Compare and merge two versions of a document

You can compare two versions of a document to see how they differ. You can also merge two versions of the same document into one new document. In both cases, Word shows the differences with revision marks.

Compare two versions of a document

1. Open one of the two versions of the document that you want to compare.
2. On the Review menu, select Compare Documents.
3. In the Original document list, select the original document.
4. In the Revised document list, browse to the other version of the document, and then select OK. Changes from the revised copy are merged into a new copy that is based on the original version of the document. The original copy remains untouched. Revision marks show any differences introduced by the revised copy of the document.

Tip: To change document comparison settings or the level of detail shown, on the Tools menu, point to Track Changes, click Compare Documents, and then click

Merge two versions of a document

1. Open one of the two versions of the document that you want to merge.
2. On the Review menu, select Combine Documents.
3. In the Original document list, select one version of the document.
4. In the Revised document list, browse to the other version of the document, and then select OK. Changes from the revised copy are merged into a new copy that is based on the original version of the document. The original copy remains untouched. Revision marks show any differences introduced by the revised copy of the document.