![](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125845978/977632889.jpg)
Related Articles
- 1 Format Normal Paragraphs in OneNote
- 2 Double Space in OpenOffice 3.4.1
- 3 Reset an iPod Shuffle That Won't Add Songs
- 4 Change the Color of the Bullets in Word Documents
Microsoft Word includes bullet symbols to help you align lists of words, phrases or sentences in your document. Word lets you adjust the indents and space between the bullet symbol and the text to format your document layout. For example, if a bulleted sentence runs on to a second line, decreasing the indent spacing allows more characters to fit on the first line. You can also adjust the line spacing between bullets in a bulleted list. A bulleted list with a pleasing amount of white space can help emphasize your ideas, items or tasks in your communications with your colleagues and clients.
Indents
1.Open the Word document and click on a bullet to highlight the bullet symbols. The text to the right of the bullet symbol will not be highlighted.
Jump to Word - and then click Customize Ribbon Tab Order. Drag the tab to. Titles in the ribbon. Hiding group titles gives you more space to work with. Word lets you adjust the indents and space between the bullet symbol and the text to format your document layout. For example, if a bulleted sentence runs on to a second line, decreasing the.
2.Right-click the highlighted bullets and click “Adjust List Indents” to open the dialog box.
3.Click the arrows to change the values in inches in the Bullet Position box. You can also type the value in the box. To adjust the space between the bullet symbol and the text, click the arrows in the Text Indent box.
4.Click “OK” to close the Adjust List Indents dialog box and convert the bullet spacing in your Word document.
Line Spacing
1.Click and drag to select the bulleted list. The bullet symbols will not be highlighted.
2.Right-click the highlighted text and select 'Paragraph” to open the Paragraph dialog box.
3.Click the “Indents and Spacing” tab on the dialog box.
4.Clear the “Don’t Add Space Between Paragraphs of the Same Style” check box.
5.Click your preferred selection in the Line Spacing box, such as “Single” or “Double.”
6.Click the “OK” button to close the Paragraph dialog box. The line spacing between the rows of bulleted text will change.
![Word Word](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125845978/585275038.png)
Tip
- Show the ruler above the document as your guide. Click the “View” tab on the command ribbon and select the “Ruler” check box.
References (3)
Resources (2)
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Choose Citation Style
Hatashita-Lee, Kathryn. 'How to Change the Bullet Spacing in MS Word.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/change-bullet-spacing-ms-word-53846.html. Accessed 17 October 2019.
Hatashita-Lee, Kathryn. (n.d.). How to Change the Bullet Spacing in MS Word. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/change-bullet-spacing-ms-word-53846.html
Hatashita-Lee, Kathryn. 'How to Change the Bullet Spacing in MS Word' accessed October 17, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/change-bullet-spacing-ms-word-53846.html
Note: Depending on which text editor you're pasting into, you might have to add the italics to the site name.
There are two types of indents that can be adjusted: paragraphs and bullet points. Each has a separate way of adjusting the indent size. Below are the different ways you can adjust the indentation in Microsoft Word.
- First line indent with tab.
- Indent paragraph with shortcut key.
- Adjusting indents using the ruler.
- Changing indents in the Paragraph window.
- Adjust the indent on the Ribbon in Word 2007 and later.
- Adjusting the bullet and numbering indentation.
First line indent with tab
The first line indent can always be created using the Tab key on the keyboard. To change the first line indent size or indent the full paragraph, continue reading the below suggestions.
Indent paragraph with shortcut key
A complete paragraph can be indented with the keyboard shortcutCtrl+M and pressing the keyboard shortcut more than once will indent the paragraph further.
TipTo reverse the indent, you can also press Ctrl+Shift+M.
Adjusting indents using the ruler
To adjust a paragraph indent size, use the Ruler, which is below the menu bar and resembles the picture shown below. If this feature is not visible, see our document on how to enable the Ruler. Towards the left side of the Ruler, look for indent markers that resemble an hourglass, like the image shown below.
The top marker (down arrow) controls the first line indent, and the middle marker (up arrow) controls the hanging indent (the indent for lines after the first line in each paragraph). The bottom marker (small box) controls the left indent. To adjust these indents, you can click and drag each marker to the right or left.
TipTo change the indentation for an entire document, select all text in the document (press Ctrl+A), then adjust the indent spacing in the ruler as detailed above.
NoteIf a large indent is created when pressing the Tab key and adjusting the indent on the Ruler does not fix this issue, adjust the Left Tab Stop in the Ruler.
Changing indents in the Paragraph window
Another way to adjust the indents is to view the Paragraph settings. To view this window, double-click on the markers in the ruler, click Format and then Paragraph. You can also place the cursor in the paragraph, right-click with your mouse, and chose Paragraph.
As seen below in the Paragraph window, under the Indentation section, the left and right indent settings can be adjusted. You can also adjust the first line indent and hanging indent size under the Special option in the Indentation section.
At the bottom of the Paragraph settings window, you can preview the look of the indent sizes you are setting and make changes accordingly until you get it the way you want.
Adjust the indent on the Ribbon in Word 2007 and later
If you're using a newer version of Microsoft Word that uses the Ribbon, such as Word 2007 or 2013, do the following.
- Click on the Layout or Page Layout tab.
- Adjust the indent settings in the Paragraph section.
To view the Paragraph window mentioned in the above section, click the small down arrow indicated by the red arrow in the picture below.
Adjusting the bullet and numbering indentation
TipThe easiest method of adjusting the bullets and number list in all versions of Word is to adjust the left indent through the Microsoft Word ruler bar.
NoteIf you want to adjust the spacing between the bullet and the text in a list, you may need to adjust the Left Tab Stop in the Ruler.
Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and later
- Click on one of the bullets at the level you want to change in the document.
- Right-click on the bullet and select Adjust List Indents in the pop-up menu.
- In the Adjust List Indents window, change the Bullet position to adjust the bullet indent size or change the Text indent to adjust the text indent size after a bullet.
Microsoft Word 2000 and earlier
- Place your cursor in a bulleted or numbered line in the document.
- Click on the Format menu at the top of the Word program and select the Bullets and Numbering option.
- In the Bullets and Numbering window, click on the Customize button on one of the first three tabs, depending on the type of list you are changing.
- In the window that opens, adjust the indent size for the bullet position and the text position. At the bottom of the window, you can preview how the indentation sizing will look and make changes accordingly until you get it the way you want.
You can also access the Bullet and Numbering window by placing your text cursor on a bulleted or numbered line and right-clicking in the Word document. In the pop-up menu, select the Bullets and Numbering option.
Additional information
- See our bullet and indent definitions for related information and links.
![](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125845978/977632889.jpg)