Yes, this thread is an oldie, but it shows up top of the list in Google so it might as wel give a real answer: Even in 2018, in 10.11.6 El Capitan Mail there is no keyboard shortcut in OS X Mail for superscript / subscript or – my personal fhateforite – strikethrough. To open a list of keyboard shortcuts in Google Docs, press Ctrl + / (Windows, Chrome OS) or ⌘ + / (Mac). To search the menus, press Alt + / (Windows, Chrome OS) or Option + / (Mac). You can also use menu access keys. Open any application menu using the keyboard, then type the underlined letter for the item you'd like to select.
Sorry if I get transfixed by shortcuts in Excel 2011, but they are a vital part of how I use Excel and so much different than Excel for Windows, so anything that helps the learning curve is worth the effort. In looking for something else, I discovered you can change the keyboard shortcuts in Excel 2011, but the benefit for me is that every shortcut is listed by menu function.
Why that’s important is that in Excel 2011 they left the old menu with the new Ribbon, and this creates a common reference between the Windows and Mac versions of Excel. To see shortcuts in Excel 2011 go to the Tools menu and select Customize Keyboard. (Works in Excel 2008 too.)
You’ll notice the Categories correspond to the Menu, and the right-hand pane shows the items within the selected category. In the picture above I’ve selected the Edit menu and Undo is selected in the right-pane. The Current keys assigned to the Undo action are shown as Control+Z, F1, Command+Z. (Now I know why F1 doesn’t work for bringing up the Help system.)
Checking for a Redo shortcut (in the picture below) shows none listed. I added a shortcut key for Redo by clicking in the box Press new shortcut key, which activated the Add button, then pressed the keyboard combination Control+Y, then clicked Add. Underneath the shortcut key box you see some text that shows the Currently assigned key.
I tried to add another shortcut key, Command+Y, but the currently assigned key was Repeat. So I didn’t add that shortcut. But that left me thinking, “Is Repeat and Redo the same?” (Something for another day.)
Anyway, you can peruse the different menu items and look for shortcuts, or the lack of, in this Customize Keyboard dialog box. I learned that to increase the font size one size larger, the shortcut Command+Shift+. will do the trick and Command+Shift+, will take the font size down one level. Kind of handy when adjusting headings for a data table.
To use a keyboard shortcut that’s the same as a default Mac OS X keyboard shortcut, you must first turn off that Mac OS X keyboard shortcut.
- On the Apple menu, select System Preferences.
- Under Hardware, click Keyboard, then click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.
- Find the keyboard shortcut you want to turn off, then clear the check box.
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When it comes to formatting text, the three most common formatting features on both Microsoft Word and Google Docs are bold, italic, and underline. One of the lesser-known features is strikethrough, which people don’t use nearly as often. That doesn’t mean to say it’s not as useful as other formatting features because it can be. So, even though we don’t see this feature being used very often, some users still want to know how they can strikethrough Google Docs.
Microsoft Word users can find this formatting feature easily (it’s right next to the underline icon). Google Docs can be preferable due to how easy sharing your documents is with it. This is one of the top reasons that businesses prefer the platform. For that reason, if you don’t know how to strikethrough text in Google Docs, we’ve got your back.
PS: You may also want to find out How to Strikethrough Gmail Text in Gmail, save images from Google Doc and how to Discord Strikethrough Chat Formatting.
When You Should Use Strikethrough Text
Strikethrough text isn’t something that we use very often. But there are a few times where you’ll find that using strikethrough Google Docs text is applicable.
- Replacing text in an article. If you publish an article or blog post on your website, there may be times when you have to change some of the information. To prevent confusion among readers, rather than deleting the original text, you can strikethrough it instead.
- Crossing Out a Checklist. Maybe you use a Google Docs document to keep a list of things that you need to do. Again, instead of just deleting them as you go, you can cross them out. This also allows you to see all of the tasks you complete each day.
These are the two main uses of strikethrough online. You can also use it as a means to convey sarcasm and humor.
Also, if you need to send Google calendar invitations, just click to get the easy ways.
Keyboard Shortcut to Strikethrough Google Docs
One way of becoming more efficient as a computer user and working faster is by learning the different keyboard shortcuts. Google Docs isn’t any different, and you can strikethrough Google Docs text with a keyboard shortcut too. This shortcut is different between Windows and Mac computers.
- Windows. On a Windows computer, the shortcut is ALT + SHIFT + 5. You can either press this shortcut before and after you type the text you want to strikethrough. Alternatively, you can type the text, highlight it with your cursor, and then use the shortcut.
