PDF Conversion Issues

Fix Adobe Acrobat Export to Word Missing Letter I Characters

Khadija Khan Oct 23, 2026 869 views

Question details

Specific text characters, most notably the letter 'i', completely disappear from the document when exporting a PDF to Microsoft Word.

Fix Adobe Acrobat Export to Word Missing Letter I Characters

Product: Adobe Acrobat
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Converting a sensitive or classified PDF document into an editable Microsoft Word file.
Observed behavior: The conversion process completes, but the resulting Word document is missing all instances of specific letters, indicating a font embedding or mapping failure during the export.

Before you start

Verify if the source PDF uses custom, non-standard, or improperly embedded fonts, and ensure you have a non-sensitive test file ready if you need to share samples with technical support.

Solution 1Recommended

Isolate the Issue with a Non-Sensitive Test File

Determine if the missing character issue is specific to the original document's font embedding or a broader application error.

Since the original documents are classified and cannot be shared, you must determine whether the font mapping failure is unique to that specific file's creation history or a glitch in your Acrobat software.

Create a test PDF

Open Microsoft Word, type out a few sentences containing the letter 'i' using standard fonts (like Arial or Times New Roman), and save it as a new PDF.

Export the test file

Open this newly created test PDF in Adobe Acrobat and export it back to Microsoft Word.

Check the output

Review the newly converted Word document. If the letter 'i' appears correctly, the issue is isolated to the subset fonts used in your classified PDF.

Sanitize for support

If the issue persists globally, create a completely sanitized, non-classified sample file exhibiting the error and provide it to Adobe Support along with your Acrobat version details.

Isolate the Issue with a Non-Sensitive Test File

Handling Classified Files: Never upload classified or highly sensitive files to online conversion tools or share them with unauthorized support personnel.

Solution 2

Print to PDF to Flatten the Document Fonts

Flattening the PDF by 'printing' it to a new PDF file can bypass subset font mapping errors before converting it to Word.

Seamless PDF to Word Conversion

Use WPS Office for Accurate PDF to Word Conversions

If your current PDF tool drops characters or fails with complex fonts, WPS Office provides a robust, locally-processed PDF-to-Word engine that preserves original layouts, fonts, and text formatting flawlessly.

1. Launch WPS Office: Open the WPS Office desktop application and select the 'PDF' tab from the home screen.
2. Access the Converter: Click on 'PDF to Word' located in the top toolbar to open the conversion utility.
3. Add your file: Drag and drop the problematic PDF document into the converter window.
4. Convert securely: Select your output format (DOC or DOCX) and click 'Start'. The file is processed locally, ensuring secure conversion without losing any characters.

Highly accurate PDF to DOC/DOCX conversion without missing letters or dropped text.Maintains original document formatting, images, and layout perfectly.Ensures full compatibility with Microsoft Word document standards.Secure local desktop conversion keeps your sensitive or classified files fully private.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do specific letters disappear when converting a PDF to Word?

This usually happens because the original PDF uses custom, subset, or non-standard embedded fonts. During conversion, the software struggles to map these embedded fonts to standard system fonts, causing unmapped characters to drop out entirely.

How can I fix missing text without sending classified files to support?

You can try processing the document locally using a different offline PDF conversion tool like WPS Office, or use the 'Print to PDF' function to flatten the file's font data before attempting another export to Word.

Does flattening a PDF resolve font issues during conversion?

Yes, flattening or printing a PDF to a new PDF can help bypass complex font mapping issues. However, the subsequent conversion to Word may then rely on Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to read the text, which could slightly alter the formatting.

PDF Troubleshooting