How Do I Make A Vertical Bar In Word?

Yes — the vertical bar is a standard punctuation character (U+007C) in Word 365 (2026).

A vertical bar (|) is a straight, upright symbol used in coding, logic, and plain text. In Microsoft Word 365 build 18708.10000 (as of 2026), it’s encoded at Unicode U+007C and renders as a single character. When your keyboard ignores the keypress, the usual suspects are font substitution, a non-standard keyboard layout, or a background add-in stealing keystrokes.

Use Shift + \| after confirming your keyboard layout and font.

1. Confirm your keyboard layout:

   • Windows 11 23H2? Hit Windows + Space to cycle through your installed layouts.
   • macOS Ventura 13.5+? Open System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources and double-check your layout (US, UK, or custom).

2. Test the key itself:

   • Open Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (macOS), and set the font to Consolas or Courier New (Windows) / Courier (macOS).
   • Hold Shift and press the key right after the P key (it’s labeled \ on US layouts). The bar should pop up.

3. Grab it from Word’s symbol gallery:

   • In Word 365, click Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
   • In the “Symbol” dialog, set Font: (normal text) and Subset: General Punctuation.
   • Scroll to row 2, column 10 (Unicode 007C). Click Insert, then Close.

4. Build a vertical rule with borders:

   • Click inside the paragraph where you want the line.
   • Go to Home → Paragraph → click the tiny arrow in “Borders” → Borders and Shading.
   • In the “Borders” tab choose Left, set Width: 1 pt, Color: Automatic, then hit OK.

Disable add-ins, switch to a monospace font, or set up an AutoCorrect rule.

• Inspect your add-ins: In Word go to File → Options → Add-ins, pick COM Add-ins, click Go, and uncheck any third-party editors. Restart Word.

• Try a different font: On the Home tab open the Font dropdown and choose Lucida Console or Source Code Pro. Some fonts (especially web fonts) swap the bar for a weird dingbat.

• Set up AutoCorrect: File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options. In the “Replace” box type “|||” and in the “With” box paste the vertical bar character (U+007C). Click Add → OK. Now typing “|||” turns into “|”.

Lock the US English layout, refresh fonts, and disable hotkey clashes.

• Lock in the US English keyboard layout in Windows: Settings → Time & Language → Language → English (United States) → Options → Add a keyboard → US. Remove any layouts you don’t use.

• Refresh your fonts: Run Windows Update or macOS Software Update to pull in fresh system fonts that Office relies on.

• Watch for hotkey clashes: If you run tools like AutoHotkey or Karabiner Elements, open their scripts and disable any rule that remaps Shift + \|.

• Save a template: Stash a blank document with the right font, spacing, and border preset as “Normal.dotm”. New documents will start with these settings.

Microsoft Support: Insert a symbol in Word

Unicode U+007C chart

Microsoft Docs: Font object (Word VBA)

The vertical line between words is called a vertical slash or upright slash (|).

That vertical line you see? It’s called the vertical slash or upright slash (|). In math and logic, it often stands in for phrases like “such that” or “it is true that.” You’ll spot it in set theory and formal logic statements.

Press Shift + \ to create a vertical line in Word.

Want a vertical line in Word? The quickest method: hold down Shift, then press the \ key. That’s all it takes.

Type a vertical line by holding Shift and pressing the key above Enter.

Most modern keyboards have the vertical line tucked away. It’s generally above the backslash key. Just hold Shift and press that key to get your | character.

Make a vertical bar using CSS border properties.

Need a vertical bar in HTML/CSS? Use border-left or border-right. Set the height to control how long it appears. Position it with CSS to place it exactly where you want.

The line between words is called whitespace.

That gap between words? It’s called whitespace. In Latin, Cyrillic, and Arabic scripts (and many others), it’s just a blank space that separates words.

A vertical line goes straight up and down, parallel to the y-axis.

Picture a vertical line. It goes straight up and down, perfectly parallel to the y-axis. All points on this line share the same x-coordinate. And here’s a fun fact: a vertical line has no slope—it’s undefined.

The equation of a vertical line is x = c.

Every point on a vertical line shares the same x-coordinate. If that shared value is c, the line’s equation is simply x = c. The x-intercept? That’s the point (c, 0).

A vertical line is not a function.

Here’s why: if any vertical line crosses a graph more than once, that graph isn’t a function. A function must have only one output per input—vertical lines break that rule.

Horizontal lines are side-to-side; vertical lines are up-and-down.

Horizontal lines run side-to-side, parallel to the x-axis. Vertical lines stand tall, parallel to the y-axis. Think of a sleeping line versus a standing line.

On TikTok, the brain emoji represents deep thought.

That brain emoji on TikTok? It’s not just anatomy anymore. And those two pointing fingers? They’ve become a symbol for shyness in TikTok culture.

Two words combined are called a portmanteau word or blend.

Ever mash two words together to make one? That’s a portmanteau. Think “brunch” (breakfast + lunch) or “smog” (smoke + fog). The word itself comes from a suitcase that opens into two halves.

In grammar, the period is called a full stop in British English and a period in American English.

To remove space between lines in Word, select single spacing.

1. Select Design → Paragraph Spacing.
2. Hover over each option to preview it, then choose No Paragraph Space for single spacing.

Insert a horizontal line in Word using the Horizontal Line button.

1. Put your cursor where the line should go.
2. Go to Format → Borders And Shading.
3. On the Borders tab, click the Horizontal Line button.
4. Scroll through the options and pick your line style.
5. Click OK to insert it.