To make text vertical in desktop Word, put it in a text box, select the box, and rotate it 90 degrees from Shape Format > Rotate. If you want the box to stay in place while its words turn sideways, change Text direction in Format Shape instead. Word for the web can display rotated boxes but cannot currently create or rotate one.
Rotate the entire text box
- Place the cursor near where the vertical text should appear.
- Choose Insert > Text Box, then select a style or draw a box.
- Type the words in the box. Click its border so the box, rather than the text cursor, is selected.
- Open Shape Format > Rotate and choose Rotate Right 90° or Rotate Left 90°.
- Move and resize the box so all text is visible, then check its position in print preview.
You can also drag the rotation handle above the selected box. Hold Shift while dragging to constrain rotation to 15-degree steps. For an exact quarter turn, the Rotate menu is simpler. Word may temporarily show the box horizontally while you edit its text; click elsewhere to see the finished rotation.
Rotating the same box to 180° turns the words fully upside down, which is covered in our guide to flipping text upside down in Word.
Change the direction of text inside the box
- Right-click the edge of the text box and choose Format Shape.
- In the side pane, open Size/Layout & Properties > Text Box.
- Choose the Text direction that fits your layout, such as a 90° or 270° rotation. Leave the box itself unrotated.
- Adjust the box size or its internal margins if the text is clipped.
This method is useful for a narrow label or sidebar where the box should retain its position. Vertical alignment in the same pane only moves text toward the top, middle, or bottom of the box; it does not turn the letters. If you want letters stacked one above another, check whether your version offers a stacked text-direction option and preview the result.
If you meant positioning text between the top and bottom of the page rather than rotating it, see how to vertically align text in Word.
Make the box look like part of the page
After selecting the text box border, use Shape Format > Shape Outline > No Outline to hide its border. If the box covers nearby content, adjust its position and text wrapping rather than inserting spaces into the document. Check the page after changing margins or adding paragraphs, because floating objects can shift. Our Word text-rotation guide covers other orientation choices.
If the rotation controls are missing
Confirm you selected the box border; the Shape Format tab appears for a selected object, not ordinary paragraph text. In Word for the web, open the file in the desktop app to create or rotate a text box. On Mac, the same text-box approach applies, though the exact ribbon layout can differ.
Sources: Microsoft Support: rotate text; Microsoft Support: text direction in a box.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com