ICDL Word Processing key terms

The strip of labelled tabs across the top of the application window that groups commands by task, such as Home, Insert, and Layout. Each tab shows buttons and menus for the commands in that group.

A small row of frequently used command buttons, usually shown above or below the Ribbon, that stays visible regardless of which tab is active. Users can add or remove buttons to suit their habits.

A small arrow in the lower-right corner of a Ribbon group that opens a related dialog box or task pane with additional options not shown on the Ribbon itself.

A docked panel at the side of the window that holds options or tools for a specific job, such as navigation, styles, or reviewing changes. It can usually be closed, moved, or resized.

A key combination that runs a command without using menus, for example holding Ctrl and pressing S to save. Shortcuts speed up common tasks and are often shown beside menu commands.

A display mode that changes how the document appears on screen, such as print layout, web layout, or draft. The view affects only the display, not the saved content or how it prints.

A setting that enlarges or reduces how large the page appears on screen without changing the actual document size or printed output. It helps with close reading or seeing a whole page.

A side panel that lists headings, pages, or search results so the user can jump quickly to a part of a long document. It works best when headings use built-in heading styles.

A feature that reports how many words, characters, paragraphs, and lines a document or selected text contains. It is often used to check work against a required length.

The bar along the bottom of the window that shows information about the current document, such as page number, word count, language, and view buttons.

A pre-designed starting document with set layout, styles, and placeholder text that is saved as a pattern. Opening a template creates a new document based on it, leaving the original unchanged.

Sample or prompt text in a template or content control that the user replaces with their own content. It shows where information should go and is not meant to remain in the final document.

A structured block in a document, such as a text box, drop-down list, or date picker, that limits or guides what can be entered. It is often used in forms and templates.

A feature that automatically fixes common typing errors, such as capitalising the first letter of a sentence or correcting a misspelt word from a set list, as the user types.

A tool that searches for specified text and optionally swaps it for different text, either one match at a time or all at once. It can also locate formatting or special characters.

A tool that compares words in the document against a dictionary and flags possible misspellings, usually with a coloured underline. The user decides whether to accept each suggested correction.

A reference tool built into the application that suggests synonyms and sometimes antonyms for a selected word, helping the user vary their wording.

A temporary storage area that holds cut or copied content until it is pasted elsewhere. It can hold the most recent item, or several items in a clipboard history.

A paste option that lets the user choose what to transfer, such as plain text, formatted text, or a picture, or whether to link the pasted content to its source.

A tool that copies the formatting of selected text so it can be applied to other text with a single click or drag. It saves re-creating the same look manually.

A named set of formatting settings, such as font, size, spacing, and colour, applied to text in one step. Styles keep formatting consistent and allow quick global changes.

A built-in style used to mark section titles by level, such as Heading 1 or Heading 2. Using headings builds document structure for navigation and automatic tables of contents.

A coordinated set of colours, fonts, and effects that can be applied across a document to give it a consistent look. Changing the theme updates all elements that use theme settings.

The amount of blank space added before or after a paragraph, set separately from line spacing. It controls the gaps between blocks of text rather than between lines within a paragraph.

The vertical distance between lines of text within a paragraph, often set as single, 1.5, or double. It affects readability and how much text fits on a page.

The way text is positioned horizontally between the margins, such as left, centre, right, or justified. Justified text is stretched so both edges line up evenly.

The distance a paragraph or its first line is pushed in from the left or right margin. Indents are often used to set off quotations or to show levels in a list.

A marked position on the horizontal ruler where the cursor jumps when the Tab key is pressed. Tab stops can be set to align text left, centre, right, or on a decimal point.

A measuring strip along the top and left of the document area that shows margins, indents, and tab stops. Dragging markers on it adjusts those settings for selected paragraphs.

The blank border between the edge of the page and the area where text and objects can be placed. Margins can be set for the whole document or for individual sections.

A marker that divides a document into parts that can have different page setup, such as margins, orientation, or headers. Formatting changes apply only within the section where they are made.

Areas at the top and bottom of each page that repeat content such as page numbers, titles, or dates. They can differ by section and by whether pages are odd or even.

A grid of rows and columns used to organise data in cells. Tables can be formatted, sorted, and used for layout, and cells can hold text, numbers, or other objects.

The box formed where a row and column meet in a table, holding text or an object. Cells can be resized, shaded, merged, or split to shape the table's layout.

Combining two or more adjacent cells into one larger cell that spans the original area. It is often used for a heading row or to fit longer text across columns.

A movable, resizable container that holds text and can be placed anywhere on the page, independent of the main text flow. It is useful for callouts, sidebars, and labels.

A drawn object such as a rectangle, arrow, or circle that can be inserted into a document and formatted with fill, outline, and effects. Text can be typed inside most shapes.

How surrounding text flows around an object, such as in line with text, square, tight, behind, or in front. It controls whether an object sits within or floats over the text.

The point in the text to which a floating object is tied, so the object moves with that paragraph when content is edited. It is shown by a small symbol when object markers are visible.

A short label attached to a table, figure, or image, such as a numbered title. Captions can be generated automatically so numbering updates when items are added or removed.

A process that combines a single main document with a data source to produce many personalised copies, such as letters or labels. Each copy inserts one record's details into the same layout.

The template document in a mail merge that contains the fixed text and the merge fields placed where personalised details should appear. It is linked to a data source to create output.

The file or list that supplies the records for a mail merge, such as a spreadsheet or database table. Each row is a record and each column is a field of information.

A placeholder inserted in the main document that is replaced by the matching value from each record during a merge, for example a name or address field.

One complete set of related data in a data source, usually stored as a single row. In a mail merge, each record produces one copy of the merged document.

A rule applied to a data source so that only records meeting a condition are included in the merge, such as customers in one city. It narrows output without deleting data.

Whether a page is laid out tall (portrait) or wide (landscape). It can be set for the whole document or for a single section, such as a wide table on its own pages.

A view that shows how the document will look on the printed page, including margins, page breaks, and headers. It lets the user check layout before sending the file to a printer.

A marker that forces the following content to start on a new page. A manual page break is inserted by the user, while an automatic one is created when a page fills up.

An automatically generated list of a document's headings with page numbers, built from heading styles. It can be refreshed to reflect edits to headings or pagination.

A dynamic placeholder that displays the current page number and updates automatically as the document changes. It is usually placed in a header or footer.

Saving a document in a different file format, such as PDF, so it can be shared or printed with a fixed layout. Exporting usually preserves appearance but may limit later editing.

The structure in which a document is saved, shown by its file extension, such as .docx or .pdf. The chosen format determines which programs can open the file and which features are kept.

A state in which a document is opened so that newer features are limited or unavailable, keeping it usable in older versions of the software. Converting the file removes the restriction.

Information stored with a file, such as title, author, subject, and keywords, used to describe and find it. Some properties update automatically, like the date last modified.

A review feature that records insertions, deletions, and formatting edits as visible marks until they are accepted or rejected. It lets others see exactly what was altered.

A note attached to a point or range in the document without changing the main text. Comments are used for feedback and can be replied to, resolved, or deleted.

A tool that analyses two versions of a file and produces a report showing the differences between them, often as tracked changes. It helps reviewers see what changed between drafts.

A setting or file attribute that allows a document to be viewed but not edited or overwritten. It protects the original content from accidental changes.

A security setting that requires a password to open or to modify a document. It restricts access to the content and should be chosen carefully because a lost password may block recovery.