Bold text in Word can come from a quick Ctrl+B, from pasted text, or from a style such as a heading. The quickest fix depends on where it came from: toggle bold off for a few words, clear all formatting for a messy passage, or change the style if every heading is bold.
Quick Answer
Select the bold text and press Ctrl+B (or click the B button on the Home tab). To remove bold along with all other character formatting, select the text and click Clear All Formatting.
How to Remove Bold in Word
- Select the bold text. Press Ctrl+A to select the whole document.
- Press Ctrl+B, or click the B button in the Font group on the Home tab. Press it again if the selection mixed bold and normal text.
- To strip bold, italics, colors, and sizes at once, click Clear All Formatting (the A with an eraser) on the Home tab.
- If headings are bold because of their style, right-click the style in the Styles gallery, choose Modify, and turn off bold.
- Press Ctrl+Space to remove character formatting from selected text while keeping paragraph settings.
Ways to Remove Bold
| Method | Best for |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+B | A few words |
| Ctrl+Space | Character formatting only |
| Clear All Formatting | Text pasted from elsewhere |
| Modify the style | Every heading or quote of one style |
Troubleshooting
- Ctrl+B makes everything bold: the selection had some normal text. Press Ctrl+B again.
- Bold comes back when you type: the style is bold. Modify the style instead of the text.
- If pasted text also has a background color, see how to remove background color after copying text.
- To style text differently, read how to apply fill to text in Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clear All Formatting remove hyperlinks?
It removes their formatting but usually keeps the link. Right-click and choose Remove Hyperlink to remove the link itself.
Can I find all bold text at once?
Yes. Use Find and Replace, click More, Format, Font, choose Bold, and replace with Not Bold.
Is this the same in Word for Mac?
Yes. Use Command+B, or the Clear All Formatting button on the Home tab.
Summary
- Select the text.
- Press Ctrl+B.
- Use Clear All Formatting for pasted text.
- Modify the style for bold headings.
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.