Office Settings & Configuration

How to Control Notification Sounds in Microsoft Word 2019

Guest Writer Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know how to customize, enable, or disable notification sounds and alerts within Microsoft Word 2019.

How to Control Notification Sounds in Word 2019

Product: Microsoft Word 2019
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing application alerts and feedback sounds for a better user experience.
Observed behavior: Word 2019 does not allow users to select separate sounds for individual notifications, but it does permit managing global Office sound effects and themes.

Before you start

Ensure your computer's system volume is turned up and the speakers are not muted so you can properly test the audio feedback when adjusting your settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Manage Global Sound Effects in Word Settings

Use the Accessibility menu within Word Options to turn global Office sound effects on or off, or to change the overall sound theme.

While Microsoft Word 2019 does not support assigning unique audio cues to specific individual notifications, it provides a centralized setting to manage sound effects for all Office applications. This global setting allows you to enable or disable audio feedback and choose a preferred sound theme.

Open Word Options

Launch Microsoft Word 2019. Click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner of the ribbon, and then select 'Options' located at the bottom of the left-hand navigation pane.

Navigate to Accessibility Settings

In the Word Options dialog box that appears, click on 'Accessibility' from the list in the left pane.

Adjust Feedback Options

Scroll to the 'Feedback Options' section. Check the 'Provide feedback with sound' box to enable audio cues, or uncheck it to mute them. If enabled, you can also use the dropdown menu to select the 'Classic' sound theme.

Apply and Save Changes

Click the 'OK' button at the bottom of the window to apply your new sound preferences.

Manage Global Sound Effects in Word Settings

Global Office Setting: Changing this sound setting in Word 2019 will automatically apply the same sound effect preferences across all other installed Microsoft Office applications, such as Excel and PowerPoint.

Solution 2

Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft

If you require distinct notification sounds for different tasks, you can suggest this feature directly to Microsoft's development team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I assign a specific sound to a specific action in Word 2019?

No, Word 2019 does not support assigning separate or custom sounds for individual notifications. You can only toggle the global sound effects on or off and choose from predefined sound themes like the Classic theme.

Why are there no sound effects playing even when the setting is enabled?

Ensure that your computer's system volume is not muted and that your output device (speakers or headphones) is properly connected. Additionally, check the Windows Volume Mixer by right-clicking the speaker icon on your taskbar to ensure Word 2019 has not been individually muted.

Will changing the sound theme in Word affect Excel and PowerPoint?

Yes, adjusting the sound effects or sound theme in Word 2019 modifies a shared global setting. These changes will apply automatically to all Microsoft Office applications installed on your computer.

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