What is Microsoft Word?
{{Infobox Software | name = Microsoft Word | developer = [[Microsoft]] | operating system = [[Microsoft Windows]]<br /> [[macOS]] | latest release version = Microsoft Office 2016, Microsoft Office 2019, or as part of Microsoft 365 | genre = [[Word processor]] | license = [[Proprietary]] | website = [http://office.microsoft.com/word Word Home Page - Microsoft Office Online] }} '''Microsoft Word''' or '''MS Word''' (often called '''Word''') is a graphical [[word processing]] program that users can type with. It is made by the [[computer]] [[company]] [[Microsoft]]. Its purpose is to allow users to type and save [[document]]s. Similar to other word processors, it has helpful tools to make documents. * [[Spelling]] & [[grammar]] checker, word count (this also counts letters and lines) * [[Speech recognition]] * Inserts pictures in documents * Choice of [[typeface]]s * Special codes * Web pages, graphs, etc. * Tables * Displays [[synonym]]s of words and can [[Text to Speech|read out]] the text * [[Computer printer|Prints]] in different ways Microsoft Word is a part of [[Microsoft Office]], but can also be bought separately. == History == The program was first released in [[1981]]. Many of the ideas and features in Microsoft Word came from '''Bravo''', the first [[GUI|graphical]] writing program. Microsoft bought the Bravo program, and changed its name to ''Microsoft Word''. When it first came out, it was not very popular, and did not sell as well as other writing programs like [[WordPerfect]]. Although it was not very popular when it came out, it had a feature called ''[[WYSIWYG]]'' (What You See Is What You Get), which meant that people can change the visual style of writing (e.g. bold, italics), by selecting and formatting text, when in other programs like WordPerfect, people had to add special 'codes' to change the style of writing. ''WYSIWYG'' is now a common feature of all computer writing programs. === Versions === There are versions for Microsoft Word for other [[operating system]]s as well as [[Microsoft