Create a Bulleted List

You can use Word to bullet any series of paragraphs. Word has several bullet styles you can use as-is or modify to suit your needs.

You can bullet paragraphs by first creating the paragraphs and then using the Ribbon to execute the bulleting command, or you can create an automatic bullet by typing an asterisk (*), dash (-), or the greater than sign (>), and then pressing the Spacebar or Tab key. Once you begin bulleting, Word bullets all subsequent paragraphs until you change the paragraph format.

Bulleted lists can have up to nine levels. Each level is marked by a symbol and by the amount it is indented from the left margin. For example, the first level of a bullet might be indented .25 inches from the left margin and use a dot (●) as a symbol. The second level might be indented .75 inches from the left margin and use a circle (○) as a symbol.

You change the level by increasing or decreasing the indent or by executing the Change List Level command. You increase or decrease the indent by pressing the Tab key or the Shift+Tab keys, respectively, or by using the Ribbon to execute the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent command.

EXAMPLES: Bulleted Lists

Create a Bulleted list

1. Select the paragraphs you want to bullet.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down-arrow next to the Bullets button  in the Paragraph group and then click to select the type of bullet you want. Word adds bullets to your list.
   Note: As you move your mouse pointer over the various bullets, Word provides a live preview.

Remove Bulleting from a List

1. Select the list.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down-arrow next to the Bullets button  in the Paragraph group and then click None. Word removes the bullets from your list.

Change the List Level with the Tab and Shift+Tab Keys or the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent Buttons

1. Place the insertion point before the first character in the paragraph that has the list level you want to change.
2. Press Tab to increase the level or press Shift+Tab to decrease the level.

Or

1. Place the insertion point before the first character of the paragraph that has the list level you want to change.
   Note: Increasing or decreasing the indent for the first bullet in a list does not change the list level; instead, it moves the entire list.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Press the Increase Indent button in the Paragraph group to increase the list level, or press the Decrease Indent button  in the Paragraph group to decrease the list level.

Change the List Level with the Ribbon

1. Place the insertion point in the paragraph that has the list level you want to change.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down-arrow next to the Bullets button in the Paragraph group and then click Change List Level.
4. Click the list level you want. Word changes the list level.

I created an automatic bullet and the AutoCorrect options button appeared. How do I use it?

Clicking the AutoCorrect button presents three options: Undo Automatic Bullets, Stop Automatically Creating Bulleted Lists, and Control AutoFormat Options.

Click Undo Automatic Bullets to turn the automatic bullet you created into normal formatting, For example, if you type an asterisk (*) and then press the spacebar you get a bullet. If you then click the Undo Automatic Bullets option, Word changes the bullet to an asterisk followed by a space.

Click Stop Automatically Creating Bulleted Lists to turn off automatic bullet creation. Clicking this option unchecks Automatic Bulleted Lists in the AutoCorrect dialog box.

Click Control AutoFormat Options to open the AutoCorrect dialog box. In the AutoCorrect dialog box, uncheck Automatic Bulleted Lists and then press OK to turn off Automatic bullet creation. Now, when you type an asterisk (*), dash (-), or the greater than sign (>), and then press the spacebar or press the Tab key, Word will not create a bullet.

I have completed my bulleted list. How do I return to Normal paragraph formatting style?

Press the Enter key. Word creates a bullet. Choose the Home tab. Click the Clear Formatting button  in the Font group. Word deletes the last bullet and returns to the Normal paragraph formatting style.

Or

Type the last bullet. Press the Enter key twice. Word returns to the Normal paragraph formatting style.

Tip

If you want to move a bulleted list to the left or to the right without changing the level, click the first bullet in the list and then drag left or right while holding down the left mouse button.

How do I remove a bullet from the Bullet gallery?

Choose the Home tab. Click the down-arrow  next to the Bullets button . Right click on the bullet you want to remove. A menu appears. Click Remove. Word removes the bullet from the gallery.

Shortcut Keys
Description	Shortcut Keys
Create a single level bullet Note: This shortcut key is associated with the List Bullet style. See Lesson 4 to learn more about styles.	Ctrl+Shift+L
Change to the Normal paragraph formatting style	Ctrl+Shift+N