Microsoft Word facts for kids

Microsoft Word is a very popular computer program used for writing and editing documents. It's like a digital notebook or a fancy typewriter that lets you create all sorts of written things, from school reports to stories and letters. It was first released on October 25, 1983, and has since been made available for many different computers and devices, including Windows PCs, Apple Macs, and even phones and tablets.

You can get Microsoft Word by buying it on its own or as part of a bigger collection of programs called Microsoft 365. This collection can be bought once or used with a monthly or yearly payment plan.

Quick facts for kids
Microsoft Word

Microsoft Office 365 version of Microsoft Word, with the new redesign applied
Other names	Multi-Tool Word
Developer(s)	Microsoft
Initial release	October 25, 1983; 41 years ago (1983-10-25)
Stable release	2405 (Build 17628.20144) / June 11, 2024; 13 months ago (2024-06-11)
Written in	C++ (back-end)
Operating system	Windows 10 and later, Windows Server 2016 and later Office 365 only Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 and later
Platform	IA-32, x64, Arm, Arm64
Predecessor	Multi-Tool Word or WordPad
Type	Word processor
License	Trialware

Microsoft Word for Mac

Word for Mac running on macOS Ventura (13.2)
Developer(s)	Microsoft
Stable release	16.86 (Build 24060916) / June 11, 2024; 13 months ago (2024-06-11)
Written in	C++ (back-end), Objective-C (API/UI)
Operating system	macOS
Type	Word processor
License	Proprietary software plus services

Microsoft Word for Android

Microsoft Word running on Android 13
Developer(s)	Microsoft Corporation
Initial release	January 29, 2015; 10 years ago (2015-01-29)
Stable release	16.0.16529.20146 / July 8, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-07-08)
Operating system	Android Pie or later
License	Proprietary commercial software

History of Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word has a long history, starting way back in the early 1980s.

How Word Began

In 1981, a smart developer named Charles Simonyi joined Microsoft. He had worked on the first word processor that used a graphical user interface (GUI), meaning you could see what you were doing on screen. Simonyi started creating a new word processor called Multi-Tool Word. He soon hired Richard Brodie, who became the main engineer for the program.

Microsoft announced Multi-Tool Word in 1983. Its name was quickly shortened to Microsoft Word. Free copies of the program were even given away with a magazine called PC World. This was the first time a computer program was given away on a disk with a magazine!

Unlike many programs at the time, Word was made to be used with a computer mouse. It was also one of the first programs to show you exactly what your document would look like when printed. This is called WYSIWYG, which stands for "What You See Is What You Get." Word could also undo mistakes and show text in bold, italic, or underlined.

At first, Word wasn't super popular because it was different from other programs. But Microsoft kept making it better. In 1985, they made a version for Apple Macintosh computers. This version was very popular because it was easy to use and had great features like fast copy-pasting.

Word for Windows Computers

Microsoft Word (2007) showing the Ribbon interface.

The first version of Word for Microsoft Windows came out in 1989. When Windows 3.0 was released a year later, Word became much more popular. Soon, it was the most used word processor for Windows computers.

New versions of Word for Windows often brought exciting changes:

• Word 2007 introduced a new look called the Ribbon. This made it easier to find common tools by grouping them into tabs.
• Word 2010 allowed you to customize the Ribbon and added a "Backstage view" for managing your files. You could also take screenshots and add them directly to your documents.
• Word 2019 added a cool dictation feature, letting you speak instead of type.
• Word 2021 brought features like working on documents with others at the same time (co-authoring), automatic saving to the cloud, and a dark mode for easier viewing.

Word for Mac Computers

Microsoft Word 2011 running on OS X.

Microsoft released Word for Mac in 1985, just a year after the first Macintosh computer came out. This version was special because it was one of the first to truly show you what your document would look like on screen.

