Text copied into Word can land with the wrong font, size, spacing, color, or layout. The fix depends on what brought the formatting in: selected text, pasted content, paragraph settings, tab stops, or a picture. Start with the cleanup that matches what you see on the page, then move to the paste settings if the problem keeps coming back.
Clear formatting from selected text
Use this when text already in your document has the wrong font, color, size, or other added text formatting. This works in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016 on Windows and macOS.
Select the text you want to clean up.
Go to Home, open the Font group, and choose Clear All Formatting.
Word removes the added or changed text formatting and returns the selection to the default formatting styles.
Find Clear Formatting in Word for the web
In Word for the web, select the text with formatting you want to remove.
Open the Home tab on the ribbon and choose Clear Formatting.
When the command is hidden, select More, then choose Clear Formatting.
If this does not clean up pasted text, paste the content again with Keep Text Only.
Stop pasted text from bringing its old style
Use text-only paste when the formatting problem appears as soon as you paste from another place.
- 1.Click where you want the copied text to appear in Word.
- 2.Press Ctrl+V.
- 3.Select the Paste Options button next to the pasted text.
- 4.Choose Keep Text Only.
- 5.To make text-only paste the default on Windows, go to File > Options > Advanced, change the paste setting you want under Cut, copy, and paste to Keep Text Only, then select OK.
Use shortcuts for quick cleanup
This fixes manual character formatting, paragraph formatting, or an unwanted style.
Select the text, then press Ctrl+Spacebar in Word for Windows to remove manual character formatting.
Place the cursor in the paragraph, or select several paragraphs, then press Ctrl+Q in Word for Windows to remove paragraph formatting.
Select the text or paragraphs, then press Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows or Command+Shift+N on Mac to apply the Normal style.
Use Clear All Formatting when you need a broader cleanup of selected text, because applying Normal is not the same command.
Paste unformatted text from the menu
For a deliberate clean paste in desktop Word, cut or copy the content, click where you want it inserted, then open Home > Clipboard. Select the Paste arrow and choose Paste Special.
In the Paste Special dialog, choose Paste, then choose Unformatted Text. Word inserts the copied words without the original formatting.
In Word for the web, use Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows or Command+Shift+V on Mac in Chrome, Firefox, or Chromium-based Microsoft Edge. Text-only paste is also available through the ribbon, context menu, or paste floatie in supported browser setups.
Clear formatting on phones and tablets
On an Android tablet, select the text with the formatting you want to remove, then tap the clear formatting icon.
On iPad, select the text, open Home, tap the formatting icon, and choose the clear formatting option.
To paste without old styling on mobile, select the text, tap Copy or Cut, tap the new location, tap the clipboard icon, open the paste menu from the arrow next to the clipboard, and choose Keep Text Only.
If the mobile controls do not give you the cleanup you need, open the document in Word for the web or desktop Word and use Clear Formatting, Clear All Formatting, or Keep Text Only.
Remove stubborn tab spacing
Custom tab stops are the most common cause when text still lines up strangely after fonts, colors, and pasted styling are gone.
On Windows, go to Home, open the Paragraph dialog launcher, then select Tabs.
Select a tab stop and choose Clear, or choose Clear All, then select OK.
On Mac, go to Format > Tabs.
Select a tab stop and choose the remove tab stop button, or choose Clear All, then select OK.
Reset picture formatting
Text cleanup commands do not reset an edited image. To remove formatting applied to a picture since the document was last saved, select the picture, then go to Picture Tools Format > Adjust > Reset Picture.
Use Reset Picture for picture formatting only. For text problems, use Clear All Formatting on selected text or paste with Keep Text Only.
Avoid fixes that only hide formatting
Showing or hiding paragraph marks only changes whether formatting marks appear on screen.
On Windows, Review > Show Markup > Formatting controls whether formatting-change markup appears. On Mac, the same control is Review > Markup Options > Formatting. Either way, it only hides or shows the markup; it does not remove the formatting from the document.
Older Windows phone instructions are not current for consumer Word in 2026. Use Word for Android tablets, Word for iPad, Word for the web, or desktop Word.
If formatting behaves differently on a work or school device, the device is managed by an organization. Ask your IT administrator about copy and paste restrictions; those policies control paste behavior and do not clear existing formatting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to clear formatting in Word?
Select the text, then use Home > Font > Clear All Formatting in desktop Word. In Word for the web, use Home > Clear Formatting.
Why does pasted text keep changing my Word document style?
The copied text is bringing source formatting with it. Use Paste Options > Keep Text Only, or set Word for Windows to use Keep Text Only by default under File > Options > Advanced.
Does Ctrl+Spacebar clear all formatting in Word?
No. Ctrl+Spacebar removes manual character formatting in Word for Windows. Use Ctrl+Q for paragraph formatting, or Clear All Formatting for a broader cleanup of selected text.
Can I remove every bit of formatting by saving as plain text?
Yes. Use File > Save As, give the file a new name, choose Plain Text as the file type, and save it as a plain-text copy. This removes document formatting and can remove some nontext content.