Terminal · Move back one word
Cursor
Windows · Linux
Alt+BMac
Option+BJumps back one word; in the stock macOS Terminal, Option is not the Meta key, so either turn that on in the profile or press Esc first.
- Group
- Cursor
- Keys held
- 2
In a terminal Ctrl+C is not copy; it interrupts whatever is running. Copy is Ctrl+Shift+C in Windows Terminal and Cmd+C on a Mac.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Move back one word in Terminal?
Jumps back one word; in the stock macOS Terminal, Option is not the Meta key, so either turn that on in the profile or press Esc first. It is Alt+B on Windows and Option+B on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Alt+B on Windows, Option+B on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Cursor in Terminal.