Legal Symbols & Alt Codes in Word: §, ¶, ©, ™ and More

Set up a memorable AutoCorrect entry

In Windows Word, open File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options. In Word for Mac, open Word > Settings or Preferences > AutoCorrect. On the AutoCorrect tab, enable Replace text as you type. Put sss in Replace, put § in With, and choose Add. Test it in a blank document by typing sss followed by a space. Choose a trigger that you do not normally use as a real word, and remember that AutoCorrect affects future typing rather than all existing text.

Insert symbols and assign custom shortcuts

On Windows, choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, select the character, and choose Insert. The Special Characters tab includes marks such as non-breaking spaces and dashes. The same dialog's Shortcut Key control can assign a combination; check its current assignment before replacing an existing command. On Mac, use Insert > Advanced Symbol for Word's symbol dialog, or open Character Viewer to search by name.

To create a custom Word shortcut on Mac, choose Tools > Customize Keyboard, select the relevant category and command, enter the new combination, and choose Assign. For a particular character, an AutoCorrect entry is often simpler than a command assignment. Keep a record of any custom mappings: the default shortcut tables do not automatically change when you customise your copy of Word.

Choose the right mark for the job

A hyphen, en dash, and em dash are distinct characters. Use them according to your document's style rules rather than treating them as interchangeable. The paragraph sign ¶ that you insert into a citation is a real printable character; the formatting marks shown by Word's Show/Hide button are editing aids. Use a non-breaking space between a section sign and a section number when they should stay together on one line, and inspect the resulting line breaks before sharing the document.