Move the insertion point to the spot in the document where you want to insert a tab. The faint tick marks along the lower edge of the horizontal ruler represent Word's default tab stops.
Press the Tab key on your keyboard. Word pushes the text out to the next default tab stop.
To remove a tab, make sure that your insertion point is just to the right of the tab, and press the Backspace key.
INTRODUCTION
When you press the Tab key on your keyboard, Word pushes the text to the right of the insertion point out to the next tab stop. Word's default tabs are set every half inch across the page. These default tabs are all that you need if you just want to indent the first line of your paragraphs. If you want to use tabs to align text more precisely, however, you need to create custom tabs (see "Setting a Custom Left or Right Tab" in Part 6).
TIP
Using First-Line Indents
Word may set a first-line indent for the paragraph instead of inserting a tab when you press the Tab key at the beginning of a paragraph. The paragraph will look the same either way, and you can remove a first-line indent with the Backspace key.