Selecting a Word

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated December 30, 2016)

2

If you are editing the contents of a cell that contains text, there may be times when you want to select a single word in the cell. Excel provides a simple two-step process to select an entire word:

  1. Select the cell you want to edit.
  2. Using the mouse pointer, point in the formula bar to the word you want to select.
  3. Double-click on the mouse.

If you want to select additional words, hold down the mouse button after the second click and drag the mouse. Excel will add one word at a time to your selection. Once your selection is made, you are able to do any other editing function on that word.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2027) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He  is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is 4 + 1?

2013-04-06 14:36:57

Thomas Papavasiliou

An addition to this tip is as follows:
Once a single word selected by double click, keeping the mouse button held down, if you move the pointer down you select to the right end and if you move the pointer up you select the left end of the cell

2013-03-30 04:59:56

Susan

Awesome. I never knew that!

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