Office Settings & Configuration

How to Restore the Nonbreaking Hyphen Keyboard Shortcut in Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to restore or reassign the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+-) for inserting a nonbreaking hyphen in Microsoft Word.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Inserting a nonbreaking hyphen when the default keyboard shortcut is no longer working or has been reassigned to another command.
Observed behavior: The Ctrl+Shift+- shortcut fails to insert a nonbreaking hyphen, likely due to a recent update or conflicting shortcut assignment.

Before you start

Ensure you have your Microsoft Word document open and check if any newly installed add-ins or third-party software might be intercepting your keyboard shortcuts.

Solution 1Recommended

Reassign the Shortcut via Customize Keyboard Options

Use Word's built-in options to manually assign the Ctrl+Shift+- combination back to the nonbreaking hyphen symbol.

Microsoft Word allows you to customize keyboard shortcuts for almost any command or symbol. By accessing the Customize Ribbon settings, you can easily restore the original nonbreaking hyphen shortcut.

Open Word Options

Go to File > Options to open the Word Options dialog box, then click on 'Customize Ribbon' in the left pane.

Access Keyboard Shortcuts

At the bottom of the window, next to 'Keyboard shortcuts:', click the 'Customize...' button.

Locate the Nonbreaking Hyphen

In the Categories list on the left, scroll down and select 'Common Symbols'. In the Common Symbols list on the right, select 'Nonbreaking Hyphen'.

Assign the Shortcut

Click inside the 'Press new shortcut key' box and press Ctrl+Shift+-. Finally, click the 'Assign' button at the bottom left and close the dialogs.

Check Existing Assignments: If another command currently uses this shortcut, assigning it here will override the previous command's shortcut.

Solution 2

Use the Alternative Keyboard Shortcut

If you prefer not to change settings, you can use a built-in alternative shortcut for the nonbreaking hyphen.

Solution 3

Submit Feedback to Microsoft

If you find that default shortcuts have been changed in an update, you can report this directly to Microsoft.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a nonbreaking hyphen in Word?

A nonbreaking hyphen is a special character used to keep hyphenated words (like 'e-commerce' or a phone number) together on the same line, preventing them from being split across two lines of text.

Why did my Ctrl+Shift+- shortcut stop working?

This shortcut may stop working if a recent software update changed the default shortcut mappings, or if another application or Word add-in reassigned the combination to a different function.

Can I reset all my Word keyboard shortcuts to default?

Yes, you can reset all customizations by going to File > Options > Customize Ribbon, clicking Customize next to Keyboard shortcuts, and then selecting 'Reset All' at the bottom of the dialog box.

How do I insert a nonbreaking hyphen without a keyboard shortcut?

You can manually insert it by navigating to the Insert tab, clicking Symbol, selecting More Symbols, going to the Special Characters tab, selecting Nonbreaking Hyphen, and clicking Insert.

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