# Line Breaks in the middle of Words (Word 2010) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 21, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/line-breaks-in-the-middle-of-words-word-2010/641732 "2012-11-21T16:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Time\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Time\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/line-breaks-in-the-middle-of-words-word-2010/641732/1 "2012-11-21T16:58:28Z")
I couldn’t find an answer to this on Google or Word’s help, so I thought I’d try here. Word 2010, Windows 7. I have a document that is set up as a story board, so each page is a table. In each text cell, most of the text has random line breaks in the middle of words. If I copy and paste the text to a new document, it keeps the weird breaks (so it doesn’t appear to be table-related). Auto-Hyphenation is turned off. There are no hidden formatting marks when I look at the source. Any ideas? I’m about to leave work in an hour, but I figure it couldn’t hurt to ask here. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/line-breaks-in-the-middle-of-words-word-2010/641732/2 "2012-11-21T17:25:30Z")
So there are no formatting symbols in those spots, and the lines are not in different cells? ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Time\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/line-breaks-in-the-middle-of-words-word-2010/641732/3 "2012-11-21T17:29:47Z")
Nope, none that I can see. And all one cell. ETA: If I paste into a new document and select, “Keep Text Only,” then paste it back, it fixes it. But that would be rather tedious to do to the whole document. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/line-breaks-in-the-middle-of-words-word-2010/641732/4 "2012-11-21T18:10:24Z")
And if you paste values to Excel? ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Time\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/line-breaks-in-the-middle-of-words-word-2010/641732/5 "2012-11-21T19:51:32Z")
I’ll try when I get back, but our offices are closed for the next four days. Thanks for your help though! ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/line-breaks-in-the-middle-of-words-word-2010/641732/6 "2012-11-21T20:24:00Z")
> [@Time\_Stranger](#): > > Nope, none that I can see. And all one cell. > ETA: If I paste into a new document and select, “Keep Text Only,” then paste it back, it fixes it. But that would be rather tedious to do to the whole document. If you’re pasting into a new document using “Keep Text Only,” and then pasting it back, there’s _something_ in there, even if you can’t see it. How are you determining that there are no hidden formatting marks? Click “File,” then “Options,” then “Display,” and make sure the box next to “Show All Formatting Marks” is checked. Try a search-and-replace for the line break (^l) and paragraph break (^p) hidden characters. Search for the character and replace it with nothing.