Creating new documentsThe feature described in this Help topic is only available if support for a right-to-left language, such as Arabic, is enabled through Microsoft Office Language Settings.
In addition, you must be running a Microsoft Windows operating system that has right-to-left support ù for example, Microsoft Windows 2000.
Creating new documents
The Normal template contains all document settings, global macros, and AutoText definitions for the installed language ù for example, if Arabic is the installed language new documents open with the direction set to right-to-left and the language set to Arabic.
Saving documents
You can include right-to-left marks when you save a text file.
Note You can save files with or without control characters included with the text. However, if you include right-to-left control characters when you save a file, Word preserves right-to-left and left-to-right properties and preserves the order of neutral characters.
File compatibility
Microsoft Word can open documents created in earlier versions of Word; however, in order to display right-to-left text correctly, the applicable right-to-left language must be enabled.
Also, if you receive a document with right-to-left formatting that you want to change, you can use right-to-left features to change the formatting by enabling a right-to-left language ù even if the right-to-left feature itself is not supported on your system. For example, on a computer running the English-language version of Microsoft Windows 98, you can change the document view from Right-to-left to Left-to-right (Tools menu, Options command, Complex Scripts tab) in a document received from a user on an Arabic system.
Formatting text and paragraphs
You can do any of the following with right-to-left text:
and Right-to-Left 
buttons on the Formatting toolbar. In general, the Formatting toolbar offers language-selection and direction buttons, and special capabilities for both right-to-left and left-to-right text.Specify the gutter location in a right-to-left document with two-sided pages.
Specify separate fonts, font styles, and font sizes for complex scripts and Latin text.
Specify the type of language (Complex or Latin) to use with a style you are creating or changing.
Add control characters when cutting and copying text.
Set gutter at left or right of document (default is right in Arabic and Hebrew versions).
Scale documents to fit different paper sizes (such as A4 or B5).
Changing document views or text direction
You can do any of the following:
Change the direction of text in a section.
Change the direction of text in a paragraph and set the paragraph alignment for horizontal and vertical text.
Change the column direction of text.
Change the table direction of text.
Have Microsoft Word display the vertical scroll bar at the left side of the document window and the ruler on the right side of the document window.
Using right-to-left spelling and grammar tools
Microsoft Word checks the spelling of right-to-left text the same way it does left-to-right text; you do not need to perform a separate spelling checker routine for each language. In addition, you can set options for checking spelling in each right-to-left language.
Look up words in the Arabic or Hebrew thesaurus.
Working with columns
The default direction of a column is the direction of its section. You can further modify the information in a column to include right-to-left text in either right-to-left or left-to-right paragraph direction.
Newspaper-style columns are the standard columns in newspapers or magazines and are the only type supported by Microsoft Word with right-to-left features enabled. Text from one column continues into the next. When the last column of a page is filled, the text continues to the first column of the next page, similar to the left-to-right document example below. You can specify the width of each column separately.
In right-to-left sections, the column direction is also right to left, with a page's first column on the right side of the page and the last column on the left. For sections with left-to-right text, the direction is reversed.
Working with tables
In Microsoft Word, tables work as follows with right-to-left features:
Searching for and replacing right-to-left characters
Microsoft Word provides several options that are specifically used for searching for strings of text containing right-to-left text.
Using Click and Type
If you are working in a right-to-left document, Click and Type will follow the direction of your text, just as it does when you are working with left-to-right text.
Working with macros
When working with macros in right-to-left text, be aware of the following:
Working with right-to-left numbers and dates
Choose a date format used in a particular language.
Choose the type of calendar used to calculate dates.
Specify the format for month names and numerals.
Add quotation marks to Hebrew numbers.
Change page numbering and number formats in right-to-left documents.
Sorting options
Sort a list or table according to the rules of another language.
When sorting text, set options for right-to-left text. For example, select Ignore alef lam or Ignore he to prevent Microsoft Word from sorting words starting with alef lam or he.
Other options
When finding and replacing text, match control characters, diacritics, alef hamza, kashida.
Switch the keyboard language.
Have Microsoft Word automatically detect the language of text you type. Individual languages must be enabled for editing.
Use the Keyboard Language button 
to change the keyboard language of text. (This button is available only on the Formatting toolbar in the right-to-left language versions of Microsoft Word; otherwise, you must manually add it to the toolbar.) The letters on this button change to reflect the keyboard language in use.