How to Remove Just the First Word in Excel

You can navigate Excel spreadsheets by using the mouse and keyboard properly.

If you are unaccustomed to working with Microsoft Excel, basic tasks such as editing texts can be confusing when you are navigating a spreadsheet. Some people make the mistake of deleting an entire "cell," or box, on the spreadsheet when they actually intend to delete one word within that cell. Editing part of a cell is not complicated if you use your mouse or touch pad and keyboard correctly with the program.

Instructions

1. Double-click the cell you want to edit. If you click only once, you highlight the entire cell.

2. Highlight the first word in the cell. You can also find the word and the rest of the cell's contents in the text box at the top of the spreadsheet. To highlight, drag your cursor over the word while holding down the button on the left side of your mouse or touch pad. You can also double-click the word, which makes the program highlight it for you.

3. Hit the "Backspace" or "Delete" key on your keyboard to remove the word.