A right tab stop at the 6-inch mark is the standard way to push text against the right margin in Microsoft Word on a page with 1.25-inch margins, or near it on a page with 1-inch margins. It is what you use for a résumé line with a job title on the left and dates on the right, a header with a name and a page number, or a table of contents with dot leaders running to the page numbers. You can set it with the ruler in a couple of clicks, or set it exactly with the Tabs dialog box.
Quick answer
Select the paragraphs, open Home > Paragraph settings (the small arrow in the corner of the Paragraph group), click Tabs, type 6″ in Tab stop position, choose Right under Alignment, then click Set and OK. Press the Tab key before the text you want aligned at 6 inches.
Method 1: Add a right tab stop with the ruler
- Show the ruler. Go to the View tab and tick Ruler. The horizontal ruler appears above the page.
- Select the text. Click in the paragraph you want to format, or select several paragraphs. Tab stops apply to paragraphs, so setting one with nothing selected only affects the current paragraph and the new ones you type after it.
- Choose the right tab type. Look at the small box at the far left end of the ruler, where the horizontal and vertical rulers meet. Click it repeatedly to cycle through the tab types until you see the right tab symbol, which looks like a backwards L (┘).
- Click the 6-inch mark. Click on the lower edge of the ruler exactly at the 6. A right tab marker appears there.
- Use the tab. Place your cursor before the text you want on the right and press Tab. The text jumps to 6 inches and its right edge lines up with the tab stop.
Clicking on the ruler is quick but not always precise. If the marker lands at 5.94″ or 6.06″, drag it while holding Alt to see exact measurements, or use the Tabs dialog box below.
Method 2: Set a right tab stop at exactly 6 inches with the Tabs dialog box
- Select the paragraphs you want to format.
- On the Home tab, click the small arrow at the bottom-right corner of the Paragraph group.
- Click the Tabs button at the bottom of the Paragraph window.
- In Tab stop position, type 6″.
- Under Alignment, select Right.
- Under Leader, choose 1 None for blank space, or 2 for a dotted line leading to the text.
- Click Set, then OK.
A quick shortcut to the same dialog box is to double-click any existing tab marker on the ruler.
Why the 6-inch mark?
A US Letter page is 8.5 inches wide. With Word’s default 1-inch margins, the text area is 6.5 inches wide, so the right margin sits at 6.5″ on the ruler. With 1.25-inch margins, used in older versions of Word and many templates, the text area is exactly 6 inches. A right tab at 6″ therefore lines text up flush with the right margin on a 1.25-inch layout and leaves a half-inch gap on a 1-inch layout. If you want text flush with the margin whatever the margins are, set the tab at the margin position shown on the ruler or use a right-aligned tab in a header, which Word places at the margin automatically.
Add dot leaders to the right tab stop
Leaders fill the gap before a tab with dots, dashes or a solid line, the look you see in tables of contents, menus and price lists. Open the Tabs dialog box, select the 6″ stop in the list, choose leader 2 (dots), click Set and OK. Any text you tab to that stop now has dots running up to it.
Move or remove the tab stop
- Move it: drag the marker along the ruler.
- Remove it: drag the marker down off the ruler and release it, or open the Tabs dialog box, select 6″ and click Clear. Our guide on clearing a tab stop in Word covers the other options, including Clear All.
Tips
- Show formatting marks. Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 to see tab characters as arrows. This shows whether you pressed Tab once or several times.
- Set the stop before you type. Set up the first line, then press Enter; new paragraphs inherit the same tab stops.
- Combine tab types. You can keep a left tab for one column and a right tab at 6″ on the same line. See how to set multiple tabs in Word.
- Save it as a style. If you use the layout often, right-click the formatted paragraph’s style and choose Update to Match Selection.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my text not line up at 6 inches?
The tab stop may have been set on a different paragraph, or you may have pressed Tab more than once. Click in the line and check the ruler for the marker, and turn on formatting marks to count the tab characters.
Can I set a right tab stop in Word for Mac or Word on the web?
Word for Mac works the same way: use the ruler or Format > Tabs. Word on the web has fewer tab options than the desktop app, so if you need exact positions or leaders, set them in the desktop version.
What is the difference between a right tab and right alignment?
Right alignment moves the whole paragraph to the right margin. A right tab lets you keep text on the left of the same line and push only the text after the tab to the right.
Summary
- Show the ruler from the View tab.
- Select the paragraphs.
- Choose the right tab type in the tab selector, or open the Tabs dialog box.
- Set the stop at 6 inches, with a leader if you want one.
- Press Tab before the text you want aligned.
New to tabs? Start with our beginner’s guide on how to use tabs in Word.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.