How to Remove Strange Symbols and Characters in an MS Word Document

Dealing with strange symbols and characters in an MS Word document can be frustrating, but it's a common issue that can arise due to various reasons such as corrupted files, font incompatibilities, or hidden formatting marks. Fortunately, there are several effective methods to address this problem and restore your document to a clean, readable format. In this article, we will explore various steps you can take to remove these unwanted symbols and characters.

Method 1: Use the Find and Replace Feature

The most straightforward method to remove strange symbols is by using the Find and Replace feature in Microsoft Word. Here are the detailed steps:

Open your document in MS Word.

Press Ctrl H to open the Find and Replace dialog box.

In the Find what field, enter the strange symbol or character you want to remove. If you are unsure what it is, you can copy and paste it from the document.

Leave the Replace with field blank.

Click on Replace All to remove all instances of that character.

This method is quick and effective for removing known symbols.

Method 2: Check for Hidden Formatting

Sometimes, strange symbols are hidden within the document's formatting. Here's how to address this issue:

Show Formatting Marks: Click on the Pilcrow icon in the Home tab to display hidden formatting marks. This step will help you identify any hidden characters.

Manually Remove: If you see strange symbols, you can manually delete them by simply clicking on the symbol and pressing the Delete key.

This technique is particularly useful for cleaning up minor formatting issues without losing the document's content.

Method 3: Change the Font

Strange characters may also appear due to font issues. Changing the font can help resolve this:

Select the affected text.

Go to the Home tab and choose a different font from the font dropdown menu.

By switching to a more commonly used font, you can eliminate those pesky symbols and improve readability.

Method 4: Use a Clean Document

If the issue persists, you can try copying the text to a new, clean document:

Select all text using Ctrl A.

Copy it using Ctrl C.

Open a new Word document.

Paste using Paste Special (Ctrl Alt V) and choose Unformatted Text. This will remove all formatting and strange symbols.

This method ensures a fresh start with your document, free from any unwanted characters.

Method 5: Use a Text Editor

If the above methods don't work, you can try using a plain text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit:

Copy the text from your Word document.

Paste it into the text editor.

Copy it back into a new Word document and paste it using Paste Special (Ctrl Alt V) and choose Unformatted Text.

This technique allows you to remove any hidden symbols and characters before pasting it back into a clean document.

Note: It's always a good practice to save your changes or save as a new document to ensure that you don't lose any important work.

Getting Strange Characters in MS Word: How to Remove Them

If you frequently encounter strange characters in your Word documents, consider the following steps to minimize this issue:

In the top menu, click on Tools - Options. Select View and uncheck the Formatting Marks - All option. Click OK to apply these settings.

This feature will help you avoid unnecessary hidden symbols and marks in your documents.

By following these methods, you should be able to remove any strange symbols and characters from your MS Word document. Consistency in using these techniques can help maintain cleaner and more professional documents.