Bullet points are handy until Word adds them where you do not want them, or you paste text that comes with bullets attached. Removing them is usually one click, but a few situations need a different fix: a single bullet inside a list, bullets that keep coming back automatically, and bullets that are part of a style. This guide covers all of them.
Quick answer
Select the bulleted text, go to the Home tab, and click the Bullets button (the icon with dots and lines) so it is no longer highlighted. The bullets disappear and the text stays.
Method 1: Turn off bullets with the Bullets button
- Select the list. Click and drag over it, or press Ctrl + A to select the whole document if you want to remove every bullet.
- On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Bullets.
The button acts as a toggle: clicking it again puts the bullets back. You can also click the arrow next to Bullets and choose None.
Method 2: Remove a single bullet
To remove the bullet from one line while keeping the rest of the list:
- Click at the very start of the text on that line, right after the bullet.
- Press Backspace once. The bullet disappears, but the text stays indented.
- Press Backspace again if you also want to remove the indent.
Pressing Enter twice at the end of a list also ends the list and returns you to normal text.
Method 3: Use a keyboard shortcut
- Ctrl + Shift + N applies the Normal style, which removes bullets and list indents along with other paragraph formatting.
- Ctrl + Q removes paragraph formatting from the selected paragraphs, including bullets in many cases.
These are fast for whole documents, but they also remove other formatting such as headings, so check the result.
Method 4: Stop Word from adding bullets automatically
If Word turns lines starting with a dash or asterisk into bulleted lists, change AutoFormat:
- Go to File > Options > Proofing and click AutoCorrect Options.
- Open the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
- Untick Automatic bulleted lists (and Automatic numbered lists if needed).
- Click OK.
To undo a single automatic bullet as it appears, press Ctrl + Z immediately. For numbered lists, see how to stop automatic numbering in Word.
Method 5: Remove bullets that are part of a style
Some templates use a style, such as List Bullet, that includes bullets. Clicking the Bullets button may not remove them, or they may come back.
- Select the text.
- On the Home tab, click Normal in the Styles gallery.
To remove bullets from every paragraph using that style, right-click the style in the gallery, choose Modify, click Format > Numbering, choose None, and click OK.
Remove bullets from pasted text
When you paste from a website or another document, bullets often come along. Right-click where you want the text and choose Keep Text Only under Paste Options. The text arrives without bullets or other formatting.
Troubleshooting
- Bullets look like text characters you cannot click away: they may be typed symbols (•) rather than real bullets. Use Home > Replace (Ctrl + H), put • in Find what, leave Replace with empty, and click Replace All.
- Indent stays after removing bullets: select the text and drag the indent markers on the ruler back to the margin, or set Indentation to 0 in Layout > Paragraph.
- Numbers instead of bullets: use the Numbering button instead; see how to remove automatic numbering in Word.
Related: How to move a bullet point back in Word.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove bullets but keep the indentation?
Click at the start of each line and press Backspace once. Word removes the bullet but keeps the list indent, which is useful for neatly aligned notes without symbols.
Does this work in Word for Mac and Word for the web?
Yes. The Bullets button is in the same place on the Home tab. On a Mac, AutoFormat settings are under Word > Preferences > AutoCorrect > AutoFormat as You Type.
Can I turn bullets into numbers instead?
Select the list and click the Numbering button next to Bullets. Word replaces the bullets with numbers in one step.
Want to keep bullets but change them?
You may only need to adjust the list. See how to format bullet points in Word for symbols, colors and sizes.
Summary
- Select the list and click Home > Bullets to turn bullets off.
- Press Backspace at the start of a line to remove one bullet.
- Turn off Automatic bulleted lists in AutoCorrect Options to stop them coming back.
- Apply the Normal style when bullets are part of a list style.
- Use Keep Text Only when pasting.
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.