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.
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![]() Microsoft Office 365 version of Microsoft Word, with the new redesign applied
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Other names | Multi-Tool Word |
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Developer(s) | Microsoft |
Initial release | October 25, 1983 |
Stable release |
2405 (Build 17628.20144) / June 11, 2024
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Written in | C++ (back-end) |
Operating system |
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Platform | IA-32, x64, Arm, Arm64 |
Predecessor | Multi-Tool Word or WordPad |
Type | Word processor |
License | Trialware |
![]() Word for Mac running on macOS Ventura (13.2)
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Developer(s) | Microsoft |
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Stable release |
16.86 (Build 24060916) / June 11, 2024
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Written in | C++ (back-end), Objective-C (API/UI) |
Operating system | macOS |
Type | Word processor |
License | Proprietary software plus services |
![]() Microsoft Word running on Android 13
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Developer(s) | Microsoft Corporation |
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Initial release | January 29, 2015 |
Stable release |
16.0.16529.20146 / July 8, 2023
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Operating system | Android Pie or later |
License | Proprietary commercial software |
Developer(s) | Microsoft Corporation |
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Initial release | March 27, 2014 |
Stable release |
2.78 / October 9, 2023
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Operating system | iOS 15 or later IPadOS 15 or later |
License | Proprietary, freemium |
Developer(s) | Microsoft |
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Operating system | Windows 10 and later, Windows 10 Mobile |
Type | Word processor |
License | Freemium |
Contents
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
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 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
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.
Year released | Name | Version | Comments |
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1989 | Word for Windows 1.0 | 1.0 | First version for Windows. |
1991 | Word for Windows 2.0 | 2.0 | Included in Office 3.0. |
1993 | Word for Windows 6.0 | 6.0 | Version numbers 3, 4, and 5 were skipped to match other versions. |
1995 | Word for Windows 95 | 7.0 | Included in Office 95. |
1997 | Word 97 | 8.0 | Included in Office 97. |
1999 | Word 2000 | 9.0 | Included in Office 2000. |
2001 | Word 2002 | 10.0 | Included in Office XP. |
2003 | Office Word 2003 | 11.0 | Included in Office 2003. |
2006 | Office Word 2007 | 12.0 | Introduced the Ribbon interface. |
2010 | Word 2010 | 14.0 | Skipped version 13.0. |
2013 | Word 2013 | 15.0 | Included in Office 2013. |
2016 | Word 2016 | 16.0 | Included in Office 2016. |
2019 | Word 2019 | 17.0 | Included in Office 2019. |
2021 | Word 2021 | 17.0 | Included in Office 2021. |
Year released | Name | Version | Comments |
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1985 | Word 1 | 1.0 | First version for Mac. |
1987 | Word 3 | 3.0 | |
1989 | Word 4 | 4.0 | Part of Office 1.0 and 1.5. |
1991 | Word 5 | 5.0 | Part of Office 3.0. |
1992 | Word 5.1 | 5.1 | Last version to support older Mac computers. |
1993 | Word 6 | 6.0 | Shared code with Word for Windows 6. |
1998 | Word 98 | 8.5 | Part of Office 98 Macintosh Edition. |
2000 | Word 2001 | 9.0 | Last version compatible with older Mac OS. |
2001 | Word v. X | 10.0 | First version for Mac OS X only. |
2004 | Word 2004 | 11.0 | Part of Office 2004. |
2008 | Word 2008 | 12.0 | Part of Office 2008. |
2010 | Word 2011 | 14.0 | Part of Office 2011; skipped 13.0. |
2015 | Word 2016 | 16.0 | Part of Office 2016; skipped 15.0. |
2019 | Word 2019 | 17.0 | Part of Office 2019. |
2021 | Word 2021 | 17.0 | Included in Office 2021. |
Year released | Name | Version | Comments |
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1983 | Word 1 | 1.0 | Initial version of Word. |
1985 | Word 2 | 2.0 | |
1986 | Word 3 | 3.0 | Removed copy protection. |
1987 | Word 4 | 4.0 | |
1989 | Word 5 | 5.0 | |
1991 | Word 5.1 | 5.1 | |
1991 | Word 5.5 | 5.5 | First DOS version with a Windows-like look. |
1993 | Word 6 | 6.0 | Last DOS version. |
Platform | Year released | Name | Comments |
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Atari ST | 1988 | Microsoft Write | Based on Microsoft Word 1.05 for Mac OS. |
OS/2 | 1989 | Microsoft Word 5.0 | Could run on both MS-DOS or OS/2. |
OS/2 | 1991 | Microsoft Word 5.5 | Could run on both MS-DOS or OS/2. |
OS/2 | 1990 | Microsoft Word for OS/2 Presentation Manager version 1.1 | |
OS/2 | 1991 | Microsoft Word for OS/2 Presentation Manager version 1.2 | |
SCO Unix | 1990 | Microsoft Word for Unix version 5.0 | |
SCO Unix | 1991 | Microsoft Word for Unix version 5.1 |
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Microsoft Word para niños