Use a screen reader to read and edit footnotes and endnotes in word

This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with the Office products and is part of the Office Accessibility content set. For more general help, see Microsoft Support home.

Windows macOS iOS Android Web



Use Word with your keyboard and a screen reader to read and jump to footnotes and endnotes in your Word documents. We've tested it with Narrator and JAWS, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to add new footnotes and endnotes as well as modify, convert, and remove existing ones. Usually, footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and endnotes come at the end of the document or section.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft Office.

In this topic

• Read a footnote

• Read an endnote

• Jump to a footnote or endnote

• Add a footnote

• Add an endnote

• Customize footnotes and endnotes

• Convert all footnotes or endnotes

• Delete footnotes or endnotes

Read a footnote

When reading or navigating your document, footnote references are automatically read along with the text. You can also quickly navigate to and read just the footnotes in your document.

1. After opening a document that has footnotes, press Alt+S to open the References tab.

2. To select the Next Footnote option, press O, N to go to the next footnote reference number in your document.

   Tip: To go to the previous footnote reference number, press P.

3. To jump to the footnote text at the end of the page, press Alt+S, H. If you have both footnotes and endnotes in your document, the Show Notes window pops up. Press Enter to go to footnotes.

4. To start reading the footnotes, press the SR key+R.

5. To return to the current footnote reference number in the document body text, press Alt+S, H.

Read an endnote

When reading or navigating your document, endnote references are automatically read along with the text. You can quickly navigate to and read just the endnotes in your document.

1. After opening a document that has endnotes, press Alt+S to open the References tab.

2. To select the Next Footnote option, press O, X to go to the next endnote reference mark in your document.

   Tip: To go to the previous endnote reference mark, press V.

3. To jump to the endnote text at the end of the document, press Alt+S, H. If you have both footnotes and endnotes in your document, the Show Notes window pops up. Press Shift+Tab+Down arrow key, and then press Enter to go to the endnotes.

4. To start reading the endnotes, press the SR key+R.

5. To return to the current endnote reference mark in the document body text, press Alt+S, H.

Jump to a footnote or endnote

You can move to and from a footnote or endnote reference while reading a document with a screen reader.

1. After opening a document that has footnotes or endnotes, place the cursor on a footnote or an endnote reference. You hear: "Footnote reference" or "Endnote reference."

2. To move to the footnote reference text at the end of the page, press the SR key+Insert. You hear the footnote or endnote reference, such as "Footnote 1."

3. To read the footnote or endnote, press the SR key+R.

4. To return to the original footnote or endnote mark in the document body text, press the SR key+Shift+Insert.

Add a footnote

Word inserts a reference mark in the body text and adds the footnote reference text at the bottom of the page.

1. After opening your document, place the cursor where you want to insert the footnote.

2. To open the References tab, press Alt+S.

3. To select the Insert Footnote option, press F. You hear the reference number or mark added to the text, and the focus moves to the bottom of the page.

4. Write the footnote reference text.

5. When you're done with the reference text, press Alt+S, H to return to the footnote reference mark insertion point in the document body text.

Add an endnote

Word inserts a reference mark in the body text and adds the endnote reference text at the end of the document.

1. After opening your document, place the cursor where you want to insert the endnote.

2. To open the References tab, press Alt+S.

3. To select the Insert Endnote option, press E. You hear the reference mark or number added to the text, and the focus moves to the end of the document.

4. Write the endnote reference text.

5. When you're done with the reference text, press Alt+S, H to return to the endnote reference mark insertion point in the document body text.

Customize footnotes and endnotes

You can change the way footnotes and endnotes appear in your document. For example, you can change the number format or the location where the reference text shows up in your document.

1. After opening a document that has footnotes or endnotes, press Alt+S to open the References tab.

2. To open the Footnote and Endnote dialog box, press Q.

3. In the dialog box, you can select, for example:

   • Where your footnote or endnote will appear in the document.

   • The numbering format to use for each.

   • The number you want to start at.

   • Whether to use continuous numbering for the whole document, or restart at each section.

     Tips: To restart the numbering of footnotes or endnotes, you must also insert a section break into your document:

     1. Place the cursor to where you want the section break to occur.

     2. Press Alt+P, B to open the Breaks menu.

     3. Press the Down arrow key to select the type of section break you want and press Enter to insert it.

   • Whether the defined changes are applied to the whole document or just the section you're in.

   To move between the dialog box fields and buttons, press the Tab key. Use the arrow keys to go through the options in a field, and press Enter to select an option.

