How to remove paragraph symbols in Word is one of the most searched editing questions among Microsoft Word users. These formatting marks, known as non-printing characters or pilcrows (¶), appear when you enable formatting visibility. While they help with layout adjustments, they can clutter your view. Whether you’re on Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu, turning them off is easy once you know where to look.
🧩 What Are Paragraph Symbols in Word?
The ¶ symbol represents a paragraph break. It’s part of Word’s non-printing characters, which include spaces (·), tab markers (→), line breaks, and more.
These are helpful for:
- Troubleshooting formatting issues
- Understanding hidden layout structure
- Preparing documents for publishing or printing
But if you’re done formatting, you’ll likely want to hide them again.
🪟 How to Remove Paragraph Symbols in Word (Windows)
✅ Method 1: Use the Toolbar Button
- Open your Word document
- On the Home tab, find the ¶ icon in the Paragraph section
- Click it to toggle formatting marks off
✅ Method 2: Use a Keyboard Shortcut
- Press Ctrl + Shift + 8
- This instantly hides or shows all formatting symbols, including ¶
💡 Tip: You can use this shortcut multiple times to toggle visibility.
✅ Method 3: Word Options
- Go to File > Options
- Click Display
- Under “Always show these formatting marks,” uncheck “Paragraph marks”
- Click OK
🍏 Remove Paragraph Symbols in Word (macOS)
✅ Method 1: Use the Ribbon Button
- In Word, go to the Home tab
- Click the ¶ icon to toggle paragraph marks off
✅ Method 2: Keyboard Shortcut
- Press Command + 8
- This hides or shows all non-printing characters
✅ Method 3: Word Preferences
- Go to Word > Preferences
- Choose View
- Uncheck “Paragraph marks” and other options under “Nonprinting characters”
📎 Bonus: These settings apply to all future documents unless changed again.
🐧 Remove Paragraph Symbols in Word (Ubuntu/Linux)
Most Ubuntu users run Word Online or use LibreOffice Writer as an alternative. Here’s how to hide paragraph symbols in both.
✅ In Word Online:
- Click the ¶ icon in the Home tab to toggle formatting marks
- Or press Ctrl + Shift + 8 (just like on Windows)
✅ In LibreOffice Writer:
- Go to View
- Uncheck Formatting Marks
- Or use the shortcut Ctrl + F10
📝 You can also customize which formatting marks show by going to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids
🧠 When Should You Show or Hide Paragraph Marks?
Show them when:
- Editing complex layouts
- Troubleshooting spacing or alignment issues
- Preparing legal or academic documents
Hide them when:
- You’re finalizing the layout for presentation
- Sharing the document with non-technical users
- You need a clean, distraction-free writing view
🔧 Customize Visibility of Formatting Symbols
In Word (Windows/macOS), you can customize which non-printing characters appear:
- Go to File > Options > Display (Windows)
- Word > Preferences > View (macOS)
Then, choose to show or hide: - Paragraph marks
- Tab characters
- Spaces
- Hidden text
- Optional hyphens
🧭 Quick Shortcut Recap
| Platform | Shortcut to Toggle ¶ Symbols |
|---|---|
| Windows | Ctrl + Shift + 8 |
| macOS | Command + 8 |
| Ubuntu | Ctrl + Shift + 8 (Word Online) / Ctrl + F10 (LibreOffice) |
❓ FAQ – Removing Paragraph Symbols in Word
Why do paragraph symbols suddenly appear in my document?
You likely activated formatting marks by pressing a shortcut or clicking the ¶ icon accidentally.
Will paragraph symbols print?
No, they are non-printing characters and will never appear on printed pages.
Can I remove all formatting marks at once?
Yes! Use the toolbar icon or the shortcut to toggle all of them off instantly.
Can I keep some symbols but hide paragraph marks?
Yes. Go to settings and uncheck just the “Paragraph marks” option.
Is this available in older versions of Word?
Yes. These features have been in Word since at least Word 2003.
✅ Conclusion
Knowing how to remove paragraph symbols in Word helps clean up your view and makes your document easier to read. Whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu, toggling formatting marks like the ¶ symbol is a quick fix with either a button click or a keyboard shortcut. Use them when editing—hide them when done. It’s that simple!
Complete List of Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
If you need help for Windows, you can find a whole list of all keyboard shortcuts here.
https://keyboard-shortcuts.org/
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