Over the years, Word for Mac also got many updates:

• Word 5.1 (1992) was very popular because it was easy to use and had many features. Some people still think it's one of the best versions for Mac!
• Word 98 (1998) improved how documents looked when shared between Windows and Mac versions. It also added spell and grammar checking.
• Word 2008 (2008) introduced a feature similar to the Ribbon, called the Elements Gallery. It also supported the newer Office Open XML file format.
• Word 2011 (2010) brought the Ribbon interface, making it look more like the Windows version. It also had a full-screen mode for focused writing.
• Word 2021 added real-time co-authoring, cloud saving, dark mode, and improved drawing tools.

File Formats for Word Documents

When you save a document in Microsoft Word, it uses special file types.

Understanding File Extensions

Word documents usually end with either `.doc` or `.docx`. These are called file extensions.

• The `.doc` extension was used for older versions of Word.
• The newer `.docx` extension is used by default in Word 2007 and later. This format is based on a modern standard called Office Open XML.

Sometimes, if you open a Word document created in a newer version with an older version of Word, it might not look exactly right. This is because newer versions have more features that older versions don't understand.

Cool Features of Word

Word has many helpful tools to make your writing easier and better.

Checking Your Writing

Word includes a built-in spell checker to catch typos and a thesaurus to help you find different words. It also has a dictionary to look up meanings.

Using Templates

Word lets you create your own special designs for documents, called templates. For example, the `Normal.dotm` template sets the default margins, text layout, and fonts for all new documents. You can change this template to make your documents look exactly how you want them.

Adding Images and Art

You can easily put pictures like JPGs and GIFs into your Word documents. Word also supports SVG images, which are great for graphics that can be resized without losing quality.

WordArt for Fancy Text

An example image created with WordArt.

WordArt is a fun feature that lets you make text look artistic. You can add shadows, make text curvy, rotate it, or stretch it. It's great for titles or special headings. You can even spell-check text that uses WordArt effects!

Macros for Automation

A macro is like a recorded set of instructions that Word can follow automatically. If you do the same steps over and over, you can record a macro to do them for you with just one click. This can save a lot of time!

However, sometimes harmful computer viruses can be hidden in macros. Microsoft has improved Word's security settings to help protect you from these "macro viruses."

Lists and Numbering

Word makes it easy to create bulleted and numbered lists. It also helps you number pages, chapters, and footnotes automatically. If you add or remove items, the numbers will update by themselves.

AutoSummarize (Older Versions)

Some older versions of Word had a feature called AutoSummarize. It would highlight important sentences or phrases in your document to give you a quick summary. It worked by finding the most common words and ranking sentences based on them. This feature is not available in newer versions of Word.

Spike: A Special Cut Tool

The "Spike" is a unique cut command in Word. Instead of just cutting one thing, it can collect several pieces of text or images. When you "paste" from the Spike, it puts all the collected items into your document at once.

Hidden Text

Word lets you mark certain text as "hidden". This text is stored in the document but doesn't show up on screen. It can be useful for notes or information you don't want everyone to see.

Word on Mobile Devices

Word Mobile is a simpler version of Microsoft Word designed for phones and tablets. It lets you create and edit documents with basic formatting like bold text and changing font size. While it's great for quick edits, it doesn't have all the advanced features of the desktop version, like full picture editing or complex page layouts.

Protecting Your Documents with Passwords

You can add passwords to your Word documents to keep them safe.

• Password to open: This is the strongest protection. You need this password to even look at the document.
• Password to modify: This password lets others open and read the document, but they need the password to make changes.
• Password restricting formatting and editing: This allows others to read and make some changes, but limits what they can do with formatting.

Over the years, Microsoft has made the password protection much stronger. Newer versions of Word use very powerful encryption, making it extremely difficult for someone to guess or remove the "password to open" without knowing it.

Release History of Microsoft Word

Here's a look at some of the main versions of Microsoft Word over the years.

Images for kids

• 

  Microsoft Office 365 version of Microsoft Word, with the new redesign applied

• 

  Word for Mac running on macOS Ventura (13.2)

• 

  Microsoft Word running on Android 13

• 

  Microsoft Word (2007) showing the Ribbon interface.

• 

  Microsoft Word 2011 running on OS X.

• 

  An example image created with WordArt.

• 

  Microsoft Word 2010 running on Windows 7.

See also

In Spanish: Microsoft Word para niños