4. To apply the changes to a document with existing footnotes or endnotes, press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach the Apply button. Press Spacebar to apply the changes to the document and to close the dialog box.

   To apply the settings to a document without existing footnotes or endnotes, press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach the Insert button. Press Spacebar to insert a footnote or an endnote to the document and to close the dialog box.

Note: To edit the appearance of footnotes and endnotes in your document, you can edit the Footnote Text and Endnote Text styles. To open the Style window, navigate to a footnote or endnote, press Shift+F10 to open the context menu, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Style," and press Enter.

Convert all footnotes or endnotes

You can convert footnotes to endnotes or vice versa.

1. After opening a document that has footnotes or endnotes, press Alt+S to open the References tab.

2. To open the Footnote and Endnote dialog box, press Q.

3. Press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach the Convert button, then press Spacebar to select it. The Convert Notes dialog box opens.

4. In the Convert Notes dialog box, use the arrow keys to change the selections until the option you want is selected. Press the Tab key to move to the OK button, and press Spacebar to select it. The Convert Notes dialog box closes, and the focus returns to the Footnote and Endnote dialog box.

5. In the dialog box, the Insert button is selected. Press Spacebar to perform the conversion and to close the dialog box.

Delete footnotes or endnotes

If you want to remove a footnote or an endnote, delete the reference number or mark in the body of the text, not the footnote or endnote reference text at the end of the page, section, or document. If you remove the reference text, the reference number or mark remains in your document. When you remove the reference number or mark, the note is removed completely and the remaining reference numbers or marks are updated accordingly.

1. After opening a document that has footnotes or endnotes, press Alt+S to open the References tab.

2. To select footnotes or endnotes, press O, and use the Up and Down arrow keys to browse through the options. You hear the keys for the items as you move.

3. To select a footnote or an endnote, press the corresponding key, such as N for Next Footnote. The cursor is now placed in front of the footnote or endnote reference mark in the body text.

4. To remove the reference with Narrator, press Delete twice. Narrator announces: "Delete."

   In JAWS, press Delete. JAWS announces: "Selected blank space." Then press Delete again. The footnote or endnote is now removed.

See also

Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word

Use a screen reader to add, read, and delete comments in Word

Keyboard shortcuts in Word

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word

Use Word for Mac with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to read and jump to footnotes and endnotes in your Word documents. You can also add new footnotes and endnotes as well as modify, convert, and remove existing ones. Usually, footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and endnotes come at the end of the document or section.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.

• We recommend you read and edit documents in Print Layout View. VoiceOver may not work reliably in other view modes.

In this topic

• Add a footnote

• Add an endnote

• Jump to and read a footnote or endnote

• Navigate through footnotes or endnotes

• Convert all footnotes or endnotes

• Delete a footnote or endnote

Add a footnote

1. In your document, move to the location where you want to add a footnote.

2. Press Command+Option+F. You hear "Footnote," followed by the number of the note, and then "Edit text." The focus moves to the footnote section.

3. Write the footnote text.

Add an endnote

1. In your document, move to the location where you want to add an endnote.

2. Press Command+Option+E. You hear "Endnote," followed by the number of the note, and then "Edit text." The focus moves to the endnote section.

3. Write the endnote text.

Jump to and read a footnote or endnote

VoiceOver announces footnotes and endnotes when reading a document.

1. When VoiceOver announces a footnote or endnote number, stop the reading mode, and press the Left arrow key until you hear the number of the note.

2. To jump to the footnote or endnote text, press and hold Control+Option+Shift, and press Spacebar twice quickly.

   VoiceOver reads the note text. If VoiceOver doesn't start reading the note text automatically, press Control+Option+A.

Navigate through footnotes or endnotes

You can easily move from one footnote or endnote to another.

1. Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Home selected tab."

2. Press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key until you hear "References, tab," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

3. Press the Tab key until you hear "Next footnote, menu button," then press the Down arrow key until you hear the option you want, and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. The focus moves to the selected note. VoiceOver reads the note text.

4. To keep moving to the next or previous note, press Control+Option+Shift+M, then press the Down arrow key until you hear the option you want, and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

Convert all footnotes or endnotes

You can convert footnotes to endnotes or vice versa.

1. Press Control+Option+M. You hear: "Menu bar, Apple."

2. Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Insert," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

3. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Footnote, ellipses," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. You hear: "Footnote and endnote, Location."

4. Press the Tab key until you hear "Convert button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. You hear: "Convert notes, dialog."

5. Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear the option you want.

6. Press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

Delete a footnote or endnote

1. In the body text, jump to the footnote or endnote you want to delete.

2. Press Backspace until you hear: "Footnote" or "Endnote, selection deleted." Both the note marker in the body text and the note text are deleted.

See also

Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word

Use a screen reader to check spelling and grammar in Word

Keyboard shortcuts in Word

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word

Use Word for iOS with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to read and jump to footnotes and endnotes in your Word documents. You can also add new footnotes and endnotes or remove existing ones. Usually, footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and endnotes come at the end of the document or section.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• For touch capabilities in Word for iOS, go to Word for iPhone touch guide.

• This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.

• We recommend you read and edit documents in Print Layout View. VoiceOver may not work reliably in other view modes.

In this topic

• Add a footnote

• Add an endnote

• Jump to a footnote or endnote

• Delete a footnote or endnote

Add a footnote

1. In your document, go to the location where you want to add a footnote, and then double-tap the screen.

2. Swipe left or right until you hear "Show ribbon," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, tab."

3. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu expands.

4. Swipe left or right until you hear "Insert, tab," and then double-tap the screen.

5. Swipe right until you hear "Insert footnote, button," and then double-tap the screen. VoiceOver announces the footnote number, and the focus moves to the footnote text field in the document body.

6. Slide one finger along the right side of the screen until you hear "Hide ribbon, button," and then double-tap the screen. The on-screen keyboard appears at the bottom of the screen.

7. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the footnote text.

Add an endnote

1. In your document, go to the location where you want to add an endnote, and then double-tap the screen.

2. Swipe left or right until you hear "Show ribbon," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, tab."

3. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu expands.

4. Swipe left or right until you hear "Insert, tab," and then double-tap the screen.

5. Swipe right until you hear "Insert endnote, button," and then double-tap the screen. VoiceOver announces the endnote number, and the focus moves to the endnote text field in the document body.

6. Slide one finger along the right side of the screen until you hear "Hide ribbon, button," and then double-tap the screen. The on-screen keyboard appears at the bottom of the screen.

7. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the endnote text.

Jump to and read a footnote or endnote

1. In the document body, swipe right until VoiceOver announces a footnote or endnote. You hear, for example, "Footnote reference," followed by the footnote number.

2. Double-tap the screen. The focus moves to the footnote or endnote text field, and VoiceOver reads the note.

Delete a footnote or endnote

1. In the document body, swipe right until VoiceOver announces a footnote or endnote. You hear, for example, "Footnote reference," followed by the footnote number.

2. Double-tap the screen. The focus moves to the footnote or endnote text field.

3. Use the on-screen keyboard to delete the text from the footnote or endnote field.

See also

Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word

Use a screen reader to check spelling and grammar in Word

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word

Use Word for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to read and jump to footnotes and endnotes in your Word documents. You can also add new footnotes and endnotes as well as format and remove existing ones. Usually, footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and endnotes come at the end of the document or section.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• For touch capabilities in Word for Android, go to Word for Android touch guide.

• This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.

In this topic

• Add a footnote

• Add an endnote

• Jump to and read a footnote or endnote

• Delete a footnote or endnote

Add a footnote

1. In your document, go to the location where you want to add a footnote, and then double-tap the screen.

2. Swipe left or right until you hear "Not checked, More options, switch," and then double-tap the screen. You hear "Tab menu," followed by the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, selected."

3. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu opens.

4. Swipe left or right until you hear "Insert tab," and then double-tap the screen.

5. Swipe right until you hear "Footnote button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus moves to the footnote text field and the on-screen keyboard appears at the bottom of the screen.

6. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the footnote text.

Add an endnote

1. In your document, go to the location where you want to add an endnote, and then double-tap the screen.

2. Swipe left or right until you hear "Not checked, More options, switch," and then double-tap the screen. You hear "Tab menu," followed by the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, selected."

3. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu opens.

4. Swipe left or right until you hear "Insert tab," and then double-tap the screen.

5. Swipe right until you hear "Endnote button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus moves to the endnote text field and the on-screen keyboard appears at the bottom of the screen.

6. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the endnote text.

Jump to and read a footnote or endnote

1. TalkBack announces footnotes and endnotes when reading a document. You hear, for example, "Footnote reference," followed by the note number. To jump to the footnote or endnote text, double-tap the screen.

   TalkBack reads the note automatically.

Delete a footnote or endnote

1. Move to the footnote or endnote reference mark you want to delete.

2. To open the local context menu, swipe up-then-right. You hear: "Alert, Local context menu."

3. Swipe right until you hear "Actions," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Alert, actions."

4. Swipe right until you hear "Launch context menu," and then double-tap the screen.

5. Swipe left or right until you hear "Cut button," and then double-tap the screen. The footnote or endnote reference and the note text are removed.

