Learn How to Circle Something in MS Word: Step-By-Step Guide for Text & Images

There is nothing better than Microsoft Word when it comes to writing, reading, editing, and managing your documents. It gets even better when you know how to use every function properly.

One of the common tasks in Word is to highlight or circle specific text or images for emphasis or clarification. Whether you want to circle an important paragraph, a specific word or phrase, or an image, Word provides several options to achieve this.

In this blog post, we will teach you how to circle something in Word using different methods, including text and images. Using these techniques, you can make your document more engaging and visually appealing and emphasize important information.

Part 1: 2 Methods to Circle Something in Microsoft Word

While multiple methods are available to circle a piece of text or a part of an image in Word, you may want to get the job done quickly with comparatively easier methods. For that, we will share two methods; first, using the "Shapes" tool, and then with the "Drawing" tool. So let's get started with the first one!

1. Using the Shape Tool to Circle Something in Microsoft Word

Word's Shapes tool is one of the most useful tools in this application, and it is no surprise that it is the first method we have chosen for this purpose. So, to circle something in Word, follow the steps below:

• Open the document in Word.
• Go to the Word's 'Insert' tab and click the 'Shapes' tool.
• Now, click the 'Oval' shape (since Word doesn't have a dedicated circle shape).
• Draw the shape over the piece of content you want to circle.
• Since the shape is oval, make sure you are holding the 'Shift' key to use it as a circle.

• Once you have drawn over, click the 'Shape Fill' option.
• Now, click the 'No Fill' option to make the content visible inside the circle.

• You can change the circle's color outline using the 'Shape Outline' feature.

And this is how easy it is done circle something in Word using the Shapes tool. Let's now proceed toward the next method.

2. Using the Drawing Tools to Circle Something in Microsoft Word

A handful of drawing tools in Microsoft Word have multiple uses. For this second method, we shall use Word's Scribble tool to draw the circle we need for our text or image and the dedicated 'Draw' tab, giving you a 2-in-1 treat. Here is how to do it:

• Find the 'Freeform: Scribble' tool in the 'Lines' section under the 'Shapes' tool.
• Use it to draw a circle over the content you want (be as precise as you can).
• Again, as you did before, use the 'No Fill' option to get the circle outline only.

As for the dedicated 'Draw' tab in Word and circling something with it in Word, follow the steps below:

• Open the document and click the 'Draw' tab.
• Now, select the 'Pen' tool for drawing a circle.
• Use your mouse to draw over the text or image you want to encircle.
• You can change the 'Pen' tool's color, thickness, etc., by clicking this little downward arrow.

Using Word's drawing tools to circle content wasn't too hard either. However, the drawing tools can be a little imprecise when making the circle since these tools, especially Scribble, are freeform tools, and the quality of the circle depends on how precise you are while drawing these shapes.

Part 2: 2 Methods to Circle Something in WPS Word

You could very well be a WPS Word user, a wonderful alternative to Microsoft Word, coming to this guide. Don't worry; we have you covered with equally good 2 methods to circle something in WPS Word. Let's take you to those now!

1. Circle Something in WPS Word with the Shapes Tool

To circle something in WPS Word using its Shapes tool, follow the steps below:

• Open the document in WPS Word and locate the object you want to circle.
• Click on the "Insert" tab at the top of the screen.
• Click on the "Shapes" button in the "Illustrations" group.
• Select the circle shape from the list of shapes.
• Click and drag the mouse to draw the circle around the object you want to circle.
• You can now customize the size, position, and color of the circle as necessary.

2. Using the Highlighting tool to Circle Something in WPS Word

Now that we are making a circle in WPS Word with the Shapes tool, let's take this to the next level with the Highlighting tool, and for that, here are some easy steps:

• Open the document in WPS Word and select the text or object you want to circle.
• Click on the "Home" tab at the top of the screen.
• Click the "Text Highlight Color" button in the "Font" group.
• Choose a color for the highlighting that is different from the color of the text or object.
• Right-click on the highlighted text or object and select "Borders and Shading" from the context menu.
• Click on the "Borders and Shading" tab in the "Borders" dialog box.
• Under "Settings," select the "Circle" option.
• Choose a color and line style for the circle.
• Click "OK" to apply the circle around the highlighted text or object.

And this concludes the two methods to circle text or image content in WPS Word.

Part 3: Using PDF Editors to Circle Something in Word: Text or Image

Some people like doing their reading and editing in PDF editors, and being different formats, Word documents can't be edited in PDF editors unless you export or save the Word file in PDF first. However, once exported in PDF, you can use some of the best PDF editors, like UPDF, to circle something as text or image content.

Download it for a free trial!

Known as a modern and intuitive PDF editing tool with very smart and powerful features, UPDF is a game-changer that has defined PDF reading and editing in a whole new way. It provides ease of use, a user-friendly interface, and so many editing features for free that usually require buying a premium in other PDF editing software.

One of the standout features of UPDF is its ability to edit text and images within PDF documents, making it easy for users to make changes to existing PDFs without having to recreate the entire document from scratch. UPDF also includes various annotation tools, such as highlighting, underlining, and adding comments, making it easy to collaborate on documents with others.

You can also unlock all premium features by upgrading to UPDF Pro.

Conclusion

So, in this article, we discussed various methods to circle something in Microsoft Word, WPS Word, and UPDF. We explored two methods each for Microsoft Word and WPS Word using the shapes, drawing, and highlighting tools. Lastly, the introduction to UPDF and its capabilities to circle something might have come across as a big surprise that we hope was helpful and insightful.

We also hope that you now better understand how to circle something in Word regardless of the content type. Whether a student or a professional, these methods will help you draw attention to specific text or images and make your documents more informative. Cheers!