What is first line indent and hanging indent?
Create a Hanging Indent in a Microsoft Word Documentby Avantix Learning Team | Updated May 16, 2022 Show
Applies to: Microsoft® Word® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows) You can create a hanging indent in Microsoft Word using the Ruler, the Paragraph dialog box or a keyboard shortcut. A hanging indent is created when the first line of a paragraph is at a location to the left of the subsequent lines in the paragraph. The term is often used to refer to a first line indent. Either way, the first line of a paragraph is indented or outdented. A hanging indent is typically used for bullets and numbering or to cite a reference. Recommended article: How to Keep Text Together in Word (Paragraphs, Lines or Words) Do you want to learn more about Microsoft Word? Check out our virtual classroom or in-person Word courses > A paragraph in Word is anything with a hard return after it (you have pressed Enter or Return). If you want to create a hanging or first line indent in a multi-line paragraph, there should not be hard returns at the end of each line of text. To view hard returns or paragraph marks and other non-printing characters in Microsoft Word:
Creating a hanging indent using the RulerA common way to create a hanging or first line indent is to use the Ruler. If the Ruler is not displayed at the top of the document, click the View tab in the Ribbon and select the Ruler checkbox. To create a hanging using the Ruler:
In the following examples, the first line indent marker and the left indent marker are at different locations on the Ruler:  Creating a hanging indent using the Paragraph dialog boxTo create a hanging or first line indent using the Paragraph dialog box:
In the following example, indents have been entered for the Left and First Line in the Paragraph dialog box (in this case, entered in inches): Creating a hanging indent using a keyboard shortcutYou can press Ctrl + T to apply a hanging indent to a paragraph. This shortcut will move all lines except the first one to the next tab stop. If there are no user-defined tab stops in the paragraph, Word indents to the first default tab stop. If you keep pressing Ctrl + T, Word will keep indenting by tab stop to the right. Press Ctrl + Shift + T to decrease or remove the indent (move to the left). If you click at the beginning of a paragraph and press Tab, Word will indent the first line to the first user-defined tab stop or the first default tab stop. Other ways to indent paragraphsWhen you apply bullets or numbering, Microsoft Word changes the indents of the first and subsequent lines in a paragraph or paragraphs automatically. If you are comfortable using styles in Word, you can apply, modify or create styles that include hanging or first line indents. If you are working on a long document with a lot of indented paragraphs, this is the best approach. Subscribe to get more articles like this oneDid you find this article helpful? If you would like to receive new articles, join our email list. More resourcesHow to Create a Table of Contents in Word How to Insert the Mu or Micro Symbol in Word 14+ Word Selection Shortcuts to Quickly Select Text How to Insert a Check Mark or Tick Mark in Word (5 Ways) 3 Strikethrough Shortcuts in Microsoft Word to Cross Out Text Related coursesMicrosoft Word: Intermediate / Advanced Microsoft Excel: Intermediate / Advanced Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced Microsoft Word: Long Documents Master Class Microsoft Word: Styles, Templates and Tables of Contents Microsoft Word: Designing Dynamic Word Documents Using Fields VIEW MORE COURSES > Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at if you'd like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that's convenient for you. Copyright 2022 Avantix® Learning Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, Microsoft Office and related Microsoft applications and logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in Canada, US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of the registered owners. Avantix Learning |18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4 | Contact us at What is a first line indent?With a first line indent, the first line of a paragraph is indented more than the other lines in the paragraph. Use the tab key to create a first line indent in Word for the web. Place your cursor at the beginning of the first line in the paragraph.
What is hanging and first line indent?A Hanging indent, also known as a second line indent, sets off the first line of a paragraph by positioning it at the margin, and then indenting each subsequent line of the paragraph.
What is a hanging indent example?On most computers, you can create a hanging indent by selecting the line you want indented and then holding down the Ctrl and T buttons at the same time.
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