How to Insert a Horizontal Line in Word

Microsoft Word has many functionalities, including inserting horizontal lines. This guide will teach you four methods to insert a horizontal line in Word.

Many people choose to work with Microsoft Word for its extensive features and the ability to customize their documents. With tools such as inserting a line in Word, you can easily create separate sections, add visual interest to your page, and add that extra professional touch to win over your readers.

In this article, you will learn how to insert a line in Word and change how your lines look in all versions of Word.

Let's discuss these steps in detail!

Method 1: How to Insert a Horizontal Line in Word

Microsoft Word has a built-in tool specifically for inserting all kinds of horizontal lines. You can find it by following these instructions:

1. Place your blinking cursor where you want to insert a line in your document.
2. Open the Home tab from the Ribbon interface on top of your screen. This is the default tab when you create or open a document.
3. In the Paragraph section, click on the arrow next to the Borders icon (as shown in the image below).
   
   
4. Choose Horizontal Line from the drop-down menu. This will insert a plain, solid line into your document, which you can leave as is or customize.
   
   
5. To customize the line, double-click on it once it’s in your document. The Format Horizontal Line dialog box will open in a new window.
6. Change all attributes you want to modify and click the OK button.

Method 2: Use keyboard shortcuts (AutoFormat) to insert a line in Word

By far, the most efficient way of inserting a line in Word is the AutoFormat feature, especially when looking for style.

This only allows you to insert horizontal lines. However, it gives you the ability to choose from a variety of styles. All you need to do is type the correct symbols and automatically hit the enter key on your keyboard to insert a full-page length line.

Here are all the lines you can insert by using the AutoFormat shortcuts in most desktop versions of Word:

1. To insert a solid single horizontal line: Type three hyphens (---) & Press Enter.
   
   
2. To insert a solid double line: Type three equal signs (===) & Press Enter.
   
   
3. To insert a Dotted line: Type three asterisks (***) & Press Enter.
   
   
4. To insert a Bold single line: Type three underlined symbols (___) & Press Enter.
   
   
5. To insert a Wavy line: Type three tildes (~~~) & Press Enter.
   
   
6. To insert Triple line with a thick center: Type three number signs (###) & Press Enter
   
   

All of these lines adjust to the full length of your document, or when inserted into a column, adjust to the width of the column.

Method 3: Use the Shapes function to draw a line in Word

The third way of adding a line to your Word document is by using the Shapes inside the application. This allows you to draw both horizontal and vertical lines or lines going in any direction. Here’s how you can use this tool in Word.

1. Place your blinking cursor where you want to insert a line in your document.
2. Select the Insert tab in the Ribbon interface, which can be found at the top of your screen.
3. Expand the Shapes group inside the Illustrations section, as shown below on the image.
   
   
4. In the Lines group, select a line that you want to insert.
   
   
5. Click and drag your cursor inside your document to draw a line. You can hold the Shift key to ensure your line is perfectly aligned.
6. Let go of your mouse button to insert the line into your document.
   
   
7. To customize your line, select it by clicking on it once and opening the Shape Format (or simply Format in some versions of Word) tab in the Ribbon.

Final thoughts

We hope that this article was able to help you learn how to insert a horizontal or vertical line in Word. You can now customize your documents further and deliver more professional products.