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Select all of a style (Word for Mac)

Hi there

I'm writing a thesis in Microsoft Word 365 for Mac v16.38. I've set up custom styles for the whole document. Any text which should be counted in the final word count has it's own style, with the idea being that I can use the 'Select All' function of the 'Thesis-body-text' style I have created, and get an accurate word count. 

However, when I use the 'Select All' option, it only selects some of the text in that style (about 30% of it). Even though paragraphs are in the 'Thesis-body-text' style, they are not selected by 'Select All'. There is a small amount of direct formatting in each paragraph (e.g. occasional word italicised, or letters in subscript, references) but this occurs in both the text that is selected and text that is not selected by 'Select All'.

I have the 'Keep Tracking Formatting' option on. 

I have attached two screenshots of different sections of the document, where word says the formatting is applied, but in one case the text is selected, and in the other case it is not. 

Help appreciated!

Cheers, Lewis 

Screenshot 1: Successfully selected text, in style 4

Screenshot 2: Text also in style 4, but not selected 


Hi LewisFry!
Good day! I'm Arnel, an Independent Advisor and a Microsoft user like you.

Try to do this
1. In the 'Home' ribbon-bar thingy, click on the small pop-out expandy-button in the far bottom right of the Styles group (which shows the Styles window - Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S)
2. For the desired Style you want a Word Count for, click the drop-down next to the style name, and click 'Select All x Instance(s)'
3. The Status bar (bottom left) gets updated with the Word Count for the selected Style (or you can open the 'Review' ribbon, and click 'Word Count' in the Proofing group - which also works on the current selection).

Bonus tip - you can hold the Ctrl key while clicking the 'Select All x Instance(s)' of another Style to have multiple Styles selected!

See photo

Let me know if these recommendations helps you.

Regards,
Arnel

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Hi Arnel 

Thanks for your quick response. When I do as you suggest, it gives me an option to 'Select all 121 instances', however clicking that gives me the same result - it only selects paragraphs in the last 30% of the document (so selects about 1900 words, where it should be selecting about 8000). 

Any ideas?

Screenshot here:

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Thanks for keeping in touch!

Try to look at this link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/show...

I'll check other solutions to this problem if this one doesnt work too..

Sincerely,
Arnel

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Ok thanks, yea that will just give me a document word count which isn't very useful. I need to select everything in just one style.

Thanks, let me know if you find out any other reason why it wouldn't select all of the words in that style. 

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You may have just received a phone number (that looks strange) to call. Do not call that number. IT IS A SCAM!

Volunteering to "pay forward" the help I've received in the Microsoft user community.

Charles Kenyon
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
wordfaq[at]addbalance[dot]com

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Got your point Lewis.
How about this, have you tried the different ways of selecting a text?

Check the link : https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/sele...

I'll be happy to assist you always.

Regards,
Arnel

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Hi Arnel

thanks for the link. Unfortunately thr final document will be around 300 pages so that won’t be a practical solution unfortunately. If there is any way to fix the select all style problem, then please let me know. 

Thanks

Lewis

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Hi again LewisFry,

How are you? Have you tried pressing Ctrl + 5 to select all text?

I hope this one will resolve the issue.

Sincerely,
Arnel

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Last updated June 26, 2022 Views 1,629 Applies to: