Word Tutorial: Remove the Thousands Separator (Comma) from Numbers in Bulk

If your Word document contains numbers like 1,234 or 1,234,567, the commas are thousands separators. In many English (US/UK) formats, the thousands separator is a comma, and it’s common to remove it when preparing clean data, importing text into another system, or standardizing reports.

Below are two reliable ways to remove thousands separators (commas) from numbers in bulk: (1) Word’s built-in Find & Replace using Use wildcards, and (2) Kutools for Word’s one-click command: Remove All Thousand Separators in Selected Range.

💡 Quick Navigation:

• What is a thousands separator in Word?
• Method 1 (Built-in): Word Find & Replace with Wildcards
• Method 2 (Fastest): Kutools for Word — One Click to Remove All Thousand Separators
  • Remove thousand separators from a selected range
  • Remove thousand separators from the entire document
• Troubleshooting
• FAQ

What is a thousands separator in Word?

A thousands separator is the symbol used to group digits in large numbers for readability: 1,234, 12,345, 1,234,567. In US/UK number formats it’s usually a comma, but in some locales it can be a period or a space. This tutorial focuses on the comma thousands separator commonly seen in English documents.

Method 1 (Built-in): Word Find & Replace with Wildcards

This method uses Word’s built-in Find & Replace with the Use wildcards option to remove commas only when they act as thousands separators (for example, 1,234 → 1234).

1. Select the range you want to process (a section, paragraph, or table).
   Tip: To process the entire document, press Ctrl + A first.
2. Press Ctrl + H to open the Find and Replace dialog.
3. Click More >>, then check Use wildcards.
   
   Tip: If Use wildcards is not enabled, the patterns below won’t work as intended.
4. In the Find and Replace dialog, use the following pattern (you can copy and paste):
   • Find what: ([0-9]{1,3}),([0-9]{3})
   • Replace with: \1\2
     
5. Click Replace All. Then Word prompts to ask whether to search the rest of the document. Click No to keep changes in the current selection, or Yes to continue through the full document.
   
   Tips:

   • If your document includes numbers like 1,234,567, run Replace All again (and repeat as needed) until Word reports 0 replacements.
     Why: The pattern removes one thousands comma per pass (e.g., 1,234,567 becomes 1234,567 after the first pass, then 1234567 after the second pass).
   • If necessary, before you click Replace All, you can click Find Next a few times to preview what Word will match.

Result: Word removes the comma thousands separators from numbers in the selected range (for example, 1,234 → 1234 and 1,234,567 → 1234567).

Method 2 (Fastest): Kutools for Word — One Click to Remove All Thousand Separators

If you work with large documents or want a one-click approach, Kutools for Word includes a dedicated command: Remove All Thousand Separators in Selected Range.

Remove thousand separators from a selected range

After downloading and installing Kutools for Word from the official website, do the following:

1. Select the text or table range that contains the numbers you want to fix.
2. Go to Kutools > Remove > Remove All Thousand Separators in Selected Range.
   

Result: Kutools instantly remove all thousand separators from the selected range.

Remove thousand separators from the entire document

After downloading and installing Kutools for Word from the official website, do the following:

1. Click anywhere in the document (do not select anything).
2. Run the same command: Kutools > Remove > Remove All Thousand Separators in Selected Range.
3. Confirm the prompt to apply it to the whole document.
   

Result: With one click, Kutools removes all thousands separators across the entire document.

Troubleshooting

• “Use wildcards” isn’t visible: click More >> in the Find and Replace dialog.
• Only one comma was removed in 1,234,567: run Replace All again until no matches remain.
• It removed commas you wanted to keep: undo (Ctrl+Z), then select only the numeric section/table and try again.
• Your thousands separator isn’t a comma: In some number formats, the thousands separator is a period (for example, 1.234). Use Find what = ([0-9]{1,3}).([0-9]{3}) · Replace with = \1\2.

FAQ

Will this remove commas in normal sentences?

If you use the recommended wildcard pattern in Word, it targets commas only when they appear between digit groups (for example, 1,234), not punctuation commas in normal sentences. Still, it’s best to click Find Next a few times before Replace All—especially in mixed text.

If you want the fastest and simplest option, Kutools for Word does it in one click: select the range (or run it on the whole document) and it removes thousands separators instantly—no patterns to remember.

Does it work for decimals like 1,234.56?

Yes. The pattern removes the comma thousands separator and leaves the decimal portion intact.

Is “thousands separator” always a comma?

Not always. In US/UK formats it’s typically a comma, but some locales use a period or space. This article focuses on the comma thousands separator commonly seen in English Word documents.