Word: Show and hide formatting characters

The formatting characters in Word can be very helpful, but also annoying. Therefore, you can quickly show and hide the characters. We show you how to do this.

Word texts with and without formatting characters

1. In Word, first select the "Start" tab.
2. In the ribbon, switch to the "Paragraph" section.
3. With a click on the button "formatting characters" you can then show or hide the formatting characters (see photo).

Show Word formatting characters permanently

If some formatting characters do not disappear from your text, they are likely to be activated permanently. In this case you have to switch off the symbols separately:

1. Click the "File" tab.
2. Then select the "Options" and switch to "View".
3. In the "Always show these formatting characters" area, clear the corresponding check boxes.
4. Finally, confirm the changes with "OK".

How you can quickly change the line spacing in Word can be read in our next practical tip.