How to Compare Two Versions of a Document in Word 2016

Word 2016's revision-tracking tools make reviews of your documents possible. You have the original copy of your document — the stuff you wrote. You also have the copy that Brianne, from the legal department, has worked over. Your job is to compare them to see exactly what's been changed from the original. Here's what to do:

1. Click the Review tab.
2. In the Compare group, choose Compare→Compare. The Compare Documents dialog box shows up.
3. Choose the original document from the Original Document drop-down list. The list shows recently opened or saved documents. Choose one, or use the Browse item to summon the Open dialog box and hunt down the document.
4. Choose the edited document from the Revised Document drop-down list. Choose the document from the list, or use the Browse item to locate the changed, altered, or mangled document.
5. Click OK.

Word compares the two documents. The changes are displayed in a quadruple-split window, as shown here. This presentation is actually a third document titled Compare Result.

Look it over! Peruse the changes made to your pristine prose by the barbarian interlopers: Scrolling is synchronized between all three documents: original, edited, and compared. Click a change in the Reviewing pane (shown on the left) to quickly see which part of your document was folded, spindled, or mutilated.

• Changed text is highlighted in two ways: Added text is underlined. Removed text is shown in strikethrough style.
• You can confirm or reject the changes in the Compare Result document just as you would when tracking changes manually.

About This Article

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Dan Gookin wrote the first-ever For Dummies book, DOS For Dummies. The author of several bestsellers, including all previous editions of Word For Dummies, Dan has written books that have been translated into 32 languages with more than 11 million copies in print.