Use a screen reader to align text and paragraphs in Word
Applies ToWord for Microsoft 365 Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac Word for the web Word 2024 for Mac Word 2021 Word 2021 for Mac Word 2019 Word 2019 for Mac Word 2016 Word for iPhone Word for Android phones Word for Windows Phone 10

This article is for people with visual or cognitive impairments who use a screen reader program such as Microsoft's Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with the Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support home or Fixes or workarounds for recent office issues.

Use Word with your keyboard and a screen reader to change text alignment in your documents. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to quickly center text, align it on the right or left margin, or justify it to adjust the spacing between words in a paragraph so that the left and right edges are even. You'll also learn how to align a page vertically.

How alignment is described in Word documents can vary depending on the screen reader. You might need to adjust the verbosity settings of your screen reader. For example, to hear a description of your text’s alignment in JAWS, press Insert+F. In Narrator, press the Narrator key+0. For more information, refer to your screen reader’s documentation.

Decorative icon. Need instructions on how to align text in Word, but not using a screen reader? See Align text left or right, center text, or justify text on a page.

Notes: 

In this topic

Left-align text

  1. Place the insertion point anywhere in the paragraph, document, or table that you want to align.

  2. Press Ctrl+L.

Right-align text

  1. Place the insertion point anywhere in the paragraph, document, or table that you want to align.

  2. Press Ctrl+R.

Center text

  1. Place the insertion point anywhere in the paragraph, document, or table that you want to align.

  2. Press Ctrl+E.

Justify text

Note: Justified text can be difficult to read for people who have a reading disability, such as dyslexia. To make your document as accessible as possible, chose a different alignment style.

  1. Place the insertion point anywhere in the paragraph, document, or table that you want to align.

  2. Press Ctrl+J.

Align a page vertically

You can align a page vertically, for example, to create a cover page. Vertical alignment positions the selected text relative to the top and bottom margins.

  1. Place the insertion point anywhere in the text that you want to align vertically.

  2. To open the Page Setup dialog box, press Alt+P, S, P.

  3. Press Shift+Tab until you hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Margins tab."

  4. Press the Right arrow key until you hear: "Layout tab."

  5. Press Alt+V. The focus moves to the Vertical alignment options list, and you hear the currently selected option, for example, "Top."

  6. Use the Down and Up arrow keys to find the option you want and press Enter.

  7. To apply the vertical alignment to your document, press Enter.

Customize paragraph alignment

To align your text to a specific place, you can quickly indent paragraphs from the left or right margins of the page. For more information, refer to Use a screen reader to set line spacing and indenting in Word.

Align text using Search

To find an option or perform an action quickly, use the Search text field. To learn more about the Search feature, go to Find what you need with Microsoft Search.

Note: Depending on the version of Microsoft 365 you are using, the Search text field at the top of the app window might be called Tell Me instead. Both offer a largely similar experience, but some options and search results can vary.

  1. Select the item or place in your document, presentation, or spreadsheet where you want to perform an action.

  2. To go to the Search text field, press Alt+Q.

  3. Type the search words for the action that you want to perform. For example, if you want to add a bulleted list, type bullets.

  4. Press the Down arrow key to browse through the search results.

  5. Once you've found the result that you want, press Enter to select it and to perform the action.

See also

Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word

Use a screen reader to set line spacing and indenting in Word

Keyboard shortcuts in Word

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word

What's new in Microsoft 365: Release notes for current channel

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.