To compare two Word documents, open desktop Word, go to Review, choose Compare and select the original and revised files. Show the results in a new document when you want both source files to stay intact. Word displays detected differences as revisions, so you can review additions, deletions and other changes between the two copies.
Use Compare for two versions of the same document. Use Combine when you need to bring together tracked revisions from several reviewers. Before accepting anything, confirm which file is the original and which is revised, then check changes in headings, tables, notes and formatting as well as in the main text.
- Put the earlier file in Original document and the later copy in Revised document.
- Choose a new comparison document to preserve both sources.
- Choose comparison settings based on whether you need wording, formatting or both.
- Read the marked changes in context before accepting or rejecting them.
- Keep the comparison separate from the clean copy you intend to deliver.
Decide whether you need Compare, Combine or version history
Compare answers a specific question: how does one file differ from another? It is useful when someone sends a revised DOCX without tracked changes, or when you have two saved copies and need to identify what changed. The comparison marks are Word’s interpretation of the differences between those files. They do not establish who made each edit or exactly when it happened.
Use Combine for several marked-up reviews
If several people reviewed separate copies using Track Changes, Word’s Combine workflow can bring their revisions together. Compare can still help you examine two files, but a reviewer merge has a different purpose. Start with the review process the team agreed on. Keep the source copies and decide who will resolve conflicts before making a clean final file.
Use version history when you need a saved state of one file
If a Word file is stored in a service that supports version history, you may be able to open an earlier version. Use that to find a source for comparison or to recover content. A version history shows states of one stored item, while Compare can examine two separately saved documents. If all you need is one missing paragraph, it may be enough to open the older copy and verify the text.
Use the document that belongs to the decision
A submitted PDF and an editable Word draft can be related without containing exactly the same content. For a decision about what was actually sent, inspect the submitted copy. For a decision about how the editable draft changed, compare the correct DOCX files. Converting a PDF first can introduce layout differences that have nothing to do with the author’s edits.
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Compare two versions in desktop Word
On supported Windows desktop Word, use the Review tab and open Compare. Choose the comparison command rather than the command for combining revisions. Select the earlier document in the Original field and the later one in Revised. If Word offers comparison options, review the settings and choose to show changes in a new document when you want both inputs to remain intact.
Choose source files deliberately
Open each candidate file before comparing. Find a date, title or distinctive paragraph that identifies it. A folder can contain Report-Final.docx and a downloaded copy with nearly the same name. Check the contents and location. When the two correct files are open, save any intended edits before starting the comparison so you know what Word is examining.
Find the Mac route in your version
Microsoft documents a Mac comparison workflow that can be available through the Tools and Track Changes menu. Some versions expose related controls on the Review tab. Use the comparison command your installed desktop version provides and choose the original and revised files. If the web editor you are using does not show Compare, open an approved copy in a supported desktop version.
Check where the result will appear
Microsoft documents a new-document option for Word’s comparison. Use it when preserving the two inputs matters. Options that place the result in an original or revised document can affect that document. A new comparison copy gives you a place to review decisions and lets you go back to either source.
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Choose comparison settings that answer the question
Open the comparison options where available. Word can compare different features, such as formatting, comments, tables or headers and footers, depending on the version. Select the settings that match the review. A wording review can benefit from less formatting noise, while a design or publication review may need formatting included.
Compare words or characters
Where Word offers a choice, word-level marks can be easier to read when whole sentences changed. Character-level detail can help when the difference is one digit, punctuation mark or spelling. Choose the level that helps you verify the document. A date, reference code or numerical value may need a closer reading even if the main review is word-based.
Include tables and notes when they carry meaning
A change to a table value can matter more than a paragraph edit. Check the options for relevant document elements and inspect the actual cells. For a report with footnotes, compare both the reference mark and its note. A small wording change can alter what a citation supports. Use the original files to settle any ambiguity in the comparison view.
Run a second comparison for a different question
You might first compare wording and later check formatting before delivery. Save distinct results if both are useful. Label the comparison by purpose and identify the two sources. This helps a reviewer understand why one copy has fewer marks than another. The source files and comparison settings determine what Word can show.
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Read additions, deletions and moved text in context
Read the comparison from the first meaningful difference to the last. A deleted phrase may be replaced by a new one nearby. A paragraph moved to another section can appear as removal and insertion or as a move, depending on the files and settings. Inspect the surrounding headings before deciding that content is missing.
Use a concrete example
An original report says the observation took place on Tuesday. The revised version says Thursday. Compare marks the change, but it cannot tell you which date is correct. Check the source notes or ask the responsible editor. Then accept or reject that specific change in the working result.
