PDF Conversion Issues

Fix Double F Characters Turning into Squares When Converting PDF to Word

Ayan Masood Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users experience text encoding issues where words containing 'ff' (double F) ligatures are replaced by square symbols after converting a PDF to a Word document.

Fix Double F Characters Turning into Squares When Converting PDF to Word

Product: PDF Converter
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Converting a PDF document containing specific font ligatures (like 'ff') into an editable Word document.
Observed behavior: Words containing double 'f' characters display incorrectly in the converted Word document, showing blank square boxes instead of the correct letters.

Before you start

Check if this issue occurs across multiple different PDFs or is isolated to a single file, as this problem is typically caused by improper font embedding or unmapped ligatures in the source document.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Cloud-Based PDF to Word Converter

Switching from a desktop application to a cloud-based conversion tool can bypass local font cache issues and utilize better text-mapping algorithms.

Often, the issue originates from how a specific local software handles font ligatures (where two characters like 'f' and 'f' are combined into one glyph). Using a robust cloud converter handles the decoding differently.

Open a Supported Web Browser

Launch a modern web browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.

Access a Cloud PDF Converter

Navigate to a reliable online PDF conversion service, such as Adobe Export PDF or WPS PDF Online.

Upload the Affected PDF

Click the upload button or drag and drop your PDF file into the browser window.

Export and Verify

Select the option to export the document to Word (.docx), download the finished file, and open it to check if the 'ff' characters are now displaying correctly.

Test Multiple Files: If the squares disappear, the problem was with your local conversion software. If they persist, the font in the original PDF is likely corrupted or not embedded.

Solution 2

Use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Conversion

If standard conversion fails due to internal encoding errors, using OCR forces the software to visually read the characters instead of relying on the broken font data.

Flawless PDF to Word Conversion

Convert PDFs without Font Errors using WPS Office

WPS Office features an advanced, highly accurate PDF to Word conversion engine that properly recognizes complex font ligatures, ensuring your text remains perfect without turning into square boxes.

1. Open Your PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office, click on 'PDF' on the home screen, and open the document you wish to convert.
2. Access the Conversion Tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon menu and click on the 'PDF to Word' button.
3. Adjust Conversion Settings: In the dialog box, select your desired page range, choose the output language if necessary, and select where to save the file.
4. Convert to Word: Click 'Start' to convert. WPS Office will intelligently process ligatures like 'ff', and automatically open the accurate Word document once finished.

Accurate text extraction without missing or replaced characters.Highly compatible with Microsoft Office Word formats (.docx).Built-in OCR technology to handle scanned or complex image-based PDFs.Preserves original document layout, fonts, margins, and images.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do squares appear in my Word document after converting a PDF?

This happens when the original PDF uses custom fonts or ligatures (where two letters like 'ff' or 'fi' are joined into a single symbol) that lack correct Unicode mapping. The conversion software doesn't know which letters the symbol represents, so it substitutes it with a placeholder square, sometimes called 'tofu'.

How can I prevent font changes when creating a PDF initially?

To prevent encoding issues later, always ensure that fonts are fully embedded when you save or print a document to PDF. In Microsoft Word or other text editors, look for 'Options' during the Save As PDF process and check 'Bitmap text when fonts may not be embedded' or 'Embed fonts in the file'.

Can I use 'Find and Replace' to fix the squares in Word?

Yes, if the document isn't too long. You can copy the square symbol from your Word document, press Ctrl+H to open 'Find and Replace', paste the square into the 'Find what' field, type the missing letters (like 'ff') into the 'Replace with' field, and click 'Replace All'.

PDF Troubleshooting