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: Adjusting Table Row Height.

Adjusting Table Row Height

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated June 2, 2018)

Word allows you to independently adjust the height of every row in a table. For many table uses, you can rely on Word to select an automatic row height. There may be other times when you want to take charge and specify your own row height. You can do so by following these steps if you are using Word 97 or Word 2000:

Select the table row whose height you want to specify.
Choose the Cell Height and Width option from the Table menu. You will see the Cell Height and Width dialog box. The Row tab should be selected.
In the Height of Row box, select the way you want row height to be determined. You can use Auto row height, At Least row height, or Exactly row height.
If you selected At Least row height or Exactly row height, specify a measurement in the At dialog box.
Click on OK.

In Word 2002 and Word 2003, the steps are slightly different:

Select the table row whose height you want to specify.
Choose Table Properties from the Table menu. Word displays the Table Properties dialog box.
On the Row tab, choose the Specify Height check box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Row tab of the Table Properties dialog box.

Specify a height and how you want that measurement interpreted (At Least or Exactly).
Click on OK.

You can also adjust row height by using the mouse, as described in other issues of WordTips.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1667) 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: Adjusting Table Row Height.

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. Learn more about Allen...

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