Formatting Issues

Prevent Hyphenation for Specific Words in Microsoft Word

Amos Gikunda Sep 30, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user wants to stop Microsoft Word from automatically hyphenating specific words or acronyms without disabling automatic hyphenation for the entire document.

How to Prevent Hyphenation for a Specific Word in Microsoft Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Formatting a document with automatic hyphenation enabled, but needing specific terms to remain unhyphenated.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Word automatically hyphenates acronyms and specific words at the end of lines when automatic hyphenation is turned on.

Before you start

Ensure your document has automatic hyphenation enabled before applying these specific exceptions. You can verify this by checking the Hyphenation settings located under the Layout tab.

Solution 1Recommended

Create and Apply a No Proofing Character Style

This is the most reliable way to prevent a specific word from being hyphenated while keeping hyphenation active for the rest of the document.

Automatic hyphenation relies on Word's proofing dictionary to determine syllable breaks. By disabling proofing for a specific word, Word will no longer hyphenate it.

Select the target word

Highlight the specific word or acronym in your document that you want to protect from being hyphenated.

Open the Language dialog

Navigate to the Review tab on the ribbon, click on the Language button, and select Set Proofing Language.

Disable spelling and grammar checking

In the Language dialog box, check the box labeled 'Do not check spelling or grammar' and click OK.

Create a new Character Style

With the word still selected, open the Styles pane (Home tab). Click the New Style button at the bottom, name it 'No Hyphenation', change the Style type to 'Character', and click OK. You can now easily apply this style to other words.

Create and Apply a No Proofing Character Style

Style Reusability: Saving this as a Character Style allows you to quickly apply the exception to any word in your document with a single click from the Styles pane.

Solution 2

Apply the Style to All Matching Words Using Find and Replace

If you have a long document and need to prevent hyphenation for a recurring word, you can apply the 'No Proofing' style instantly across the entire text.

Solution 3

Use AutoCorrect for Future Documents

Save the formatted word as an AutoCorrect entry so it automatically applies the 'No Proofing' style whenever you type it in the future.

Manage Document Layout with WPS Writer

Easily Control Hyphenation and Formatting in WPS Office

WPS Writer provides intuitive tools for document layout, including advanced hyphenation control and text formatting. You can easily set proofing exceptions to keep your acronyms and special terms intact.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document you wish to format.
2. Select the specific text: Highlight the word or acronym you want to keep unhyphenated.
3. Disable proofing for the word: Go to the Review tab, click Spell Check > Set Language, and check the box for 'Do not check spelling or grammar'.
4. Adjust global hyphenation: Alternatively, you can use the Layout tab to manage global hyphenation settings for the entire document.

Precise control over document hyphenation and layout.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats.Easy-to-use Styles pane for consistent text formatting.Free, lightweight, and fast document processing.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a non-breaking hyphen to prevent a hyphenated word from splitting?

Yes. If your word naturally contains a hyphen (e.g., 'co-worker'), you can press Ctrl + Shift + Hyphen to insert a non-breaking hyphen. This tells the word processor to keep the entire word on the same line, preventing it from wrapping at the hyphen.

Why does turning off proofing stop automatic hyphenation?

Automatic hyphenation relies entirely on the built-in proofing dictionary to know exactly where the syllables break in any given word. By instructing the software not to check the spelling or grammar of a specific word, you effectively remove its ability to read the syllables, which disables hyphenation for that word.

Can I turn off hyphenation for an entire paragraph instead of just one word?

Yes, you can format specific paragraphs to ignore hyphenation rules. Select the paragraph, right-click, and choose Paragraph. Navigate to the Line and Page Breaks tab, and check the box for 'Don't hyphenate'. This will stop hyphenation for that entire block of text without altering the proofing language settings.

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