Issue with Text not aligning with Numbering on Microsoft word (office 365)

Question

I have a document I am working on, and the text are not aligning with the numbering on the side. When I type documents, each line should align with the numbers to the side. I am currently on the Microsoft 365 office version.

The document needs to be aligned with the Line numbering.

Kindly assist with any resolution step

Best regards

Answer 1

Hello Derek K,

I'm Shalom and I'd happily help you with your question. In this forum, we are Microsoft consumers just like yourself.

If the text in your Microsoft Word document is not aligning properly with the numbering on the side, you can try the following steps to resolve the issue:

Method 1: Adjust Line Spacing

1. Select the entire document by pressing "Ctrl + A" on your keyboard.
2. Go to the "Home" tab in the ribbon.
3. Locate the "Paragraph" group and click on the small arrow icon in the bottom-right corner of the group. This will open the "Paragraph" dialog box.
4. In the "Paragraph" dialog box, go to the "Indents and Spacing" tab.
5. In the "Spacing" section, make sure that the "Before" and "After" values are set to "0 pt."
6. In the "Line spacing" dropdown, select "Single."
7. Click the "OK" button to apply the changes.

Method 2: Adjust Numbering Settings

1. Select the numbered list that is not aligning correctly.
2. Right-click on the selected list and choose "Adjust List Indents" from the context menu.
3. In the "Adjust List Indents" dialog box, modify the "Number position" and "Text position" values to align the text with the numbering.
4. Click the "OK" button to apply the changes.

Method 3: Use the Ruler

1. Show the ruler if it's not already visible by going to the "View" tab and checking the "Ruler" option.
2. Select the text that is not aligning correctly.
3. Drag the left indent marker on the ruler to adjust the alignment of the text with the numbering.

Method 4: Check Page Layout Settings

1. Go to the "Layout" tab in the ribbon.
2. Click on "Margins" and make sure that you are using the appropriate margin settings. Incorrect margin settings might affect the alignment of text and numbering.

Method 5: Clear Formatting

1. Select the text that is not aligning correctly.
2. Click the "Clear Formatting" button in the "Font" group on the "Home" tab. This will remove any conflicting formatting that might be causing the alignment issue.

After trying these methods, check if the alignment issue is resolved. If none of the methods work, you might want to consider creating a new numbered list from scratch to see if the issue persists. Remember to save a backup of your document before making significant changes, just in case you need to revert to a previous version.

Best Regards, Shalom

Answer 2

Please clarify which type of numbering you are referring to... The line numbering added via the Line Numbers dialog box (Layout tab > Page Setup group > Line Numbers > Line Numbering Options > Line Numbers) would always align with the actual text lines in a document.

It might help us diagnose the issue if you take a screen shot of your document and upload it in a reply here.

Answer 3

Hey, Stefan

Thank you for your time; it is the pleading template that comes with Word. I'd like to make the text 12 point, yet the numbers (1-28) on the side are not aligned due to change of font size.

The numbers on the side are accessed by editing the Header, then it can be manipulated.

The font of the body text is 12.

Answer 4

Thanks for confirming which template you are using.

You will have to increase the point size and possibly also the line spacing of the typed numbers in the text box so that they match the text lines in the document. This will require some trial and error; it is a completely manual task.

See also your other thread at https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/line-numbers-for-pleading-paper-only-extend-half/2563a76b-50de-44e1-820e-e06e44d6710f.

Answer 5

I had a hunch this was going to be the pleading template, but you'd already covered it by asking about the template.