Now imagine a paragraph about equipment was moved from the introduction to the method section. Check both locations and decide whether the move improves the document. If the revised paragraph also changes a measurement, examine that separately. Treat the placement and the factual change as two decisions.
Review the panes and markup display
Word can show a comparison document, source views or a list of revisions depending on the version and settings. Use the available views to locate changes, then read the full sentence or table row. A display option can hide some types of markup. If a reviewer expects a complete change list, check the relevant view and comparison options.
Read number changes character by character
A project statement might change 1.05 to 1.50. Both values can look plausible. Check the unit, row label and source evidence. A reference number with a leading zero can also change meaning if a digit is removed. Use the comparison as a pointer to the change and verify the correct value independently.
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Handle documents that already contain tracked changes
Open both documents and check their review state before comparing. A source may contain revisions that are visible or hidden by the current display mode. Microsoft describes how Word handles existing tracked changes in a comparison workflow, including a prompt in relevant versions. Read the prompt and preserve the originals. Decide whether the task is to compare clean versions or combine actual reviewer revisions.
Preserve reviewer decisions if they matter
If the task is to assemble several reviewers’ actual tracked edits, use the agreed Combine workflow. Keep the individual copies and any feedback. A simple comparison of two files can show a difference without preserving the review process you need. If you only need to see how the proposed final texts differ, create appropriate working copies under the team’s process.
Do not use a hidden-markup view as evidence of a clean source
A file can look clean in a display that hides revisions. Check the review controls and any comments that are still present. Make a copy before accepting or rejecting changes for a comparison. If a clean baseline is required, verify that its wording is the approved one. Reopen the comparison result and inspect which revisions are shown.
Confirm the labels you will use
For a team review, use useful names for the baseline and proposal. If your Word comparison options allow a label for the new changes, choose one that describes the comparison. The label identifies the comparison result. It should not imply that the tool verified who actually wrote the revised wording.
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Compare tables, figures and pages with unusual layouts
Inspect complex sections manually after Word highlights the differences. A changed table structure can produce many marks even when only a header moved. A picture’s placement can change because text reflowed earlier in the document. Find the first important difference and inspect the originals side by side.
A table row was inserted
Suppose one row for a new measurement was inserted between two existing rows. Verify the new row and the rows on either side. Check whether the totals, references and notes were updated. If Word shows many cell-level differences, compare the row labels instead of reading every mark as a separate edit.
A chart or picture changed
Open the original and revised copies and look at the figure itself. Check its title, labels and caption. A picture can have a similar position while displaying different data. A comparison report is useful for locating the section, and the figure needs its own visual check when it matters.
A footer or page number looks different
Check whether the comparison includes headers and footers. If the page number changes because sections moved, confirm whether the underlying setting or visible sequence should change. For an assignment with anonymous marking, verify the required areas of both copies and the final delivery file. A footer can contain material a main-text comparison does not bring to your attention unless the setting includes it.
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Resolve changes and prepare the delivery copy
Use the comparison to decide what belongs in the finished text. Review changes individually when the implications matter. Accept a change to keep the proposed revision, or reject it to retain the relevant earlier content, depending on the result and review context. Read the surrounding text after each significant decision. Save the approved result as a separate file if that is the agreed workflow.
Keep the marked copy for review
A teacher or colleague may want to see the differences, while the final recipient wants a clean document. Save two distinct outputs where permitted. The marked comparison is a review record. The clean Word file is the version the recipient uses. Check its comments and revisions before sharing, especially if it was made from the comparison itself.
Check for changes you did not intend to make
Open the approved file and compare the key headings, numbers and figures against the review decisions. Check the final page and any needed links. If you resolved one sentence near the start, verify whether its references still point to the correct section. Word’s detection helps find differences, while the final editorial decision belongs to the reviewer.
Use a clear name or folder for each output
For a school project, you might keep Original, Revised, Comparison and Approved files in distinct locations. Use the teacher’s naming rule for the submission copy. If a portal requires the same filename for a replacement, use separate working folders and open the exact candidate before uploading.
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Walk through a realistic comparison
A student has a Monday report and a Thursday report. The Thursday file adds a conclusion, changes a value in a table and moves a diagram. Open both files and confirm their titles and dates. Compare with Monday as Original and Thursday as Revised, and choose a new result document. Check the added conclusion and read the table value alongside its unit and row label.
The diagram appears on a later page in Thursday’s version. Open both sources and verify that its caption still refers to the correct image. If the shift is caused by another edit, decide whether the new position is acceptable. Save the reviewed result and export the requested final file. Before sending, check that the accepted value and conclusion are present.
Practise with two harmless copies
Create two copies of a short document. In the second, change a date, insert a sentence and apply bold to a heading. Run a wording-focused comparison, then include formatting and see how the result differs. Reverse the original and revised order in a separate test to see why the labels matter. Close the test without overwriting either original.
