How to Change Measurement Units in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word gives you the flexibility of being able to change the measurement units that are displayed in Microsoft Word. As a default, Word uses inches as the measurement unit. When you change to another measurement unit, the ruler, as well as all dialog boxes, will use the new unit of measurement that you have chosen.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Microsoft Word 2003

1. Open Microsoft Word and start a new blank document, or open an existing document from your files. When you change the measurement units, they will be applied to your current document, as well as any other documents that you use in the future.

2. Choose the "Tools" menu and click on "Options…" to open the "Options" dialog box. The options dialog box contains several tabs that all allow you to change settings within Microsoft Word.

3. Click on the "General" tab in the "Options" dialog box to view the general option settings in Microsoft Word.

4. Locate the "Measurement Units" drop-down menu toward the bottom of the "Options" dialog box.

5. Use the "Measurement Units" drop-down menu to choose what type of measurement units you would like to use in Word. You can choose from "Inches," "Centimeters," "Millimeters," "Points" or "Picas."

6. Select the "OK" button to close the "Options" dialog box and change the measurement units within Microsoft Word.

7. Notice that your rulers, as well as dialog boxes, will now use your newly selected measurement units.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to change back to the Microsoft Word default measurement unit of inches, follow the directions above and choose "Inches" from the "Measurement Units" drop-down menu in the "Options" dialog box.