Shortcut keys are like special codes you can type on your keyboard to do things faster on your computer. They can help you work more efficiently and make using your computer easier.
Most people use computers, so learning shortcut keys is a good idea. They can help you do things quickly in different programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Computer Shortcut Keys A-Z Basic
When you’re working on a computer, you often need to do things like highlighting words, copying and pasting information, or deleting stuff. You can do these things with your mouse, but it’s faster and easier to use keyboard shortcuts. The table below shows you all the simple keyboard shortcuts you can use every day, from A to Z.
| Shortcut Key | Function/Action | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select All | Selects all text or items in a document |
| Ctrl + B | Bold | Makes selected text bold |
| Ctrl + C | Copy | Copies of selected text or item |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate | Creates a duplicate of the selected item |
| Ctrl + E | Edit | Opens the editing options |
| Ctrl + F | Find | Searches for a specific word or phrase |
| Ctrl + G | Go to | Navigates to a specific location |
| Ctrl + H | Replace | Replaces one set of characters with another |
| Ctrl + I | Italicize | Makes selected text italic |
| Ctrl + J | Justify | Aligns text to both the left and right |
| Ctrl + K | Insert Hyperlink | Adds a hyperlink to selected text |
| Ctrl + L | Align Left | Aligns text to the left |
| Ctrl + M | Minimize | Minimizes the active window |
| Ctrl + N | New | Creates a new document or file |
| Ctrl + O | Open | Opens an existing document or file |
| Ctrl + P | Prints the active document | |
| Ctrl + Q | Quit | Closes the active application |
| Ctrl + R | Refresh | Reloads or updates the current page |
| Ctrl + S | Save | Saves the active document or file |
| Ctrl + T | Cut | Removes and copies selected text or item |
| Ctrl + U | Underline | Underlines selected text |
| Ctrl + V | Paste | Pastes copied or cut text |
| Ctrl + W | Close | Closes the active window or application |
| Ctrl + X | Cut | Removes and copies selected text or item |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo | Redoes the last undone action |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo | Undoes the last action |
These shortcut keys are commonly used to perform tasks quickly and efficiently while working on a computer.
Computer Shortcut Keys MS Office Shortcut
Microsoft Office is a set of tools that helps people work on computers. It has programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Each program does something different. For example, Word is for writing, Excel is for numbers, and PowerPoint is for making slides.
Knowing shortcuts can help you use Microsoft Office faster. Let’s see some common ones.
| MS Office Shortcut Keys | |
| Shortcut Key | Function |
| Ctrl + N | New Document |
| Ctrl + O | Open Document |
| Ctrl + S | Save Document |
| Ctrl + p | Print Document |
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo |
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Ctrl + F | Find |
| Ctrl + H | Replace |
| Ctrl + B | Bold |
| Ctrl + I | Italic |
| Ctrl + U | Underline |
| Ctrl + P | Open print dialog |
| Ctrl + F2 | Print preview |
Computer Shortcut Keys MS Word
Now, Let us have a look at the general shortcut keys of MS Word:
| MS Word Shortcut Keys | |
| Shortcut Key | Function |
| Ctrl + F3 | Cut to the Spike |
| Ctrl + F4 | Close the active document |
| Ctrl + F5 | Restore the document window size |
| Ctrl + F6 | Switch between open documents |
| Ctrl + F7 | Activate the Spelling and Grammar check |
| Ctrl + F8 | Extend a selection |
| Ctrl + F9 | Insert an empty field |
| Ctrl + F10 | Maximize the document window |
| Ctrl + F11 | Lock a field |
| Ctrl + F12 | Open the “Save As” dialog box |
Computer Shortcut Keys MS Excel
Now, Let us have a look at the general shortcut keys of MS Excel:
| MS Excel Shortcut Keys | |
| Shortcut Key | Function |
| Ctrl + Arrow keys | Move to the edge of data region |
| Ctrl + Space | Select entire column |
| Ctrl + Shift + “+” | Select entire row |
| Ctrl + “-“ | Insert new worksheet |
| Ctrl + Shift + “$” | Delete the selected cells |
| Ctrl + Shift + “%” | Apply currency format |
| Ctrl + Shift + “#” | Apply percentage format |
| Ctrl + E,S,V | Apply date format |
| Ctrl + D | Paste special |
| Ctrl + R | Fill right |
Computer Shortcut Keys PowerPoint
Now, Let us have a look at the general shortcut keys of MS PowerPoint:
| PowerPoint Shortcut Keys | |
| Shortcut Key | Function |
| Ctrl + Enter | Insert a new slide |
| Ctrl + M | Insert a new slide in slide sorter view |
| F5 | Start the presentation |
| Ctrl + F5 | Start the presentation from the current slide |
| Alt + Shift + Left Arrow | Promote a paragraph |
| Alt + Shift + Right Arrow | Demote a paragraph |
| Ctrl + Shift + “+” | Insert a new slide |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate the selected slide |
| Ctrl + E | Center align text |
Computer Shortcut Keys other than MS Office
Here are some commonly used shortcut keys outside of Microsoft Office applications:
General Windows Shortcut Keys
Here are some of the most commonly used Shortcut keys in Windows:
- Ctrl + C: Copy
- Ctrl + X: Cut
- Ctrl + V: Paste
- Ctrl + Z: Undo
- Ctrl + Y: Redo
- Ctrl + A: Select All
- Ctrl + F: Find
- Ctrl + S: Save
- Ctrl + P: Print
- Alt + F4: Close the active window
- F2: Rename a selected item
- F5: Refresh the current window or webpage
File Explorer Shortcut Keys
Here are some of the most commonly used Shortcut keys in File Explorer:
- Win + E: Open File Explorer
- Alt + Enter: Open the Properties of a selected item
- Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new folder
Web Browsing Shortcut Keys (in most browsers)
Here are some of the most commonly used Shortcut keys in Web Browsers:
- Ctrl + T: Open a new tab
- Ctrl + W: Close the current tab
- Ctrl + Shift + T: Reopen the last closed tab
- Ctrl + Tab: Switch between tabs
- Ctrl + N: Open a new browser window
- Ctrl + D: Bookmark the current page
System Shortcut Keys
Here are some of the most commonly used Shortcut keys in the system:
- Ctrl + Alt + Del: Open the Task Manager
- Win + L: Lock your computer
- Win + R: Open the Run dialog box
- Alt + Tab: Switch between open applications
Multimedia Shortcut Keys
Here are some of the most commonly used Shortcut keys in Multimedia:
- Spacebar: Play or pause a video or music file
- Ctrl + Arrow keys: Jump between words in a text document
- Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open Task Manager directly
Dialog Box Shortcut Keys
Here are some of the most commonly used Shortcut keys in the Dialog Box:
- Tab: Move to the next control in the dialog box
- Shift + Tab: Move to the previous control in the dialog box
- Enter: Activate the selected button or option
Screen Capture Shortcut Keys
Here are some of the most commonly used Shortcut keys for Screen Capture:
- Print Screen: Capture the entire screen
- Alt + Print Screen: Capture the active window
- Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch: Windows tools for capturing and annotating screenshots