- Mac. For Mac computer users, the shortcut is COMMAND + SHIFT + X. Similarly, you can use this shortcut before and after typing the text or highlight the text and use it.

If you find that neither of these shortcuts works for you even though you have the respective computer, check what the shortcut is. You can do this by clicking “Format > Text” and next to “Strike-through“, the shortcut will be shown.
Like any other keyboard shortcut, this is the best way to format your text. Generally speaking, it’s a good habit to learn and practice the different shortcuts you have access to.
Why You Should Learn More Keyboard Shortcuts
Before we move onto the next method, don’t underestimate the usefulness of keyboard shortcuts. They can help you by:
- Making tedious tasks more straightforward and simple
- Making it less of a hassle to frequently save your work (CTRL + S on Windows)
- Enabling you to continue being productive rather than having to stop and search for a program’s function
- Easily accessing various functions without navigating the taskbar
You get the idea – it’s just so much easier to use a keyboard shortcut than to stop typing and search the menus. That’s why we recommend the shortcut method instead of the toolbar method, which we will cover next.
Using the Toolbar to Strikethrough Google Docs
Keyboard shortcuts might not be your style, or maybe you struggle with them. That’s fine! There is another way that you can strikethrough Google Docs text. Just like on Microsoft Word, you can access this formatting feature on the toolbar.
Step #1 – Use your web browser to open the Google Docs file that you want to strikethrough text on.
Step #2 – Locate the text and highlight it using your cursor.
Step #3 – Once you select the text, click on the “Format” drop-down menu from the toolbar.
Step #4 – Click on the “Text” option from the list of formatting options that are shown.
Step #5 – Another drop-down menu will appear. From this list, you must click on “Strike-through“.
Step #6 – Check that the formatting of your text was done and repeat this process for each phrase you want to strikethrough on Google Docs.
This is clearly a lot more hassle than using the keyboard shortcut would be. If you’re going through a document and using strikethrough several times, the shortcut option will make your life a lot easier. However, we understand some people prefer the toolbar, and therefore this is a suitable method.
Mac Keyboard Shortcut For Strikethrough Text
Which is Better: Microsoft Word or Google Docs?
So many people default to using Microsoft Word, and understandably. For years it was decisively the most popular and best word processor out there. However, Google Docs quickly rose and became a top competitor. Now, although it’s difficult to use some features including strikethrough Google Docs text, there are some benefits to this platform.
Pros of Using Microsoft Word
Let’s start with Microsoft Word. It has been around for a very long time and still stands as a great program. Along with this program is the rest of the Microsoft Office package which also offers Excel, PowerPoint, and other useful programs.
Shortcut For Strikethrough Mac
- This is an easier program to use on many levels. Each tab has a simple layout, and users are familiar with how Microsoft organizes the layout of these tabs.
- Capable of saving documents in various formats, as well as opening files of those formats too. This makes it easier to open documents on different computers and operating systems.
- Microsoft releases major updates for all Office programs every other year. This typically adds more features that help users and also improves existing features.
- Free to use if you are a student and have an email account with your school. Note that if you don’t, you must purchase it.
Popularity plays a big role in Microsoft Word’s success. The fact is that we all know Word. We all understand how to use it, we’re comfortable with it, and we simply know what it has to offer. Google Docs is “the new kid on the block” – with so many people against change, sticking with Word is common.
Pros of Using Google Docs
Believe it or not, Google Docs is on the same level as the former. Although it’s much newer, Google release just as many updates and it has its fair share of pros too.
- Completely free to use. Like Google Drive, you can use Docs free of charge, and they also save your files to your Drive storage too.
- Accessible anywhere. Once you sign into your Google Account, you can access all of your Google Docs files too. Not only that, but Google Docs is an online solution, and you don’t need to install a program.
- Unless you delete them, Google saves all of your files to Google Drive. Instead of carrying around a flash drive or forgetting to transfer documents, you can easily get them online wherever you are.
- You can share files much easier than you can with Word. All you have to do is change the document’s sharing option and send it to the recipient.
Both of these have their advantages, clearly. Even though you might struggle to strikethrough Google Docs text, there’s more to this online word processor.
To Conclude for Strikethrough Google Docs:
How To Strikethrough On Keyboard
All in all, Google Docs has a lot of perks, but when it comes to strikethrough text, there’s no doubting that it’s not the easiest of features to use. Hopefully, with one of the methods above, you can now use strikethrough Google Docs and format your writing appropriately. If not, Microsoft Word is the next best option. Most people will be able to get a copy of Microsoft Office for free (either through your employer or school) but if not, you can use the free trial instead. In particular, when it comes to strikethrough text, Word comes out on top as it is much easier.