Alternatively, you can select the column with the abbreviations and go to Data > Remove Duplicates (just remember to remove any errors or common abbreviations manually).

Remove any duplicates, errors, or common abbreviations that do not need defining (e.g., TV, PC, UFO, VIP).

Select the column and go to Home > Editing > Sort & Filter > Sort A to Z.

Paste the copied abbreviations into a column.

To then create your list, you will need a helping hand from Excel: Once you have done this, you can use Ctrl + C to copy them. This will then select all strings of capital letters and numbers in the document, which should include all acronyms and initialisms.

Under the Find In menu, click Main Document.

Click the More > button and select Use wildcards.

In the Find what… field, add “” (minus the quote marks).

Go to Home > Editing > Find > Advanced Find on the main ribbon.

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! The first step is to find all the abbreviations in your document. However, you can also use a combination of Microsoft Word and Excel to quickly generate a list of abbreviations. You can create a list of abbreviations manually by going through your work and noting each one down, then adding them all to a list at the start of your document. How to Create a List of Abbreviations in Microsoft Word If you are using one, you may also want to check your style guide for advice on defining abbreviations and how to list them.

Define each abbreviation alongside its shortened form.

List all abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms alphabetically.

Appear early in the document, just after the table of contents.In cases like this, a list of abbreviations can work as a reference point for your reader, meaning they can look up any abbreviation in one place rather than having to find where it was introduced.

And they may be scattered throughout your writing. But in a longer document, you may use quite a lot of abbreviations. When introducing an abbreviation in writing, you will usually need to define it first. But how does a list of abbreviations work? And how do you create one in Microsoft Word? Let’s find out. And if so, you may want to add a list of abbreviations to help the reader. If you’re creating a large document, such as a thesis or business report, it could contain many abbreviations.

List of word formatting marks