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: Comparing Document Versions.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 11, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Word includes a tool that allows you to compare two documents to each other. The document in memory is marked with revision marks to indicate the changes from the document on disk. The way you compare documents depends on the version of Word you are using. Follow these steps if you are using Word 2002 or Word 2003:
If you are using Word 97 or Word 2000, you follow these steps:
Regardless of the version of Word you are using, when the comparison is done the document contains revision marks to indicate what has changed. Typically, new text is underlined and deleted text is struck through.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1656) 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: Comparing Document Versions.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!
Want to add a small pop-up window over a word in your document? There is no way to do this directly in Word, but you can ...
Discover MoreThe Organizer is a great tool for managing different elements that can be stored in documents and templates. This tip ...
Discover MoreNeed to see how many pages, words, paragraphs, or lines are in your document? Word makes it easy to retrieve such ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 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