Need to quickly fill a document with placeholder text for testing layouts, formatting, or templates? Microsoft Word includes built-in commands that can instantly generate either traditional Lorem Ipsum text or random English text without copying and pasting from another source.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn two simple ways to insert filler text in Microsoft Word using the built-in =lorem() and =rand() commands. You’ll also learn how to control the number of paragraphs and sentences generated, making it easy to create as much sample text as you need.
Common Uses
- Testing page layouts
- Previewing headers and footers
- Creating document templates
- Demonstrating Word features in training
- Checking spacing, margins, or formatting before adding real content
What You’ll Learn
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:
- Insert Lorem Ipsum placeholder text using =lorem().
- Generate random English text using =rand().
- Specify the number of paragraphs and sentences to generate.
- Understand when each type of filler text is most useful.
- Quickly create sample content for testing document layouts and formatting.
Follow Along
No download is needed for this tutorial. Simply open a blank Microsoft Word document and try each command as you follow along. You’ll be able to experiment with different paragraph and sentence counts to see how the generated text changes.
Video Tutorial
Quick Reference
Below is a quick reference explaining what each command does. Simply type the command where you want the text to appear, then press Enter and the requested text will be generated.
| Command | Result |
|---|---|
=lorem() | Generates default Lorem Ipsum placeholder text. |
=lorem(5,3) | Generates 5 paragraphs with 3 sentences each. |
=rand() | Generates default random English text. |
=rand(5,3) | Generates 5 paragraphs with 3 sentences each. |
Generate Lorem Ipsum Text
A. Insert the default amount
Click into your Word document where you want the text.
Type: =lorem()
Press Enter. Word inserts a default number of paragraphs and sentences of Lorem Ipsum.
B. Generate a specific amount
Click into your Word document where you want the text.
Note: In this example, p is the number of paragraphs and s is the number of sentences per paragraph, so instead of entering these letters, enter the number of each where shown in the example
Type: =lorem(p,s)
Where:
- p = the number of paragraphs
- s = the number of sentences per paragraph
For example, =lorem(25,5) will generate 25 paragraphs, each containing 5 sentences.
Press Enter to generate the text.
Generate English Placeholder Text
A. Insert the default amount
Click into your document.
Type: =rand()
Press Enter.
Word inserts a default number of English paragraphs and sentences.
B. Generate a specific amount
Note: In this example, p is the number of paragraphs and s is the number of sentences per paragraph, so instead of entering these letters, enter the number of each where shown in the example
Type: =rand(p,s)
Where:
- p = the number of paragraphs
- s = the number of sentences per paragraph
For example, =rand(30,4) will generate 30 paragraphs, each containing 4 sentences.
Press Enter to generate the text.
Summary
- Use =lorem() for Lorem Ipsum.
- Use =rand() for readable English text.
- Add numbers inside the parentheses to control how much text Word generates.
- The first number is how many paragraphs will be generated
- The second number is how many sentences per paragraph will be generated
Additional Tips
Helpful Tip
If you’re testing page layouts or formatting, use a larger number of paragraphs (for example, =lorem(10,5)) to see how your document behaves with more realistic amounts of text.
Version Compatibility
These commands are available in current Microsoft 365 versions of Word as well as many earlier desktop versions. If a command doesn’t work, make sure you’re using the desktop version of Microsoft Word rather than Word for the web.
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