You can compare the formatting of one selection to another and have Word update one of the selections so that it matches the other. This feature is useful for ensuring that you apply consistent manual formatting to multiple selections.
Select the text containing the formatting that you want to compare.
Click Format.
Click Reveal Formatting.
The Reveal Formatting pane appears.
Click the Compare to another selection option ( changes to ).
Select the text that you want to compare to the text you selected in step 1.
The two selections appear here.
Formatting differences between the selections appear here.
To match the formatting of the second selection to the formatting of the first selection, move the mouse pointer () over the area showing the second selection.
A appears.
Click to display a list of options.
Click Apply Formatting of Original Selection.
Word applies the formatting of the first selection to the second selection.
Click anywhere to continue working.
When the formatting of both selections matches, Word displays No Formatting differences here.
What kind of formatting differences does Word identify in the Reveal Formatting task pane?
For any two selections, Word identifies differences in font, paragraph style, alignment, outline level, spacing before and after the paragraphs, line and page breaks, and bullets and numbering. You can make changes to any of these formatting differences by following the steps in the section “Review and Change Formatting.”
What happens if I click the Show all formatting marks option below the Reveal Formatting task pane?
When you click this option ( changes to ), Word displays formatting marks in your document that represent tabs, spaces, paragraphs, line breaks, and so on.