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How to show or hide paragraph marks in Word?

Author Amanda Li Last modified

Paragraph marks in Word indicate the end of a paragraph and the beginning of a new one. Whether you need to see these marks for editing purposes or prefer a cleaner view, knowing how to show or hide paragraph marks is essential.

This article will introduce several methods to easily show or hide paragraph marks in a Word document:

Toggle paragraph marks using Show/Hide button or shortcuts

In Word, you can quickly show or hide all paragraph marks in the current document by going to "Home" > Show/Hide button "Show/Hide" button. This button displays or hides all paragraph marks and hidden formatting symbols.

Show/Hide button on the ribbon
Tip: Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Shift + 8 to easily show or hide all paragraph marks and hidden formatting symbols in the current document.

After turning on the "Show/Hide" toggle button, you will see paragraph marks and all hidden formatting symbols.

Paragraph marks and all hidden formatting symbols are displayed

Enable or disable paragraph marks globally in Word through Options

This method will guide you to open the Word Options dialog box and configure settings to always show or hide paragraph marks in Word. Please follow these steps:

  1. Click "File" > "Options" to open the Word Options dialog box.
  2. In the Word Options dialog box, click "Display" in the left-hand bar, and then check the "Paragraph marks" option under "Always show these formatting marks on the screen".
  3. Click "OK" to save the configuration.
    Paragraph marks option in the Word Options window

From now on, all paragraph marks will display in Word documents at all times.

Notes:

  • After enabling the Paragraph marks option in the Word Options dialog box, the "Home" > Show/Hide button "Show/Hide" button will no longer hide paragraph marks.
  • To hide paragraph marks, uncheck the "Paragraph marks" option in the Word Options dialog box.

Enable or disable paragraph marks globally in Word using Kutools for Word

Kutools for Word's "Display Settings" feature offers enhanced options for showing or hiding paragraph marks and various formatting marks. It also allows for comprehensive control over multiple document content settings, providing greater flexibility compared to Word's default options.

Kutools for Word, equipped with AI 🤖, offers over 100 handy features to simplify your tasks.
  1. Apply the feature by clicking "Kutools Plus" > "Display Setting".
    Display Setting button on the ribbon
  2. In the popping-out Display Settings dialog box, check the "Paragraph Marks" option.
    Display Settings dialog box

Now, the paragraph marks will always be displayed in Word documents, as shown below:

Only the paragraph marks are displayed

Notes:

  • After checking the "Paragraph Marks" option in the Display Settings dialog box, the "Home" > Show/Hide button "Show/Hide" button will not be able to hide paragraph marks.
  • To hide paragraph marks in this condition, uncheck the "Paragraph Marks" option in the Display Settings dialog box.
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Easily delete all empty paragraphs from a Word document with one click

If you've copied content from a webpage into a Word document and ended up with dozens or even hundreds of empty paragraphs, removing them manually can be time-consuming. With just one click, the Kutools for Word "Remove Empty Paragraph Marks" feature allows you to quickly remove all empty paragraphs from a selection or the entire document.

ad delete empty paragraphs

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