How to Make Columns in Word Without a Table: A Guide

To make columns in Word without a table, select the text you want to split, then choose Layout > Columns and pick a layout. Word will flow the text from one column to the next, like a newsletter or newspaper. You can apply columns to a whole document or just one section, and you can control where text moves between columns with a column break.

What You’ll Need

A desktop version of Microsoft Word. The instructions below use Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows; Word for Mac has similar column controls, though the ribbon layout can vary slightly.
A document with text ready to format. You can also set up columns before typing, but selecting existing text makes it easier to limit the effect to one part of the document.

Word for the web may display a document that already has columns, but column creation and detailed layout controls can be limited. If you cannot find the options described here, open the document in the desktop app.

Step-by-Step

Decide which text should appear in columns. To split only a portion of a document, drag across that text to select it. Include the paragraphs, headings, and lists that belong in the columns. If you want the entire document to use columns, you do not need to select anything. Word applies the layout to the current section, so check whether your document already contains section breaks if only part of it should change.
Open the column controls. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the Layout tab on the ribbon, then choose Columns in the Page Setup group. On some ribbon sizes, the Page Setup controls may be compressed; maximize the window or open the group’s options if needed. In Word for Mac, go to Layout > Columns. If the ribbon is arranged differently in your Mac edition, look for Columns on the Layout tab or in the Format menu.
Choose a starting layout. Select Two for a standard two-column layout, or choose Three for three columns. One returns text to a single-column layout. The Left and Right presets create two columns with unequal widths, placing the narrower column on the named side. As soon as you choose a preset, Word adjusts the selected text or current section.
Set exactly how the columns should look. For more control, choose Layout > Columns > More Columns. In the dialog, set the number of columns, adjust each column’s width and spacing, and, if desired, turn on Line between. A vertical rule can help separate dense text, but it is optional. If you want different widths, clear Equal column width and enter the sizes. Make sure the widths and spaces together fit within the printable page width.
Choose where the layout applies. In the More Columns dialog, check the Apply to setting before confirming. Choose Whole document to format every section, or select the option for the current section or selected text when available. If you selected text first, Word can create section boundaries so the columns affect only that selection. Click OK, then review the pages before continuing.
Check the reading order and column balance. Word fills the first column downward, then continues at the top of the next column. This is different from placing separate paragraphs side by side: the text remains one continuous flow. If the last column is much shorter, that may be correct if the section ends there. For a balanced final page, you can insert a column break or adjust the amount of text, rather than adding spaces to force the layout.
Move text to the next column at a chosen point. Click immediately before the paragraph or line that should start at the top of the next column. Choose Layout > Breaks > Column. This inserts a column break without adding blank paragraphs. On Windows, Ctrl+Shift+Enter is the keyboard shortcut for a column break. On Mac, use the Layout menu’s Breaks command if you are unsure which shortcut is assigned in your version.
Return to one column after the column section. Click where the single-column text should begin. If the columns apply only to selected text, Word may already have inserted the section boundaries needed to keep following text separate. If not, insert a continuous section break at the end of the column area using Layout > Breaks > Continuous, then choose Layout > Columns > One in the new section. A continuous section break starts the next section on the same page when space allows.
Inspect the page in Print Layout. Select View > Print Layout if you are in another view. Check headings, images, lists, and the final line of each column. A heading may be stranded at the bottom of a column, or an image may be too wide for the column. Adjust paragraph spacing or image size where necessary, and check the page again after edits because reflow can move text between columns.

Common Mistakes

Using tabs or repeated spaces to imitate columns. This creates fragile alignment that shifts when the font, page width, or text changes. Use Word’s column layout for flowing text. For two short, independent blocks that must remain next to each other, a borderless table or text boxes may actually suit the job better, even if you do not want a visible table.
Applying columns to the wrong area. Columns generally apply to a section, not simply to whichever paragraph you clicked. If the whole document changes unexpectedly, undo the change, select the intended text, and reapply the layout. Check for section breaks that may divide the document into separate formatting areas.
Pressing Enter repeatedly to push content across. Empty paragraphs are unpredictable: later edits can leave large gaps or move text around. Insert a column break at the precise point instead.
Assuming columns read across each row. Word fills the first column from top to bottom before continuing to the next one. If you need a fixed left-side label beside a corresponding right-side value on every line, newspaper-style columns may not provide the alignment you need.

Tips

Use two columns for ordinary reading. Three or more columns can make narrow lines difficult to follow, especially on a standard page. Preview the result at the page size readers will use.
Set margins before fine-tuning widths. Changing margins later changes the space available for columns. Choose Layout > Margins first, then open More Columns and adjust widths and spacing.
Keep headings with the text they introduce. If a heading becomes isolated at the bottom of a column, select it and the paragraph settings that control pagination. In the Paragraph dialog’s Line and Page Breaks tab, Keep with next can keep a heading with the paragraph after it.
Show formatting marks when the layout seems mysterious. On Windows, choose Home > ¶ or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, use the paragraph-mark button on Home; the shortcut can vary by keyboard and Word version. Section breaks and column breaks become visible, making it easier to see why formatting changes at a particular point.
Save a copy before experimenting with a long document. Changing section layout can affect headers, footers, page numbering, and the position of later content. A duplicate gives you a simple way to compare the original layout.

Troubleshooting

The entire document changed to columns. The layout may have been applied to the whole document or to a section that spans the document. Undo the change, select only the paragraphs you want, and apply the columns again. In More Columns, confirm the Apply to setting before clicking OK.
Text will not move into the next column. Look for a page break, section break, or large image that is forcing the text to a new page. Turn on formatting marks and inspect the area. Delete only the unintended break; removing a section break can also change nearby page formatting, so check the result immediately.
The columns have uneven lengths. Word does not always balance columns in the middle of a section. A continuous section break at the end of the column area can allow Word to balance the columns in that section. You can also adjust the text or insert a column break when you want a specific starting point. Check whether there is enough text for the columns to look balanced.
A picture or chart is too wide. Select it and reduce its width, or change its text wrapping and position so it fits the column. An image set to span the full page can disrupt the flow. If it needs to remain full width, place it in its own single-column section between the column sections.
You cannot find Columns. Make sure you are using the desktop Word app and that the Layout tab is visible. On a narrow window, ribbon commands may be collapsed. In Word for the web, open the document in the desktop application to access the full page-layout controls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make columns in only one part of a Word document?
Yes. Select the text, choose Layout > Columns, and pick a layout. Word can set section boundaries around the selection so that text outside it keeps its existing layout. Check Apply to in More Columns if the result affects more text than intended.

How do I add a vertical line between columns?
Open Layout > Columns > More Columns, select the number of columns, check Line between, and click OK. The line separates the columns visually; it does not change how text flows.

How do I start a new column without starting a new page?
Insert a column break where the next column should begin: choose Layout > Breaks > Column. This moves the following text to the next column on the same page if there is room.

Can I make columns different widths?
Yes. Open More Columns, clear Equal column width, and set the width and spacing for each column. The total must fit within the space available between the page margins.

How do I remove columns and go back to normal text?
Click in the affected section and select Layout > Columns > One. If only part of the document should return to one column, put a continuous section break at the boundary first and apply One to the following section.

Are Word columns the same as two side-by-side text boxes?
No. Columns form one continuous text stream, so text flows from one column into the next. Text boxes are separate objects that you position independently. Use text boxes when each block needs to stay separate or sit at an exact position on the page.

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