Office for Mac Issues

How to Change the Optional Hyphen Shortcut in Word for Mac

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user wants to locate or modify the keyboard shortcut used to insert an optional hyphen in Word on a Mac.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Customizing or identifying keyboard shortcuts for inserting special characters like the optional hyphen.
Observed behavior: Existing keyboard shortcuts may have been changed by Microsoft without updating the official documentation, causing confusion when attempting to use the default keys.

Before you start

Ensure your version of Microsoft Word for macOS is fully up to date, as updates might change default key bindings or resolve shortcut conflicts with macOS.

Solution 1Recommended

Assign a Custom Shortcut via the Symbol Menu

You can manually check the current shortcut for an optional hyphen or assign a new one directly from the special characters menu.

Open Symbol Menu

Navigate to the 'Insert' tab on the ribbon, click on 'Symbol', and then select 'More Symbols' (or 'Advanced Symbol').

Locate Special Characters

Switch to the 'Special Characters' tab within the Symbol dialog box.

Select Optional Hyphen

Scroll through the list of characters, find, and select 'Optional Hyphen'.

Customize Shortcut Key

Click the 'Shortcut Key' button. Here you can view the currently assigned shortcut or type a new key combination to assign a custom shortcut to the action.

Solution 2

Modify Shortcuts via Keyboard Customization Options

Use Word's built-in keyboard customization settings to search for the specific hyphen command and alter its shortcut.

Solution 3

Report Outdated Shortcut Documentation

Since Microsoft occasionally changes default shortcuts without immediately updating help pages, reporting the issue helps correct official documentation for all users.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is an optional hyphen?

An optional hyphen is a hidden formatting marker used to specify exactly where a word should break at the end of a line if it is too long to fit. It remains invisible unless the word actually wraps to the next line.

Why did the default optional hyphen shortcut change on my Mac?

Microsoft periodically updates software commands and shortcuts in newer versions of Word for macOS to prevent conflicts with native macOS system shortcuts. Sometimes this happens before the official help documentation is updated.

Can I reset my Word shortcuts to their original defaults?

Yes, you can navigate to 'Tools' > 'Customize Keyboard' in Word for Mac, and click the 'Reset All' button to restore all keyboard shortcuts to their original factory defaults.

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