Office Settings & Configuration

Why Word Shows Bold and Italic Options Twice in AutoFormat

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to understand the difference between the 'AutoFormat As You Type' and 'AutoFormat' settings in Word, specifically asking why Bold and Italic formatting options appear in both places.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing and configuring text formatting settings in Word Options.
Observed behavior: Bold and Italic options are displayed twice in the settings: once in the AutoFormat As You Type tab and once in the AutoFormat tab.

Before you start

Familiarize yourself with the Word Options menu, specifically the Proofing and AutoCorrect sections, to easily navigate through the formatting configurations.

Solution 1Recommended

Understand and Configure AutoFormat Settings

Learn the distinction between formatting text as you type and applying formats to an entire document all at once.

The reason Bold and Italic options appear twice is that Word handles formatting in two distinct ways. 'AutoFormat As You Type' instantly formats text while you are actively entering it. In contrast, 'AutoFormat' processes and applies formatting to the entire document after the text has already been written.

Utilize AutoFormat As You Type

Use 'AutoFormat As You Type' for real-time formatting. When this is enabled, typing asterisks (*) around a word will instantly convert it to bold, and underscores (_) will convert it to italic as soon as you press the spacebar.

Run AutoFormat for Existing Text

To format a document that has already been typed, press the keyboard shortcut Alt+Ctrl+K to run the AutoFormat Now command.

Add AutoFormat to Quick Access Toolbar

To make the AutoFormat command easily accessible, go to File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar. Choose 'Commands Not in the Ribbon' from the drop-down menu, find 'AutoFormat', and click 'Add' to place it on your toolbar.

Quick Shortcut: Using the Alt+Ctrl+K shortcut allows you to bypass the menus and instantly run AutoFormat on your current document.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does AutoFormat As You Type do in Word?

It automatically applies formatting to your text in real-time as you type, such as turning asterisks into bold text, converting fractions into specific symbols, or creating bulleted lists.

How can I turn off automatic bold and italic formatting?

Go to File > Options > Proofing, click on 'AutoCorrect Options', navigate to the 'AutoFormat As You Type' tab, and uncheck the box for '*Bold* and _italic_ with real formatting'.

Why isn't the AutoFormat command visible on my Ribbon?

By default, Microsoft Word does not include the AutoFormat command on the main Ribbon. You need to manually add it to your Quick Access Toolbar by selecting 'Commands Not in the Ribbon' in the Word Options menu.

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