Sometimes, as you type, Word will format items for you automatically. Items that Word automatically formats include bulleted or numbered lists, headings, borders, and fractions. You know that Word has automatically formatted your text when you see a lightning bolt () appear by your text. You can click that lightning bolt for options. Here’s an example:

The exact menu items that appear will differ depending on the item Word has formatted, but these three options almost always appear: Undo the action, Stop Automatically Formatting this item, and Control AutoCorrect Options.

Clicking Control AutoCorrect Options will open this box:

This box shows you what Word will automatically replace, apply, or format. If you don’t want Word to perform any of these actions, this is where you can uncheck it to stop that automatic formatting. (You can also discover some neat shortcuts, like typing asterisks around a word to bold it.)

After you click OK, your changes will be saved to normal.dot, so they will apply to all current documents and any documents you open.