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: Fixing Mismatched Bullets and Numbers.
Sometimes when using the numbering or bullet features in Word, the format of one or more of the numbers or bullets does not match the others. For example, the color, size, or some other formatting could be different. This can be very frustrating to resolve if you don't realize that the format of the number and bullet is actually controlled by the format of the end-of-paragraph marker maintained by Word.
The end-of-paragraph marker is visible when you click the Show/Hide tool (it has the backward P on it). All you need to do is make sure that the paragraph marker of all items in your list are selected when you apply the bullet or numbering formatting or a style that applies such formatting. Word will then make sure that bullets and numbers are formatted the same for each item in the list.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (763) 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: Fixing Mismatched Bullets and Numbers.
Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!
When formatting paragraphs in Word, you have several options to adjust the spacing before, within, and at the end of each ...
Discover MoreWhen settling on an overall design for your document, you need to decide how you want your headings to appear. If you ...
Discover MoreWant to have objects such as text boxes and shapes always appear using some formatting you like? Here are some ideas on ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-04-18 09:46:10
Allen
Bruce, I checked and it actually links to a the other site. (This article is on the word.tips.net site and the link takes you to the wordribbon.tips.net site.) It looks like it is looping back to the same article because for this particular item, the solution is the same, regardless of the version of Word (old or new) you are using.
-Allen
2019-04-18 05:16:36
Bruce Morris
The link for solving this problem in later versions of Word doesn't work. It just points back at this article.
2019-04-10 08:11:04
Clear as mud. I don't get it. The paragraph markers are all different sizes and my bullets STILL come out mismatched! Grrrrr
2018-03-30 12:30:32
Joanna Ransley
Thank you - that was driving me crazy!!!
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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: 
Comments