To compare two Word documents, use Word's own features or third-party tools. 1. Use Word's "Compare" function: Click "Review" > "Compare" > "Compare Documents", select the original document and revision document, generate different documents, and display text additions and format changes; 2. Use the "Merge" function: Click "Review" > "Compare" > "Merge", retain the revision traces of the two documents, which are convenient for review one by one; 3. With the help of online tools or software: such as Word Online Comparison, Diffchecker, Beyond Compare or WinMerge, the interface is intuitive and supports complex content comparison; 4. Tips: Unify the font and paragraph format before comparison, clear the extra spaces and line breaks to improve comparison accuracy.

Comparing two Word documents is a requirement that many people often encounter when processing documents, such as checking and modifying content, checking version differences, etc. The most direct and effective way is to use Word's own "compare" function, or use some auxiliary tools. The following are several practical methods to help you quickly find out the similarities and differences between two documents.

Use Word's own "Compare" feature

Word itself provides the function of comparing documents, which is suitable for most people's daily use. The operation steps are as follows:

• Open Word and click "Review" in the top menu bar
• Select Compare > Compare Documents
• Select the original document and the revised document separately, and click "OK"
• Word will automatically generate a new document to display the differences between the two documents, including text addition and deletion, format changes, etc.

The advantage of this feature is that it does not require installation of additional software, and the results are clear, suitable for documents with little content changes. But be aware that if the document format is complex (such as many tables and pictures), the comparison results may be a bit confusing and require manual verification.

Use the Merge feature to view revision traces

In addition to "compare", Word also has a "merge" feature that can also be used to view the differences between two documents:

• Open Word and click Review > Compare > Merge
• Select original and revision documents
• The merged document will retain the revision traces of the two documents, so that you can check each of them where they have been modified.

This method is more suitable for situations where both documents have revision marks, and can more carefully determine which modifications are necessary and which need to be revoked.

Use online tools or third-party software

If you are not used to using Word's features, or want to see the differences more intuitively, try some online tools or software:

• Word's "online comparison" function : Microsoft's official website provides a document comparison service, and after uploading two documents, you can view the differences online.
• Diffchecker : A simple and easy-to-use online text comparison tool suitable for plain text content.
• Beyond Compare or WinMerge : Powerful third-party software for users who frequently handle document comparisons.

The advantages of these tools are that they are friendly interfaces and clear comparison results. Some can also support the comparison of complex content such as codes and tables. But it should be noted that uploading sensitive documents to online tools may have privacy risks, and it is recommended to use local software first.

Tips: Unify the format first and then compare

Sometimes the two documents look very different, but in fact they are just caused by different formats. For example, different fonts, paragraph spacing, and indentation settings will interfere with the comparison results. Recommended before comparison:

• Unified font and font size
• Set the same paragraph format
• Clear unnecessary spaces or line breaks

This will make the comparison results more accurate and reduce misjudgments.

Basically these are the methods. Choose the right tools and steps according to your needs and you can quickly find the differences between two Word documents. It is not complicated, but if the details are handled well, the efficiency will be much higher.

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