How Do I Stop Microsoft Word 2007 From Inserting a Paragraph Break After a Hyphen?

Insert a non-breaking hyphen character to prevent paragraph breaks in Microsoft Word 2007.

Microsoft Word 2007 is one of the most widely-used word processing programs. Included in the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, Word lets users of all skill levels create print publications, including letters, envelopes, mailing labels, brochures and newsletters. By default, Word automatically inserts a line break after a hyphen when the word that follows the symbol will not fit on the current line. Avoid this behavior by using a special, non-breaking hyphen character instead.

Instructions

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word 2007.

2. Highlight the hyphen currently followed by a line break.

3. Select the "Insert" tab near the top of the screen.

4. Click the "Symbol" icon on the right-hand side of the tab and select "More Symbols."

5. Select the "Special Characters" tab.

6. Double-click the third option in the list, labeled "Nonbreaking Hyphen." The character is inserted in your document in place of the highlighted hyphen, and the words on either side of the new character now appear on the same line.

7. Click "Close" to return to your document.

References

• Allen Wyatt's Word Tips: Using a non-breaking hyphen
• M and K Solutions: Microsoft Word special characters screen image