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Set a reliable baseline when there are several drafts
The original document in Compare is the baseline you choose. It might be yesterday’s draft, the version a teacher approved or the source sent to a colleague. The choice affects how every difference is described. If you choose the files in reverse, additions can appear as deletions. Identify the baseline by content and purpose before opening the comparison dialog.
Use the accepted version for a correction
Suppose a report was submitted on Monday, a draft was revised on Tuesday and the teacher asks for a correction on Thursday. The useful baseline may be the Word source that produced Monday’s PDF. Check the accepted PDF for a distinctive section or figure. If you cannot confirm the exact editable source, label the comparison honestly. Use the submitted copy to verify what the teacher received.
Use the agreed draft for a review round
A team might agree that Version 4 is the shared baseline. Reviewers make suggestions independently. Compare the current candidate with Version 4 when you need to see changes against that milestone. If the goal is to assemble the reviewer proposals, use Combine or the agreed review process. Keep a clear distinction between the baseline, reviewer copies and approved result.
Check two similarly named files by their contents
One file might contain a draft conclusion and another might have the final conclusion with a revised table. Open each and identify both features. A timestamp can be useful, and it does not prove that a later download contains a later editorial state. Record the filenames and the distinctive changes you checked. Select the confirmed items rather than whatever appears first in the recent-files list.
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Plan a review for numbers, names and short changes
A comparison can turn a small edit into one highlighted word. Some of the most consequential changes are just one character. An exercise might change a negative sign. A reading passage might change a name. A timetable might change a time or a room number. Use the comparison to locate the change and verify its meaning against the source information.
Review a date and a time together
Imagine an event was moved from 13 November at 2 pm to 14 November at 3 pm. A revised paragraph shows the new date, but a footer still shows the old time. Check the header, body and any schedule table. Review the relevant comparison options, then search the approved output for the earlier date and time where appropriate. A revision decision should update each occurrence that belongs to the event.
Review a name that appears in more than one place
A name may be in a title, a table and a caption. Decide which change is correct and check each reference in context. A line in a bibliography may use a different spelling convention from a person’s name in the text. Verify against the appropriate source. Do not assume all similar words should receive the same change.
Review numbers with their units
A changed value can be correct only if it refers to the same quantity. Compare a number with its row, column, unit and decimal precision. If the table totals depend on it, verify them separately. A change to an image of a chart may need a visual review even when the comparison shows little nearby text.
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Review changes to structure as well as words
A document can keep the same sentences and become much harder to follow if headings or lists change. Include formatting when structure matters to the reader. Inspect the underlying heading level, not only the bold text. For a numbered procedure, compare the step order and any cross-references after movement. Open a print or reading view to see whether the approved structure works.
A heading moves across a page boundary
If a heading shifts because a paragraph became longer, the content can still be correct. If it ends up alone at the bottom of the page, fix the layout in the approved copy. Compare the preceding paragraph, heading and first line of the following section. A change in one place can affect several pages.
A list changes order
A revision may move a step before a prerequisite. Read the whole sequence before accepting it. Check numbered labels and references such as “repeat step 2.” If a formatting comparison reports many changes in a list, compare the visible order with the intended process and repair the numbering in Word after resolving the content.
A note was moved instead of rewritten
Look at the old and new positions. The wording may be identical, while the new location changes which statement it qualifies. Decide whether the move preserves the intended relationship. If the note should stay tied to a table or figure, check that the approved file makes that connection clear.
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Make a comparison review manageable in a large file
Start with the high-impact areas. For a school report, these can include the research question, method, results and conclusion. For a shared procedure, include changes to instructions, eligibility and dates. Review the whole document to the standard required by the task, and use those areas to decide what needs closer attention first.
Separate factual decisions from style decisions
A factual edit needs a reliable source or an authorised decision. A style edit can be judged against the intended voice or formatting. Keep those questions distinct. If an edit changes both wording and meaning, verify the meaning before deciding how it should read. A version comparison saves time finding the change, and it cannot make the editorial decision.
Review in sections and preserve your place
Use Word’s available navigation or an approved review note to record which sections have been checked. If you stop midway, save the comparison as a separate review document. When you reopen it, confirm the two source files and the comparison purpose. Avoid making a new comparison from an altered source without noticing that its baseline changed.
Use a second reviewer for material decisions where required
Give the reviewer the intended comparison and describe what needs approval. They may need the two originals to inspect a table or figure. If a new change arrives after review, compare or inspect the updated material again. The approved final file should match the decisions that were actually reviewed.
