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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Paragraph marks in Microsoft Word can make a document look cluttered, especially when you are trying to read, edit, or print a clean page. These symbols usually appear when Word’s formatting marks are turned on, showing hidden characters such as paragraph breaks, spaces, tabs, and page breaks.
Turning them off is usually quick, whether you are using the ribbon, a keyboard shortcut, or Word’s display settings. The process can vary slightly between Windows, Mac, and different Word versions, but the main controls are easy to find once you know where to look.
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This guide explains how to hide paragraph marks and other formatting symbols, they appear in the first place, and what to check if they keep coming back after you turn them off.
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Paragraph marks in Microsoft Word are formatting symbols that show where each paragraph ends. They appear as a pilcrow symbol, ¶, at the end of a line or paragraph when formatting marks are turned on. These marks are not part of the text you print or export in most normal situations; they are visual editing aids that help you see the structure of your document.
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When you press Enter in Word, the program inserts a paragraph break. That break stores more than just a new line: it can carry paragraph-level formatting such as alignment, indentation, line spacing, spacing before and after, borders, shading, bullets, numbering, and style information. The visible ¶ symbol simply shows you where that paragraph break exists. If you delete a paragraph mark, you may also remove or merge some of the formatting attached to that paragraph.
Paragraph marks are part of a larger group of nonprinting formatting marks. These symbols can make a document look cluttered if you are not used to them, but they are useful when cleaning up spacing, fixing odd page breaks, or diagnosing layout problems. For example, a paragraph mark on an otherwise blank page may explain Word is adding an extra page at the end of a document.
Common formatting marks you may see
- Paragraph mark: The ¶ symbol shows the end of a paragraph created by pressing Enter.
- Space marker: A small dot between words shows each space created with the spacebar.
- Tab arrow: A right-facing arrow shows where the Tab key was used.
- Manual line break: A bent arrow shows a line break created with Shift + Enter, which starts a new line without starting a new paragraph.
- Page break: A labeled dotted line may show where a manual page break was inserted.
- Section break: A labeled dotted line shows where section-level formatting changes, such as margins, columns, headers, or footers, may begin.
These symbols appear only when Word’s formatting display is enabled through the Show/Hide ¶ button, a keyboard shortcut, or the program’s display settings. Seeing them does not usually mean anything is wrong with the file. It simply means Word is showing hidden structure that is normally invisible while reading or printing the document.
Understanding what paragraph marks represent makes it easier to hide them without worrying that you are deleting content. Turning off the display only changes what you see on screen; it does not remove paragraph breaks, spaces, tabs, or section breaks from the document. If you actually select and delete one of these marks, however, Word will remove the underlying formatting character, which can change layout and spacing.
How to Turn Off Paragraph Marks Using the Ribbon
The quickest way to turn off paragraph marks in Microsoft Word is to use the Show/Hide button on the Ribbon. This button controls the on-screen display of nonprinting characters such as paragraph marks, spaces, tabs, manual line breaks, and page breaks. It does not delete anything from your document; it only changes whether those symbols are visible while you edit.
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- Select the Home tab at the top of the window.
- Look for the Paragraph group on the Ribbon.
- Click the ¶ button, also called Show/Hide.
- The paragraph marks and other visible formatting symbols should disappear from the document.
In most current Windows versions of Word, including Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016, the button is located on the Home tab between the sorting and shading/borders tools, depending on your window size. If the Word window is narrow, some Ribbon groups may collapse, so you may need to widen the window or click the Paragraph group expansion area to find the ¶ icon.
You can tell whether the feature is active by looking at the button itself. When Show/Hide is turned on, the ¶ button usually appears highlighted or shaded. Click it once to turn the symbols off; click it again to turn them back on. This toggle is useful when you need to check spacing, paragraph breaks, section breaks, or tab usage, then return to a cleaner editing view.
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What the Ribbon button hides
- Paragraph marks: the ¶ symbols at the end of paragraphs.
- Spaces: dots between words when formatting marks are visible.
- Tabs: arrows showing where the Tab key was used.
- Manual line breaks: bent arrows created with Shift + Enter.
- Page and section breaks: labeled break lines in the document.
If clicking the ¶ button hides some symbols but not others, Word may be set to always display specific marks in its options. For example, paragraph marks can be forced to remain visible even when Show/Hide is off. In that case, the Ribbon button is working, but Word’s display settings are overriding part of the toggle. The next settings method is the place to check if the symbols do not disappear as expected.