See also

Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word

Use a screen reader to check spelling and grammar in Word

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word

Use Word for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to read and jump to footnotes and endnotes in your Word documents. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge, and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You learn how to add new footnotes and endnotes as well as format and remove existing ones. Usually, footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and endnotes come at the end of the document or section.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft Office.

• When you use Word for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Word for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you'll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Word for the web.

In this topic

• Read footnotes

• Read endnotes

• Jump to a footnote or endnote

• Add a footnote

• Add an endnote

• Format footnotes

• Format endnotes

• Delete a footnote or endnote

Read footnotes

1. In your document, press Alt+Windows logo key+S, S, F to open the footnote pane.

2. Press the SR key+Right arrow key to read the content of the footnote.

3. To navigate between the footnotes in your document, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear either "Previous footnote, button" or "Next footnote, button," and then press Enter.

4. To exit the footnote pane, press Esc.

Read endnotes

1. In your document, press Alt+Windows logo key+S, S, E to open the endnote pane.

2. Press the SR key+Right arrow key to read the content of the endnote.

3. To navigate between the endnotes in your document, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear either "Previous endnote, button" or "Next endnote, button," and then press Enter.

4. To exit the endnote pane, press Esc.

Jump to a footnote or endnote

Your screen reader announces footnotes and endnotes when reading a document.

1. When your screen reader announces a footnote or endnote number, stop the reading mode, and press the Left arrow key until you hear the number of the note, followed by "Group, footnote," or "Group, endnote," and then the note number again.

2. To jump to the footnote or endnote pane, press Ctrl+F8.

Add a footnote

1. In your document, move to the location where you want to add a footnote.

2. Press Alt+Windows logo key+S, R, F. You hear: "Editing footnote."

3. Type the footnote text.

4. To exit the footnote pane, press Esc.

Add an endnote

1. In your document, move to the location where you want to add an endnote.

2. Press Alt+Windows logo key+S, R, E. You hear: "Editing endnote."

3. Type the endnote text.

4. To exit the endnote pane, press Esc.

Format footnotes

You can change the font type and size, and the indentation of footnotes. The changes can be applied to one or all footnotes.

1. In your document, press Alt+Windows logo key+S, S, F. You hear: "Editing footnote."

2. Press the SR key+Right arrow key until you hear "Format footnotes, button," and then press Enter. You hear: "Dialog, Format options." The focus is on the font type menu.

3. To change the font type, press Alt+Down arrow key. The font type menu expands. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the font type you want, and then press Enter.

4. To change the font size, press the Tab key until you hear "Font size," and then press Alt+Down arrow key. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the font size you want, and then press Enter.

5. To change the indentation, press the Tab key until you hear the indent option you want. You also hear if the option is on or off. To select, press Enter.

6. Do one of the following:

   • To apply the changes to the current footnote only, press the Tab key until you hear "Apply button," and then press Enter.

   • To apply the changes to all footnotes, press the Tab key until you hear "Apply to all, button," and then press Enter.

7. To return to the body text, press Esc.

Format endnotes

You can change the font type and size, and the indentation of endnotes. The changes can be applied to one or all endnotes.

1. In your document, press Alt+Windows logo key+S, S, E. You hear: "Editing endnote."

2. Press the SR key+Right arrow key until you hear "Format endnotes, button," and then press Enter. You hear: "Dialog, format options." The focus is on the font type menu.

3. To change the font type, press Alt+Down arrow key. The font type menu expands. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the font type you want, and then press Enter.

4. To change the font size, press the Tab key until you hear "Font size," and then press Alt+Down arrow key. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the font size you want, and then press Enter.

5. To change the indentation, press the Tab key until you hear the indent option you want. You also hear if the option is on or off. To select, press Enter.

6. Do one of the following:

   • To apply the changes to the current endnotes only, press the Tab key until you hear "Apply button," and then press Enter.

   • To apply the changes to all endnotes, press the Tab key until you hear "Apply to all, button," and then press Enter.

7. To return to the body text, press Esc.

Delete a footnote or endnote

1. Navigate to the footnote or endnote you want to delete.

2. Press Ctrl+F8 to jump to the footnote or endnote pane.

3. Delete the text in the footnote or endnote.

4. Press Esc to return to the footnote or endnote reference number in the body text.

5. Press Shift+Left or Right arrow key to select the reference number in the body text, and then press Delete.

See also

Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word

Use a screen reader to insert a picture or image in Word

Keyboard shortcuts in Word

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.