How to Change the Width of a Column in Word (Tables and Text Columns)

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To change the width of a table column in Word, point at the column’s right border until the pointer turns into a two-headed resize arrow, then drag left or right. For an exact size, click any cell in that column, open the Table Layout tab and type a measurement in the Width box in the Cell Size group.

“Column” can also mean the newspaper-style text columns you create with Layout then Columns. Those widths are set in a different place: Layout then Columns then More Columns. This guide covers both, plus AutoFit, Table Properties and making several columns the same width.

Quick Answer

  1. Click inside the table column you want to change.
  2. Drag the column’s right border, or go to Table Layout and type a new value in the Width box in the Cell Size group.
  3. To match several columns, select them and click Distribute Columns.
  4. For text columns (not a table), go to Layout then Columns then More Columns, clear Equal column width and set each width.
  5. Click OK if you used a dialog box.

In This Guide

Before You Start: Table Column or Text Column?

These steps follow Microsoft Support documentation as of September 2026. They apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019 and Word 2016 on Windows, with notes for Mac and the web. Labels can vary slightly by version.

Word uses “column” for two different things:

  • Table columns are the vertical sets of cells in a table. You resize them with the mouse, the Table Layout tab, AutoFit or Table Properties.
  • Text columns (sometimes called newsletter-style columns) make ordinary paragraphs flow down one column and then into the next, like a newspaper. You set their width and the gap between them in the Columns dialog box.

If you see cell borders or gridlines around your text, you’re working with a table. If the page simply has two or three blocks of text side by side with no cells, you’re working with text columns and should skip to the text columns section.

A quick note on tab names: in current versions, the table tabs appear as Table Design and Table Layout when you click inside a table. Some older versions show them as Design and Layout under a Table Tools heading. The tools inside are the same.

Method 1: Drag the Column Border

Dragging is the fastest way to resize a column when you don’t need an exact measurement.

  1. Move the pointer over the right border of the column you want to change.
  2. Wait until the pointer changes to a resize pointer (two short vertical lines with arrows pointing left and right).
  3. Click and drag the border left to make the column narrower, or right to make it wider. Expected result: the column changes width, and the column to its right usually gives up or gains the same amount of space.
  4. Release the mouse button when the column looks right.

Tip: For more precision, click a cell and drag the column markers on the horizontal ruler instead. Microsoft notes that holding Alt while you drag the ruler markers shows the exact column measurements. If the ruler is hidden, turn it on with View then Ruler.

To resize the whole table instead of a single column, rest the pointer on the table until the small resize handle appears at the lower-right corner, then drag it when the pointer becomes a two-headed arrow.

Method 2: Type an Exact Width on the Table Layout Tab

Use this method when a column needs to be a specific size, such as 1.5 inches for a form or report.

  1. Click any cell in the column you want to change. To change several columns at once, select them first.
  2. Click the Table Layout tab on the ribbon.
  3. In the Cell Size group, click in the Width box (Microsoft calls it the Table Column Width box).
  4. Type the width you want, for example 1.5″, or use the arrows to adjust it.
  5. Press Enter. Expected result: the column snaps to that width.

The Height box right next to it works the same way for rows. The official steps for both are on Microsoft’s Resize a table, column, or row page.

Method 3: Use Table Properties

Table Properties is a dialog box that lets you set a preferred width for each column, either in inches or as a percentage of the table, and step through columns one at a time.

  1. Click in the column you want to change.
  2. Right-click and choose Table Properties. You can also click Properties on the Table Layout tab.
  3. Open the Column tab.
  4. Check Preferred width and type a value.
  5. In the Measure in list, choose Inches for a fixed size or Percent to size the column as a share of the table width.
  6. Click Next Column or Previous Column to set the width of neighboring columns without closing the dialog.
  7. Click OK.

The Table tab in the same dialog sets a preferred width for the entire table, and its Options button opens settings for cell margins, spacing between cells and Automatically resize to fit contents. Microsoft’s Set or change table properties article describes each tab.

Why percentages help: a column set to a percentage keeps its proportion if the table later gets wider or narrower, for example when you change page margins or orientation.

Method 4: Use AutoFit

AutoFit lets Word pick the widths for you. It’s in the Cell Size group on the Table Layout tab.

  1. Click anywhere in the table.
  2. Go to Table Layout and click AutoFit.
  3. Choose one option:
    • AutoFit Contents resizes each column to fit the text inside it.
    • AutoFit Window stretches the table to fit the width of the page between the margins.
    • Fixed Column Width stops Word from resizing columns automatically as you type.

If your columns keep growing or shrinking as you type, Fixed Column Width is usually the fix. Set your widths first with Method 1, 2 or 3, then choose Fixed Column Width to lock them.

Make Columns the Same Width

When columns end up uneven after dragging, Word can share the space equally.

