So you want to cross out text (like this) in Word, Excel and/or PowerPoint using your keyboard shortcuts...
You are in luck!
Word, Excel and PowerPoint all have different sets of keyboard shortcuts you can use to create the strikethrough text effect.
On top of that, you will see that there are a variety of other text effects you can quickly apply if you use the Font Dialog box shortcuts described below:
If you are NOT interested in shortcuts but still want to create the crossed out text effect, see our guide here.
Strikethrough Shortcut in Excel
There are three keyboard shortcuts you can use to get at the Font Dialog box in Excel to create the strikethrough text effect.
#1: Strikethrough text in Excel using the Ctrl + 5 shortcut
- Select the cells that you want to strikethrough in your spreadsheet
- Hit Ctrl + 5 on your keyboard
#2: Strikethrough text in Excel using your Ribbon Guide Shortcuts
- Select the cells that you want to strikethrough in your spreadsheet
- Hit Alt, then H, then FN on your keyboard to open the Font Dialog box
- Hit Alt + K to select the Strikethrough effect
- Hit Enter to accept the changes
#3: Strikethrough text using the Format Cells shortcut
- Select the cells that you want to strikethrough in your spreadsheet
- Hit Ctrl + 1 on your keyboard to open the Format Cells dialog box
- Hit F on your keyboard to jump to the Font options (if it is not already open)
- Hit Alt + K to select the strikethrough option
- Hit Enter to accept the changes
Also, a quick note on the Font Dialog box in Excel to remember is that the dialog box always opens exactly as you left it the last time you used it (see the tabs of the dialog box below).
That means that if you last used the Font tab when you closed out of the dialog box, the next time you open the dialog box, it will start with the Font tab selected.
Inside the Font tab you will also find a few other text effects that you can apply using your keyboard shortcuts, by holding the Alt key and hitting the underlined letter (as pictured below).
Strikethrough Shortcut in Word
There are two different shortcuts you can use to put a line through your text in Microsoft Word (like this).
Which one is better depends on what you are doing and how many formatting options you want to put at your fingertips (like the double strikethrough effect).
#1: Use your Ribbon guide shortcuts to cross out text in Word (PC only)
- Select the text you want to strike out in your Word document
- On your keyboard hit Alt, H, 4
Note: To make the Alt, H, 4 shortcut work, you DO NOT need to hold the keys down.
Instead, simply hit and let go of the Alt key, hit and let go of the H key, then hit and let go of the 4 key.
#2: Use your Font Dialog Box shortcuts in Word to cross out text
- Select the text you want to strikethrough
- Hit Ctrl + D to open the Font Dialog box
- Inside the Font Dialog Box, hit Alt + K to select the Strikethrough
- Hit Enter for okay
To remove a strikethrough in Word, simply select the text and either use the shortcut again to remove it, or hit Ctrl + Spacebar to remove all formatting (reverting the formatting back to whatever is set on your template).
Subscript and superscript shortcuts
Although you can use the Font Dialog Box to add subscripts and superscripts in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, you can also just use their dedicated keyboard shortcuts instead.
Subscript shortcut: Ctrl + =
Superscript shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + =
To learn other useful PowerPoint shortcuts like this, see our shortcut guide here.
Strikethrough Shortcut in PowerPoint
Just like in Word, there are there are two different shortcuts you can use to put a line through your text in Microsoft PowerPoint (like this).
Which one is better?
That depends on what you are trying to accomplish and/or how many formatting options you want at your fingertips (with the Font Dialog Box shortcut giving you more options).
#1: Cross out text in PowerPoint using your Ribbon Guide Shortcuts (for PC users)
- Select the text (or object with text in it) that you want to strikethrough on your slide
- On your keyboard hit Alt, H, 4
Note: To make the Alt, H, 4 shortcut work, you do not need to hold the keys down. Instead, simply hit and let go of the Alt key, hit and let go of the H key, then hit and let go of the 4 key.
#2: Use your Font dialog box shortcuts to cross out text in PowerPoint
- Select the text (or object with text) that you want to strikethrough on your slide
- Hit Ctrl + T on your keyboard to open the Font Dialog box
- Inside the Font Dialog Box, hit Alt + K to select the single strikethrough
- Hit Enter for okay
If you use the Font Dialog box shortcut in PowerPoint (Ctrl + T), you also open up a number a number of other formatting options that you can additionally shortcut inside the dialog box by holding the Alt key and hitting the effects underlined letter (as pictured below).
To remove a strikethrough in PowerPoint, simply select the text (or object) with the strike out effect and either use the shortcut again, or hit Ctrl + Space Bar on you keyboard to clear all of the text’s formatting (reverting it back to the formatting set for your template).
For a comprehensive look at what should go in your PowerPoint template, see our guide here.
