Windows key + S → Open Search.


Windows key + U → Open Ease of Access Center.


Windows key + X → Open Quick Link menu.


Windows key + Number → Open the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.


Windows key + Left arrow key → Snap app windows left.


Windows key + Right arrow key → Snap app windows right.


Windows key + Up arrow key → Maximize app windows.


Windows key + Down arrow key → Minimize app windows.


Windows key + Comma → Temporarily peek at the desktop.


Windows key + Ctrl + D → Add a virtual desktop.


Windows key + Ctrl + Left or Right arrow → Switch between virtual desktops.


Windows key + Ctrl + F4 → Close current virtual desktop.


Windows key + Enter → Open Narrator.


Windows key + Home → Minimize all but the active desktop window (restores all windows on second stroke).


Windows key + PrtScn → Capture a screenshot and save in Screenshots folder.


Windows key + Shift + Up arrow → Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen.


Windows key + Tab → Open Task view.


Windows key + "+" key → Zoom in using the magnifier.


Windows key + "-" key → Zoom out using the magnifier.


Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Open Task Manager.


Alt + Tab → Switch between open apps.


Alt + Left arrow key → Go back.


Alt + Right arrow key → Go forward.


Alt + Page Up → Move up one screen.


Alt + Page down → Move down one screen.


Ctrl + Alt +Tab → View open apps


Ctrl + C → Copy selected items to clipboard.


Ctrl + X → Cut selected items.


Ctrl + V → Paste content from clipboard.


Ctrl + A → Select all content.


Ctrl + Z → Undo an action.


Ctrl + Y → Redo an action.


Ctrl + D → Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin.


Ctrl + Esc → Open the Start Menu.


Ctrl + Shift → Switch the keyboard layout.


Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Open Task Manager.


Ctrl + F4 → Close the active window.



20 Microsoft Word Shortcut Keys

  • Ctrl+W → Close the active window / document.
  • Ctrl+Z → Undo an action.
  • Ctrl+Y → Redo the last action or repeat an action.
  • Ctrl+S → Save a document.
  • Ctrl+P → Print a document.
  • Ctrl+K → Insert a hyperlink.
  • Alt+Left → Arrow Go back one page.
  • Alt+Right → Arrow Go forward one page.
  • Ctrl+C → Copy selected text or graphics to the Office Clipboard.
  • Ctrl+V → Paste the most recent addition to the Office Clipboard.
  • Ctrl+Shift+A → Format all letters as capitals.
  • Ctrl+B → Applies or removes bold formatting.
  • Ctrl+I → Applies or removes italic formatting.
  • Ctrl+= → Apply subscript formatting (automatic spacing).
  • Alt, F, A → Save As.
  • Alt, S, T, I → Insert Table of Contents.
  • Alt, S, T, R → Remove Table of Contents.
  • Alt, W, F → Full Screen Reading – View > Document Views > Full Screen Reading.
  • Alt, W, R → Ruler. View > Show/Hide > Ruler.
  • Alt, F, X → Exit Word.

    What is an Operating System? » Computer Shortcut Keys and their Functions » Keyboard Function Keys

    What is an Operating System?

  • Click here to post comments

    Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Computer Basics FAQ.