Alex Ruben
How To Display Bullet Points Side by Side in Word
Getting those bullet points to sit nicely side by side in Word can be a bit tricky, especially if you’re trying to make a cleaner, more professional-looking layout. A lot of folks don’t realize that the easiest way is with a simple table—yeah, those old grid things. Once you get the hang of it, your reports, slides, or flyers look way more organized and less cluttered. Just know that sometimes, messing with tables feels like extra work, but hey, it’s worth it for the neatness. Plus, removing borders makes them look more integrated than obvious grids. This guide walks through those steps, plus some tips for I’ve seen people struggle with, like fixing alignment or border issues.
How to Make Side-by-Side Bullet Points in Word
Inserting the table for your bullet points
First, open up your Word document—whether it’s a fresh blank page or an existing report. Then, go to the Insert tab on the ribbon. Click on Table and choose Insert Table. Pick a 2×1 table to start—so just 2 columns and 1 row. If you need more, you can add rows later. This setup is kind of the secret weapon when laying out bullets horizontally rather than vertically. Not sure why it works, but it helps keep everything aligned, especially when you tweak the column widths.
Adding your bullet text into the table cells
Once the table is there, click into each cell to type or paste your bullet points. On some setups, people forget that each cell is just like a mini paragraph. If you want the bullets within each cell, highlight the text inside, then go to the Home tab and hit the Bullets button. You can pick a style if you want. Sometimes the bullets seem to get lost or mixed up, so just re-click the bullet button if needed. The goal is to have cleanly divided columns with bullet points in each.
Making it look cleaner—removing borders
The classic move is to make those grid lines disappear. You’ll probably get a table with visible borders, which isn’t what you want. Click on the table border to select it, then go to the Table Design tab. Find the Borders dropdown, and choose No Border. This way, it looks like the bullets are just floating side by side, not in a grid. The border removal sometimes feels finicky, especially if you’ve got multiple tables or complex layouts, but once it’s done, it’s smooth sailing.
Adjustments and extra tips
- To fine-tune the layout, hover over the border between the columns. When you see a double arrow, click and drag to resize each column to your liking. Don’t be shy—make the columns wider or narrower until it looks right.
- If you accidentally lose the bullets after messing around, just highlight the text again and hit the Bullets button from the Home tab.
- For more complex layouts, consider inserting extra rows or adjusting individual cell alignments (like centering or left/right alignment).
Wrap-up
Juggling bullet points inside tables isn’t necessarily intuitive, but it’s a solid trick for cleaner, more professional docs. Once you see how the bullets sit side by side without clutter, it’s kinda satisfying. Just remember, sometimes Word gets weird with border styles or spacing, but with a little patience—adjusting column widths and borders—you can get it looking sharp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this method work in other versions of Word?
Yeah, pretty much. Whether you’re on Word 2016, Word 2019, or Office 365, the steps are mostly the same. Older versions might have slight menu differences, but the concept stays the same—tables for layout, remove borders for style.
Why aren’t my bullets aligned properly?
Usually, it’s because the cell contents differ in size or alignment. Check that all cells have consistent alignment settings—try setting all to Left or Center—and make sure the column widths are even. Also, sometimes, you need to refresh the bullets by reapplying the bullet style.
Can I add more columns or rows later?
Absolutely. Just right-click on the table, select Insert, and then choose to add rows or columns where needed. That way, if your layout evolves, you’re not locked into just two columns forever.