Word · Insert a column break
Breaks
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+Shift+EnterMac
Cmd+Shift+ReturnEnds the column and moves the text to the top of the next one; in a single-column document that looks just like a page break, which is why people think they inserted a section break.
- Group
- Breaks
- Keys held
- 3
Press Alt in Word for Windows and every ribbon button shows a letter, so even a command with no combination is reachable as a sequence — Office for Mac has no such key tips.
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 Insert a column break in Word?
Ends the column and moves the text to the top of the next one; in a single-column document that looks just like a page break, which is why people think they inserted a section break. It is Ctrl+Shift+Enter on Windows and Cmd+Shift+Return on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Ctrl+Shift+Enter on Windows, Cmd+Shift+Return on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
3 pressed together. The combination sits under Breaks in Word.