  1. Select the columns you want to even out. To select the whole table, click the move handle at its upper-left corner.
  2. On the Table Layout tab, in the Cell Size group, click Distribute Columns. Expected result: the selected columns become equal in width, and the total table width stays the same.

Distribute Rows, next to it, does the same for row heights. For more detail on this task, see how to make all columns the same width in Word.

Word for Mac and Word for the Web

Word for Mac

Word for Mac follows the same idea. Microsoft’s Mac table resizing guide describes these options:

  1. Click in the column you want to change.
  2. Open the table layout tab on the ribbon (it may be labeled Table Layout or Layout, depending on your version).
  3. Type a value in the Width box, or select several columns and click Distribute Columns.
  4. To resize the whole table, drag the handle at its lower-right corner.

Dragging a column border with the mouse or trackpad also works on a Mac.

Word for the web

In Word for the web, dragging a column border is the simplest option. A table layout tab with sizing tools may also appear when you click in a table, but the available tools can differ from the desktop app. Microsoft notes that the Table Options settings (cell margins and cell spacing) are available only in the desktop versions of Word. If you need precise widths or percentages, open the document in the desktop app.

Change the Width of Text Columns

If your document uses text columns rather than a table, use the Columns dialog box.

  1. Click anywhere in the text that’s formatted in columns.
  2. Go to Layout (called Page Layout in some older versions) and click Columns.
  3. Click More Columns at the bottom of the list.
  4. To give columns different widths, clear the Equal column width check box.
  5. Under Width and spacing, type a width for each column and the spacing (the gap) after it.
  6. Check Line between if you’d like a vertical line separating the columns.
  7. Use the Apply to list to choose which part of the document gets the change, then click OK.

Because the page width is fixed, making one column wider takes space from another column or from the spacing. You can also drag the column markers on the ruler to adjust text columns visually. Microsoft covers the dialog on its Adjust column widths on a page page. If you’re starting from scratch, see how to make two columns in Word.

To control where text jumps to the next column, place the cursor where the new column should start and choose Layout then Breaks then Column, or press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

Which Method Should You Use?

Your goal Best method
Quick, visual adjustment Drag the column border
An exact measurement in inches Width box on the Table Layout tab
Widths as a share of the table Table Properties, Column tab, Measure in Percent
Let Word size columns to the text AutoFit Contents
Stop columns from changing as you type AutoFit, then Fixed Column Width
All columns equal Distribute Columns
Newspaper-style text columns Layout, Columns, More Columns

Troubleshooting

The column keeps changing width when I type

Word is automatically resizing the table to fit its contents. Click in the table, go to Table Layout, click AutoFit and choose Fixed Column Width. You can also open Table Properties, click Options on the Table tab and clear Automatically resize to fit contents.

Dragging one border also changes the next column

That’s normal: the space usually comes from the neighboring column so the table keeps its overall width. If you want a precise result, type the width in the Width box instead, or set each column in Table Properties.

The table runs past the page margin

Click in the table, choose AutoFit then AutoFit Window to fit it between the margins, then fine-tune individual columns. See how to fix a table in Word that is off the page for more fixes.

I can’t make a column narrower

Long words, images or wide cell margins can stop a column from shrinking. Check the cell margins through Table Layout then Cell Margins, and resize or remove large images in that column.

The Columns dialog didn’t change my table

Layout then Columns controls text columns, not table columns. Use the table methods above for tables.

I only want to change the columns in part of my document

In the Columns dialog, use the Apply to list. Choosing an option such as the current section or a point forward keeps the rest of the document unchanged.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set an exact column width in Word?

Click in the column, go to the Table Layout tab and type the measurement in the Width box in the Cell Size group, then press Enter.

Can I change the width of just one cell?

Yes. Select only that cell before dragging its border, or use the Cell tab in Table Properties to set its preferred width. This can make the table’s edges uneven, so use it sparingly.

How do I make every column the same width?

Select the columns, then click Distribute Columns on the Table Layout tab.

What’s the difference between AutoFit Contents and AutoFit Window?

AutoFit Contents sizes each column to fit its text. AutoFit Window stretches the whole table to the page width between the margins.

Can I use percentages instead of inches?

Yes. In Table Properties, on the Column tab, check Preferred width and set Measure in to Percent.

How do I change the gap between text columns?

Go to Layout then Columns then More Columns and change the Spacing value under Width and spacing.

Summary

  1. Decide whether you’re resizing a table column or a text column.
  2. For a quick change, drag the table column’s right border.
  3. For an exact size, type it in the Width box on the Table Layout tab.
  4. Use Table Properties for percentages or column-by-column settings.
  5. Use AutoFit to size automatically, or Fixed Column Width to lock widths.
  6. Click Distribute Columns to make columns equal.
  7. For text columns, use Layout, Columns, More Columns.

Next step: open your document, click in the column you want to change and try the Width box on the Table Layout tab for a precise result.

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