How to Hide Paragraph Marks with a Keyboard Shortcut
The fastest way to hide paragraph marks in Microsoft Word is to use the keyboard shortcut for showing or hiding nonprinting characters. On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + 8. On a Mac, press Command + 8. This shortcut toggles the same Show/Hide feature controlled by the pilcrow button, which looks like ¶, on the Home tab.
If paragraph marks, dots between words, arrows, or other formatting symbols are visible, use the shortcut once to turn them off. If nothing changes, press the shortcut again slowly and make sure Word is the active window. The command works as a toggle, so pressing it repeatedly switches formatting marks on and off.
Keyboard shortcuts for common versions of Word
| Platform | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Word for Windows | Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Shows or hides paragraph marks and other nonprinting characters. |
| Word for Mac | Command + 8 | Toggles formatting marks on or off in the document window. |
| Word on the web | Use the ¶ button on the Home tab | Keyboard shortcut support may vary by browser and operating system. |
On Windows, the shortcut can be easy to miss because the number 8 shares a key with the asterisk on many keyboards. Hold Ctrl and Shift, then press the 8 key in the top number row. If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, the top-row 8 is usually the more reliable choice for this Word shortcut.
On Mac, press Command + 8 while your cursor is inside the Word document. If the shortcut does not work, check whether another app, keyboard layout, or macOS shortcut is intercepting the command. You can still hide the marks by going to the Home tab and selecting the ¶ button in the Paragraph group.
What the shortcut hides
- Paragraph marks: the ¶ symbol at the end of paragraphs.
- Spaces: small dots between words.
- Tabs: arrows showing where the Tab key was used.
- Manual line breaks: bent arrows created with Shift + Enter.
- Page and section breaks: labeled break lines in the document.
If only some symbols disappear after using the shortcut, Word may be set to always display certain marks. In that case, the shortcut hides the general Show/Hide view but cannot override marks that have been permanently enabled in Word’s display options. Those settings can be adjusted separately in Word Options on Windows or Word Preferences on Mac.
How to Change Word’s Display Settings
If paragraph marks disappear when you click the ¶ button but return every time you open a document, Word’s display settings may be set to always show them. The ribbon button only toggles formatting marks on and off for the current view, while the settings menu controls which marks Word displays by default. Changing these options is the best fix when paragraph symbols, spaces, tabs, or object anchors keep showing even after you turn them off from the toolbar.
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Change display settings in Word for Windows
- Open Microsoft Word.
- Select File in the upper-left corner.
- Choose Options at the bottom of the left menu. If your Word window is narrow, you may need to select More first.
- In the Word Options window, select Display.
- Look for the section labeled Always show these formatting marks on the screen.
- Clear the checkbox for Paragraph marks.
- Clear any other marks you do not want to see, such as Tab characters, Spaces, Hidden text, or Object anchors.
- Make sure Show all formatting marks is also unchecked if you want a clean document view.
- Select OK to save the change.
After you save the setting, return to your document and check whether the paragraph marks are gone. If the ¶ button on the Home tab is highlighted, click it once to turn off the temporary all-marks view. The setting and the ribbon button work together, so a document can still show paragraph marks if either the display checkbox is enabled or the Show/Hide ¶ command is turned on.
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Common display options and what they show
| Setting | What appears in the document |
|---|---|
| Paragraph marks | The ¶ symbol at the end of paragraphs and blank lines. |
| Spaces | Small dots between words. |
| Tab characters | Arrow symbols where the Tab key was used. |
| Hidden text | Text formatted as hidden, often with a dotted underline. |
| Object anchors | Anchor icons showing where floating images or objects are attached. |
These settings affect how Word displays formatting on your screen; they do not delete text, remove paragraph breaks, or change the document’s layout. For example, clearing Paragraph marks hides the ¶ symbols, but the paragraph breaks remain in the file. This makes the display menu safe to adjust when you only want a cleaner editing view without altering the document content.
How to Turn Off Formatting Marks on Mac
Microsoft Word for Mac uses the same paragraph mark symbol, ¶, to show the end of each paragraph, along with dots for spaces, arrows for tabs, and other nonprinting formatting characters. If these symbols are showing in your document, they are usually enabled from the Word toolbar, a keyboard shortcut, or Word’s display preferences. Turning them off on Mac is quick once you know where the controls are located.
Use the Show/Hide button in Word for Mac
- Open your document in Microsoft Word on your Mac.
