Lists turn a block of text into something a reader can scan in seconds. By the end of this page you will be able to create bulleted and numbered lists, indent items within them, and fix a numbered list that has started counting in the wrong place.
A bulleted list is for items where the order does not matter - things to pack, points to consider. A numbered list is for items where order does matter, or where you want to refer back to 'point 3'. Word has a dedicated button for each, both on the Home tab.
The Bullets button looks like small dots next to lines, and the Numbering button looks like 1, 2, 3 next to lines. Both sit in the Paragraph group in the middle of the Home tab. You can turn existing lines into a list by selecting them first, or start a fresh list by clicking the button before you type anything.
- The Paragraph group
- Bullets - order doesn't matter
- Numbers - order matters
Try it yourself
Type three short lines, pressing Enter after each one, then select all three lines.
Selecting the lines first means the list buttons will apply to all three at once, rather than just the line your cursor happens to be on.
Click the Bullets button.
Each line now has a dot in front of it and a small indent, instantly showing the reader these are separate items in a set.
Click the Numbering button instead.
The bullets are replaced with 1, 2, 3 - useful when the sequence itself carries meaning, such as steps to follow in order.
Click at the start of item 2 and press Tab.
Tab indents that line one level deeper and, in a numbered list, usually switches it to a sub-numbering style such as a, b, c, showing it belongs under the item above.
With your cursor on that indented line, press Shift+Tab.
Shift+Tab does the opposite of Tab - it moves the line back out to the previous level, undoing the indent.
Right-click a number partway down a numbered list and choose Restart at 1.
This is how you tell Word to begin counting again from 1 at that point, which is handy when one numbered list follows another separated by a paragraph of text.
Words people use
Lists are one of the simplest ways to make a document more welcoming to read, especially for anyone skimming for the point that matters to them. A little care with indenting and restarting numbers is all it takes to keep them looking deliberate rather than accidental.
Check yourself
If you can say yes to each of these, you are ready for the next lesson.
- I know when to use a bulleted list and when to use a numbered one
- I can turn existing lines into a list by selecting them first
- I can indent a list item with Tab and bring it back with Shift+Tab
- I can restart a numbered list at 1 when it wrongly continues from an earlier list