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Troubleshoot a comparison with too many or too few marks
If every line appears to have changed, verify the two source files and compare the settings. One copy may have been rebuilt from a PDF, pasted into another template or changed across all styles. Run a wording-focused comparison if the task is to find textual edits. Reinclude formatting for a separate layout review where needed.
If expected edits are absent
Confirm that the later file is the one containing the changes. Open it and locate the expected passage. Then check comparison settings and any active display filters. A change to an image or its content may need a direct visual check. If the original and revised copies were saved under the same name in different folders, verify their paths before comparing again.
If a change is shown in the opposite direction
Check which file you chose as Original. If the proposal appears as a deletion even though it was added later, repeat the comparison with the correct baseline. Keep the mistaken test result separate or discard it where appropriate. Verify the first known edit in the new comparison before reviewing the full file.
If a document is protected or unavailable
Use a copy the owner has authorised you to review, or ask for the permitted route. A file can open in a limited mode and still lack access to the functions needed for the task. Do not treat a converted or altered copy as the original unless it has been checked and labelled appropriately. Preserve whatever file the issuer requires.
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Check a handoff that includes the source, markup and approved output
A comparison may be the deliverable, or it may be an intermediate review step. If the recipient asks for a marked document, preserve the changes in the approved form. If they ask for a clean copy, inspect the review state after resolving the edits. If they need the original too, include it separately under the agreed names.
Test the package before sending
Open each candidate file from the delivery folder. Identify which one contains the baseline, which shows revision marks and which contains the clean approved wording. Check a known change in each. If the task is a formal submission, confirm the filename, format and attachment field. For a later correction, use the issuer’s replacement route and verify the actual accepted copy.
Keep the comparison tied to its inputs
Where the process allows, note the two source names and the purpose of the comparison. This is useful if a teammate later asks why a particular edit appeared as a deletion. They can inspect the baseline and proposal rather than relying on a screenshot of the marks. Save the approved output separately so a later reviewer can distinguish the decisions from the material that informed them.
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Compare successive proposals without losing the approved baseline
A project can produce a first proposal, a revised version and a final correction. Decide whether you want to see everything that changed since the first approval or only what changed in the last review round. In the first case, use the approved file as Original. In the second, compare the two most recent versions. Label the result by its baseline so another reader knows what the marks represent.
A reviewer needs only the latest change
If the approved file already incorporated several earlier edits, a comparison against the first draft can obscure the new change. Run a comparison against the latest approved document instead. Check the known correction, then inspect the adjacent text and any repeated figures or dates. A narrower baseline makes the review easier without relying on a filtered view of an unrelated comparison.
Preserve both useful views when required
A team may need one document showing the full revision history from its chosen baseline and another comparison for a last-minute amendment. Save them under clear names where allowed. In each, verify the two input files and a known difference. If the final delivery is clean, prepare that separately from the reviewed result.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Compare in Word?
In supported Windows desktop Word, use Review and Compare. Microsoft also documents a Tools and Track Changes route in supported Mac versions.
Will Compare change my original files?
Choose to show the comparison in a new document to preserve the source copies. Check the output setting before proceeding.
Can Word compare two files with no tracked changes?
Yes. Compare can detect differences between two versions and show them as revision marks.
What is the difference between Compare and Combine?
Compare shows differences between two versions. Combine is for bringing together marked revisions from separate reviews.
Why is an unchanged paragraph marked?
Check for movement, formatting or a changed surrounding structure. Open both sources and compare the affected text in context.
Can Word tell who originally changed a sentence?
A file comparison shows differences between the selected files. Use actual review history or the team’s records for attribution when needed.
How do I send the clean result?
Resolve the intended revisions, check comments and other required review data, and save a separately named delivery copy.
Can I compare wording without formatting noise?
Use the comparison options to focus on wording where your version provides the controls. Run a separate layout comparison when formatting decisions matter.
Can I compare a DOCX with a PDF?
For reliable review, use the correct editable source files if available. A PDF conversion can introduce layout and structure differences that are unrelated to the author’s edits.
Why does a formatting-only comparison show so many changes?
A template or style update can affect many paragraphs. Inspect a representative section, then choose a wording-focused comparison for the content review if needed.
Helpful reading
- Microsoft Support on comparing and merging versions in Word
- Microsoft Support on the Windows desktop Compare and legal blackline workflow
- How to Restore an Earlier Version in Google Drive
- How to Name and Organise Files for School and Online Applications
- How to Convert PDF to Word and Keep the Formatting
- How to Remove Comments and Tracked Changes in Word
- How to Recover an Unsaved Word Document on Windows or Mac
Use the comparison to make a decision
Keep the two inputs and read the changes in context. Save the approved output separately and check that it contains the decisions the review was meant to settle.