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⌫ Delete Whole Words on a Mac with Option + Delete

Delete Whole Words on a Mac: Option + Delete - The Tech Ranch
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By Marlo Anderson – The Tech Ranch

Changed your mind about the end of a sentence? On a Mac, hold Option and press Delete. A whole word disappears with each press.

The Shortcut

  • Option + Delete: erase the word before the cursor
  • Works in any Mac app
  • Windows & Chromebook: Ctrl + Backspace

Bonus Tip: Delete Forward

Press Fn + Delete to delete the letter to the right of the cursor, like the Delete key on a Windows keyboard.

More Keyboard Shortcuts, Explained

This is part of my Keyboard Shortcuts Explained series: quick, plain-English tips that make everyday computer work faster. Watch the whole series on YouTube and subscribe to The Tech Ranch so you don’t miss the next one. Short on time? Here’s the quick Short version.

Found this helpful? Give the video a thumbs up on YouTube. Got a shortcut you can’t live without? Tell me in the YouTube comments and it might show up in a future video.

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