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How to Change the Font Throughout an Entire Word Document

Mixing multiple fonts by accident, or wanting a cleaner look across a long document, doesn't mean reformatting paragraph by paragraph. A single select-all and font change updates the entire file at once.

  1. Select all the text

    Press Ctrl+A (Cmd+A on Mac) to select the entire document.

  2. Pick the font you want

    Choose the font you want to apply everywhere from the font dropdown in the Home tab.

  3. Unify the font size as well

    Choose a size from the font size dropdown to apply it consistently across the whole document at the same time.

  4. Set it as the default font

    In the Font dialog, choose "Set As Default" so any new document you create afterward automatically starts with this same font.

  5. Double-check tables and heading styles separately

    Text inside tables or applied through a heading style can carry its own separate formatting, so it's worth reviewing those elements again after a whole-document font change.

Why a select-all font change sometimes misses spots

A "select all, change font" pass covers regular body text reliably, but elements governed by a paragraph style β€” like Heading 1, Heading 2, or a table's built-in style β€” can still display their own defined font even after you've applied a new one manually. This isn't a bug; it's the style definition taking precedence. If headings still look different after changing the font, the fix is usually to update the style itself rather than reselecting the heading text again.

Setting a default font for future documents

The "Set As Default" option is worth using if you find yourself changing the font on every new document you create β€” it changes the underlying template so future documents open with your preferred font already applied, saving that repeated first step. It's a one-time setting that pays off across every document you write afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does changing the font not affect the text inside a table?

Table styles often carry their own font settings independent of the surrounding document, so a whole-document select-all can sometimes skip or only partially apply to table content β€” selecting the table cells directly and reapplying the font usually fixes it.

Will changing the font affect font size or color too?

No β€” changing the font itself only affects the typeface. Size and color are separate settings that need to be selected and applied on their own if you want those unified as well.