Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Changing the Bullet Type.

Changing the Bullet Type

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated March 3, 2018)

Word allows you to easily create bulleted lists in your documents. As a default, Word uses a small dot as the bullet. You can change the bullet to any character you desire. You can change the bullets by following these steps:

  1. Choose the Bullets and Numbering option from the Format menu. Word displays the Bullets and Numbering dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Bulleted tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Bulleted tab of the Bullets and Numbering dialog box.

  3. Select a bullet style from those shown in the dialog box.
  4. If you don't like any of the styles shown, select one of the styles and click on Customize. Word displays the Customize Bulleted List dialog box. (See Figure 2.)

    5. Figure 2. The Customize Bulleted List dialog box.

  5. Select one of the six bullet characters available in the dialog box. If you use one of these, you can skip to step 10.
  6. If you do not like any of the bullet characters shown, click on the Bullet button. (In Word 2002 or Word 2003, click on the Character button.) Word displays the Symbol dialog box. (See Figure 3.)

    7. Figure 3. The Symbol dialog box.

  7. Select a symbol to use as a bullet from among those shown.
  8. You can select a different set of symbols by selecting a different typeface in the Font drop-down list.
  9. When you have selected a symbol, click on OK. Word displays the Customize Bulleted List dialog box again.
  10. Click on OK to close the dialog box.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (36) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Changing the Bullet Type.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Printing Portions of Mail Merged Documents

When you use a data source to create a bunch of documents in a mail merge, you might not want to print all the documents ...

Discover More

Rejecting Changes in a Document

When a group of people edits a document with Track Changes turned on, it can be tempting for one of the editors to use ...

Discover More

Bookmark Error when Printing

Bookmarks are commonly used in Word documents as a way to cross-reference information. If the bookmark referenced by the ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Converting List Types

There are two types of common lists you can create in Word: bulleted lists and numbered lists. You can switch between the ...

Discover More

Converting Automatic Numbering to Manual Numbering

The automatic numbering that Word lets you apply to paragraphs in your document can create some great looking content, ...

Discover More

Using Outline Numbering in a Table

If you have worked with tables in Word, you probably know how to navigate through the cells with keyboard shortcuts. This ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is one more than 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2020 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.