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Are you frustrated by words being split in PowerPoint? This is a common issue that manifests itself as weird blank spaces in the middle of words. Try as you might, it may seem that there’s nothing you can do to fix the problem. Read on to learn how you can stop this.
The solution to breaking words in PowerPoint is to change your language preferences. Once you do this, you’ll be able to customize the line spacing settings and ‘uncheck’ the box for the settings option that’s giving you trouble.
You may also have difficulty getting all your words to show up on the slide. Continue below to learn how to fix this and much more.
How Do You Stop PowerPoint From Splitting Words?
The first potential solution involves going into settings and changing your language preferences. Read more below.
Add Japanese As a Language
If PowerPoint is breaking words in half, it is due to a glitch that can be fixed by first changing your language preferences for Office. Yes, it’s weird and counterintuitive, but it is the result of a minor glitch in the app.
Follow these steps:
- Go Home
- Pan down to Options
- Select Language
- Depending on which version you have of PowerPoint, you may also be able to search Language in the search box in the upper center of the screen
Once you have reached Office Language Preferences, you’ll need to select the box on the right-hand side that says Add A Language. At this point, add Japanese as a language and hit the Install button at the bottom. Make sure that you do not set Japanese as the preferred language.
Fix the Text
It may take several minutes for Office to download the updates needed to add a language.
Once Japanese has been downloaded, take these steps:
- Select the text you wish to fix.
- Go to Line Spacing Options (dropdown menu accessed from the Home tab, select the Line Spacing icon from the Paragraph box)
- In the Paragraph box that pops up, click Asian Typography
- Make sure that Allow Latin Text To Wrap On The Middle Of A Word is unchecked.
Keep reading if you’re still having trouble with the words breaking.
If You Are Still Having Trouble
This would be a good time to make sure that you have the latest version of Microsoft PowerPoint installed. You can check for updates in File. Just simply navigate to Account, located towards the bottom of the screen.
Alternatively, you may just navigate to your computer’s control panel and find the PowerPoint app. Simply uninstalling and reinstalling the app can work wonders sometimes.
If all else fails, a call to Microsoft customer support may be needed. Whatever you do, make sure that you are not paying a subscription fee for a faulty product.
How Do You Make Words Fit In PowerPoint?
You may have also run into some trouble getting all your words to fit onto a single slide. There are several ways to format the text to ensure that everything fits.
Here’s how to stop PowerPoint from breaking words in the Microsoft 365 version:
- Select the Text Box for the slide you need to fix.
- Go to the Shape Format tab (will only pop up once you select the text you wish to fix.) This tab is to the right of the Help tab.
- A window named Format Shape will pop-up on the side of the screen. Scroll down to select Text Options.
- Select the icon furthest to the right, which should say Textbox when you pan your mouse over the icon.
- Deselecting Wrap Text In Shape will keep all of your selected text along one horizontal line.
- You can also shrink or expand the margins. Expanding the margins will further center your text in the middle of the slide.
Now, let’s look at another way to make words fit in PowerPoint.
Avoid Using Too Many Words
Short and simple is the mantra to follow when making PowerPoint slides. Type too many words and you’ll start to run into more formatting issues. Not only that, but you’ll also have more trouble keeping your audience engaged.
Here are some recommendations:
- A larger font size is better. Titles should be around 40 pt, subtitles around 32 pt, and content text should be set at 24 pt.
- Limit each slide to one idea.
Click here for more recommendations on how to make a quality presentation. If you’re having trouble, learn how to easily find inspiration in the section below.
This Is Why You Should Use PowerPoint Templates
Websites like Placeit.net have extensive inventories of professionally-designed PowerPoint templates. For example, this page shows 400 plus templates. Microsoft offers specially-designed slides too, but these are limited to basic themes.
Read below to find out how a basic subscription (or free account) on a website like PlaceIt can save you a lot of time in the long run.
Less Time Wasted
Customizing your slides can take a lot of time. Last-minute rush jobs lead to a compromise in quality. By downloading a professionally-designed slide template, you’ll have a snazzy presentation ready to go in mere minutes.
Fewer Problems With Breaking Words
The expertly-crafted PowerPoint slides are also less likely to give you problems with breaking words. That’s because many of the templates come with text placement guides. They may also come pre-loaded with the recommended formatting options.
Snappy Design
Have you ever had trouble placing a working video in a PowerPoint? Maybe a portion of the screen was cut off. With slide templates, you don’t have to give up on your creative ambitions just because you don’t have the time to finagle the formatting.
Several slide template packages on this site are specifically designed for video placement among the text.
Final Thoughts
If you notice words being split in PowerPoint, then follow the steps above to resolve the problem. While you’re at it, you are encouraged to follow the above tips to ensure that your big presentation goes smoothly.
This is also a good time to point out the existence of an online template service that’ll make your life much easier. This service offers more than 400 professionals-designed slides for a small monthly subscription fee.
