Delete a word or forward character on Mac
Option-Delete removes text to the previous word boundary. Fn-Delete, or Control-D in supported text controls, deletes forward.
- Scope
- macOS · Current vendor documentation checked 3 November 2026; no running-app compatibility test is claimed.
- Keyboard and customization
- Documented Mac defaults; punctuation and function keys depend on keyboard layout and hardware.. User bindings, app versions, focused controls and installed extensions can change a command. Inspect the active app menu or its shortcut editor when a listed combination differs.
- Review basis
- Documentation reviewed 2026-11-03 by Codex — primary-documentation and editorial review; no hands-on runtime test. These bindings were not tested in a running app for this guide.
Separate backward and forward deletion
The Delete key on many MacBook keyboards removes the character before the insertion point. Forward deletion removes the character after it. Choose the direction before making a larger edit, particularly when correcting a word in the middle of a sentence. You do not need to select a character just to remove it.
Treat word deletion as an edit
Word boundaries are defined by the active editor and may include punctuation or spaces differently. Work in a disposable sentence until you know the result. For a longer or important passage, selecting the exact range first gives you an additional visual check instead of relying on an invisible boundary.
Do not turn a text command into a global hotkey
Control-D is meaningful in terminals and other applications as well as text fields. This page describes Apple’s text-editing context, not a safe global trigger for another utility. When a shortcut produces a different action, inspect the focused application and control before deciding the binding has stopped working.
Documented commands for this workflow
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Action | Keys | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Delete previous word | Option-Delete | Applies in text controls supporting the documented editing command. ↗ |
| Delete forward | Fn-Delete | Useful on keyboards without a dedicated Forward Delete key. ↗ |
| Alternative forward delete | Control-D | Context matters: do not assume a terminal interprets it as a text edit. ↗ |
Sources and corrections
- Mac keyboard shortcuts — Apple Support — checked 2026-11-03
Found a mismatch? Email pashaseenainc@gmail.com with your app version, macOS version, keyboard layout and the command. Please leave personal document names out.
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