Microsoft Word Style Doesn't Allow Font Size 12. WHY?

Question

Microsoft Word Style Doesn't Allow Font Size 12. WHY?

=D 140

I have a font style in Word that uses the Courier New font. I added this style myself. At this moment the Style font size is 9. I want to use font size 12. I want to modify the Style to use 12. Simple, right? Well, no. Not at all.

On the ribbon (Home) I can right click the style and select modify and then choose the font size 12. But, as soon as I click out of the Modify Style window, I get the font size 9 in the document. What is strange is that when I'm in the Modify Style window (if I re-open it) the Modify Style window indicates (incorrectly) that the font size is 12.

So, then I ran tests (because I have nothing better to do with my time - /sarcasm)

I manually changed the style to use the following font sizes: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

All font sizes changed as expected except for font size 12. That is to say, if I changed the style to use font size 8, I got font size 8 in the document, similarly with, 9, 10, 11 - but not 12. Of the font sizes I manually tested font sizes larger than 12 worked as well. Only font size 12 failed to stick.

Why?

What in the world would cause a style to not adhere to using a specific font size?

I created a video documenting this behavior. Let me know if you'd like to see this video.

This what I see when viewing the Modify Style dialog: 2026-02-21_11-09-46

5 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Stefan Blom 334.9K MVP Volunteer Moderator

"...are you applying the style to text inside a table cell?" No, I am not. I'm using a Word document and typing text in that document. There is no table/cells involved. This is an ordinary text document using Microsoft Word.

Well, "ordinary text documents" may obviously contain tables. Thank you for the clarification that you are not dealing with formatting inside table cells (which is unnecessarily convoluted in Word).

Did you have any luck removing direct character formatting with Ctrl+SpaceBar?

If you want to, you can share a representative sample document with the forum, so that we can have a closer look. There is usually an explanation for this type of observed formatting inconsistencies.

=D 140 Reputation points

2026-02-23T18:36:15.7533333+00:00

There are no tables.

I didn't try Ctrl+SpaceBar because there are no tables and therefore no cells. Should I use Ctrl+SpaceBar despite this?

I used the following workaround: font size 11.5pt.

I have a hunch that, maybe, I created a Style from another Style and, perhaps, there's an overriding link of some kind. But take that with two grains of salt as I am guessing upon guessing to explain, of all bizarre things, why only font size 12 isn't allowed.
Charles Kenyon 164.1K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-02-23T19:05:12.49+00:00

Ctrl+Spacebar is to remove direct formatting, you do not need to be in a table to use it.
Stefan Blom 334.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-02-23T19:22:48.3266667+00:00

Ctrl+SpaceBar removes local character overrides so it will work for any selected text (it has nothing to do with tables, only with text formatting). Local character overrides, or so-called direct character formatting, is formatting added via the Font group on the Home tab (or via the Font dialog box). It is added "on top" of the style-based formatting.

Again, if you want us a take a closer look, a representative sample document in Word format would be the easiest way. Of course, you should remove any sensitive information from your sample. We just need examples of the problem you observed.
=D 140 Reputation points

2026-02-23T19:27:23.4+00:00

I would like to share the Word document as this problem seems unusual. But wouldn't my full name and/or company address somehow be attached to the Word Document (perhaps in meta data)?
Stefan Blom 334.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-02-23T19:48:07.35+00:00

You can run the Document Inspector on your document (File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document) and choose to remove personal information. This will prevent personal data from saving in the Word doc. Comments (as well as any tracked changes) will be attributed to the generic "Author" when you save, close and reopen the doc.

Answer 2

Charles Kenyon 164.1K Volunteer Moderator

Jargon alert: In Word jargon there is no such thing as a font style.

There can be character styles, paragraph styles, linked styles, and table styles.

What you are showing is a linked style. That is almost certainly not what you want.

See: https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm#Character

I suspect that you want a character style. This controls font formatting. If you do not assign a font size to it, it will use the font size in the underlying paragraph style. If you do specify a font size, then that will be the size used for selected text when the style is applied.

=D 140 Reputation points

2026-02-22T07:14:27.1166667+00:00

The word obtuse comes to mind.
Charles Kenyon 164.1K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-02-22T20:32:23.6033333+00:00

The word obtuse comes to mind.

Word styles have been this way since Word 2007. It may seem obtuse, but it is what it is. Did you look at the link I provided?

Yet one other kind of style is the list style, also not what you want.

If you are a regular Word user, it is very important for you to learn to use the character and paragraph styles effectively. You owe it to yourself.

https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/stylesImportance.htm
=D 140 Reputation points

2026-02-23T18:29:57.6666667+00:00

No, I didn't look at your link because (1) I found a workaround that didn't involve 100% of my attention which would only distract and delay my productivity. I need to be productive at my job and (2) I don't believe you actually understood what I was describing opting to niggle over semantics.

I have a video that documents the behavior of what I have described. Let me know if you'd like to see this video.

As for language: When describing the symptoms that I experienced I tended to read the names of various Windows dialogs and whatnot - sorry if I used the wrong word. I will not engage with you on this topic any longer as I need to focus on my job and not troubleshoot Microsoft software.

Answer 3

Stefan Blom 334.9K MVP Volunteer Moderator

If you select the incorrectly formatted text in the document, and then press Ctrl+SpaceBar, does that fix the problem? Does it revert the font to the setting of the Modify Style dialog box?

If not ... Just a guess, but are you applying the style to text inside a table cell? In that case, special rules apply.

For Word to honor style settings properly within table cells, make sure that you set the document default font and the font of the Normal style the same. The quickest way is to change the default in the Font dialog box (Ctrl+D). You don't have to set the font to Courier New; just choose the font you use in most of your document.

=D 140 Reputation points

2026-02-22T07:17:01.9333333+00:00

"...are you applying the style to text inside a table cell?" No, I am not. I'm using a Word document and typing text in that document. There is no table/cells involved. This is an ordinary text document using Microsoft Word.

Answer 4

John Korchok 230.1K Volunteer Moderator

I'm not able to reproduce this problem in Word version 2601 (Build 19628.20214 Click-to-Run). Please try running an Office Repair. The Online Repair option is more thorough.

=D 140 Reputation points

2026-02-21T21:48:36.0466667+00:00

Thanks for the Office Repair link. In the meantime, I used font size 11.5. This is a little janky, but it's good enough.

Answer 5

The issue you're experiencing with Microsoft Word not allowing font size 12 to stick in your custom style could be related to several factors:

Style Corruption: Sometimes, styles can become corrupted, leading to unexpected behavior. You might want to try creating a new style from scratch and see if the issue persists.
Document Compatibility: If your document is in a compatibility mode (for older versions of Word), certain features, including specific font sizes, might not work as expected. Ensure your document is saved in the latest Word format.
Font Availability: Although Courier New should support size 12, ensure that the font is correctly installed and available on your system. Sometimes, issues with font files can cause unexpected behavior.
Tracking Changes: If you have Track Changes enabled, it might interfere with style modifications. Try accepting all changes or turning off Track Changes to see if that resolves the issue.
Conflicting Styles: There might be other styles or formatting applied to the text that override your custom style settings. Check for any direct formatting applied to the text that might conflict with the style settings.

If none of these solutions work, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for further assistance, as they may have more specific insights into this issue.

References:

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Microsoft Word Style Doesn't Allow Font Size 12. WHY?

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