How to create a border around text in Word

Updated: 05/01/2023 by Computer Hope
Microsoft Word borders

You can create borders around any word, sentence, paragraph, or other text in a document. Follow the steps below to create a border around your text.

Note

You can only add a border around text in the Microsoft Word desktop application. Adding borders is not supported in Microsoft Word Online (web version). Alternatively, for a border in Word Online, you can insert a text box and define a solid border for it. See: How to add or remove a text box in Microsoft Word.

  1. Open Microsoft Word.
  2. Highlight the text you want to create a border around.
  1. Once the text is highlighted, click the Home tab.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the down arrow on the border icon to get border options, like those shown in the picture.
  3. Select the type of border you want to use. If you want a single border around the text, click Outside Borders.

If you need more options than those shown (e.g., you want to make a thicker border, a dotted border, or a dashed border), click Borders and Shading. In the window that opens, you can select from multiple border options.