- Select the Home tab on the ribbon at the top of the Word window.
- Look in the Paragraph group for the ¶ button.
- Click the ¶ button once to hide paragraph marks and other visible formatting symbols.
If the button appears selected or shaded, formatting marks are currently turned on. Clicking it again toggles them off. This is the most direct method in Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Word 2021 for Mac, Word 2019 for Mac, and most recent versions. The document content does not change when you use this control; Word is only changing whether hidden layout characters are displayed on screen.
Use the Mac keyboard shortcut
You can also turn formatting marks on or off with a keyboard shortcut. In Word for Mac, press Command + 8. On many Mac keyboards, this means holding Command and pressing the 8 key on the number row. If your keyboard layout requires Shift to type an asterisk on the 8 key, you still usually press Command + 8, not Command + Shift + 8.
This shortcut works as a toggle. If paragraph marks are visible, pressing Command + 8 hides them. If they are hidden, pressing it shows them again. This is useful when the ribbon is collapsed, when you are working in a smaller Word window, or when you want to quickly check spacing, tabs, and paragraph breaks without changing your document.
Check Word for Mac preferences
If formatting marks come back after you hide them, check Word’s display preferences. From the menu bar, select Word > Preferences, then choose View. In the section for nonprinting characters, clear any items you do not want to see, such as Paragraph marks, Spaces, Tabs, Optional hyphens, or All. If All is selected, Word may keep showing every formatting symbol even after you try to hide individual marks from the document window.
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| Mac method | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ribbon | Home > click the ¶ button in the Paragraph group |
| Keyboard | Press Command + 8 |
| Preferences | Word > Preferences > View > clear nonprinting characters |
After changing preferences, return to the document and confirm that the marks are hidden. If they still appear, close and reopen the document, then check whether the ¶ button is enabled again. In shared documents or templates, display preferences can also seem inconsistent if you move between Mac and Windows versions of Word, so checking both the ribbon toggle and the View preferences is the safest approach.
Why Paragraph Marks Keep Reappearing
If paragraph marks return after you hide them, Word is usually responding to one of several display controls rather than changing the document itself. The pilcrow symbol, ¶, is a screen-only formatting mark that shows where a paragraph ends. It can be switched on from the ribbon, a keyboard shortcut, Word Options, Mac preferences, or sometimes by document-specific behavior. Knowing which control is active helps you stop the marks from coming back every time you open or edit a file.
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The most common cause is the Show/Hide ¶ button on the Home tab. If someone clicks it while reviewing spacing, page breaks, or layout problems, Word displays paragraph marks, spaces, tabs, and other nonprinting characters depending on your settings. Click Home, then select the ¶ button in the Paragraph group so it is no longer highlighted. On Windows, you can also press Ctrl + Shift + 8; on Mac, press Command + 8.
Formatting marks are enabled in Word settings
Paragraph marks can also reappear because they are permanently enabled in Word’s display preferences. In Word for Windows, go to File > Options > Display and look under Always show these formatting marks on the screen. If Paragraph marks is checked, Word will show them even when the ribbon button appears off. You may also see Show all formatting marks, which overrides individual choices. Clear those boxes, then select OK.
On Mac, open Word > Preferences > View. In the section for nonprinting characters, clear Paragraph marks or All. After changing this setting, close and reopen the document to confirm Word is using the updated preference. If the marks return only on one computer, the setting is likely local to that installation of Word rather than part of the document.
Other actions can make marks visible again
- A keyboard shortcut was pressed accidentally: Ctrl + Shift + 8 on Windows or Command + 8 on Mac toggles formatting marks quickly, and it is easy to trigger while using nearby keys.
- Another user edited the file: In shared documents, a collaborator may turn marks on while cleaning up formatting. The display setting may affect what you see when you reopen Word, depending on your app settings.
- A template or startup setting is involved: Documents based on a custom template may open with certain view preferences or macros that adjust the editing environment.
- Word reopened in a previous state: If Word crashed or was force-closed, it may restore windows with the same viewing mode and formatting marks still visible.
- You are viewing a draft or layout-heavy document: While view mode alone does not create paragraph marks, users often enable them in Draft view or while working with section breaks, tables, lists, and page layout fixes.
If the marks keep returning across all documents, check Word’s global display settings first. If they appear only in one file, inspect the template, shared editing activity, and any macros attached to that document. In most cases, turning off both the Show/Hide ¶ button and the permanent display option removes the symbols until you choose to show them again.
Troubleshooting Formatting Marks That Won’t Go Away
If paragraph marks, dots between words, arrows, or other formatting symbols still appear after you click the ¶ Show/Hide button, Word is usually being told to display them from another setting. The fix is to check both the document window and Word’s global display preferences. Start by clicking the Home tab and making sure the ¶ button in the Paragraph group is not highlighted. If it is highlighted, click it once to turn it off.
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Next, check whether specific marks are permanently enabled in Word Options or Preferences. On Windows, go to File > Options > Display. Under Always show these formatting marks on the screen, clear any boxes you do not want to see, such as Paragraph marks, Spaces, Tabs, Hidden text, or Object anchors. You can also clear Show all formatting marks if it is selected. Click OK, then return to your document. On Mac, open Word > Preferences > View, then clear the formatting marks you want hidden.
Common fixes to try
- Use the shortcut again: Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 on Windows or Command + 8 on Mac. This toggles all formatting marks on or off in the current document window.
- Check the Ribbon state: If the ¶ button looks shaded or active, Word is still in Show/Hide mode. Click it once.
- Review Display settings: If one type of symbol keeps appearing, such as paragraph marks only, it may be selected individually in Word’s display settings.
- Close and reopen Word: After changing options, save your document, close Word completely, and reopen it to confirm the setting was applied.
- Test a new blank document: If marks appear only in one file, the issue may be document-specific. If they appear everywhere, it is likely a Word-wide preference.
If you see gray dotted underlines, shaded fields, or bracket-like markers, those may not be standard paragraph marks. They can come from features such as hidden text, field codes, bookmarks, tracked changes, or content controls. For example, if Track Changes is enabled, Word may show revision markings even when paragraph symbols are hidden. Go to the Review tab and check whether Track Changes is turned on. You can also change the display from All Markup to No Markup if you only want a cleaner view while reviewing.
| What you see | Where to check |
|---|---|
| ¶ at the end of every paragraph | Home > ¶ Show/Hide, or File > Options > Display |
| Dots between words | Display settings for Spaces |
| Arrows between text | Display settings for Tab characters |
| Markup, balloons, or revision lines | Review > Track Changes and Display for Review |
If none of these steps works, Word may be loading a template, add-in, or saved preference that restores the marks each time. Try opening Word in safe mode on Windows by pressing Windows + R, typing winword /safe, and pressing Enter. If the marks disappear in safe mode, disable add-ins from File > Options > Add-ins. On Mac, update Word from Help > Check for Updates, then restart the app. In most cases, clearing the individual display checkboxes and turning off the ¶ button resolves the problem.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut to turn off paragraph marks in Word?
On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + 8 to toggle paragraph marks and other formatting symbols on or off. On Mac, press Command + 8. If the marks disappear and then return later, check Word’s display settings because some marks may be set to always show.
How do I turn off paragraph marks from the Word toolbar?
Go to the Home tab and look in the Paragraph group for the pilcrow button, which looks like ¶. Click it once to hide paragraph marks and other visible formatting symbols. Click it again if you want to show them while editing spacing, page breaks, or layout issues.
How can I stop paragraph marks from showing every time I open Word?
In Word for Windows, go to File > Options > Display and clear any checked boxes under “Always show these formatting marks on the screen.” On Mac, go to Word > Settings or Preferences > View and turn off the formatting marks you do not want displayed. This changes the default behavior instead of only toggling marks for the current document.
Are paragraph marks visible when I print or send the document?
No, paragraph marks and most formatting symbols are editing aids and do not print by default. They also usually will not appear when someone opens the file unless that person has formatting marks turned on in their own Word settings. To confirm, use Print Preview before printing or exporting the document.
What should I do if the paragraph marks will not go away?
First, try the ¶ button on the Home tab and the keyboard shortcut to make sure the display toggle is off. If marks still appear, open Word’s Display or View settings and uncheck formatting marks that are set to always show. If the issue happens in only one file, close and reopen the document or test the same settings in a blank document to see whether the problem is document-specific.
Bottom Line
Turning off paragraph marks in Word is usually as simple as clicking the Show/Hide ¶ button or using the right keyboard shortcut for your device. If the marks keep appearing, check Word’s display settings to make sure formatting marks are not set to show permanently.
Once you know where these controls are, you can switch formatting symbols on when you need to troubleshoot spacing or layout issues, then hide them again for distraction-free writing. Start with the Show/Hide button, then move to settings if the symbols do not disappear.
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