How to View Two Pages Side by Side in Word (3 Methods)

Word gives you three ways to put pages next to each other. Each one suits a different job: editing with an overview, reading like a book, or distraction-free reading.

Methods in this guide:

• Read Mode for reading
• Side to Side for paging through while editing
• Multiple Pages and zoom for a layout overview
• View Side by Side to compare two documents

Viewing pages side by side in Read Mode

Use this when you want to read or review a document without the ribbon in the way.

1. Go to View > Read Mode.
2. Make the Word window wide, or maximize it.
3. Use the arrows at the sides of the screen, or the arrow keys, to move through the document.

Result: Word reflows the text into columns with larger type. On a wide screen it shows two columns, like an open book.

Microsoft says Read Mode fits the layout to your device using columns and larger fonts, which you can adjust from Read Mode’s own View menu. To leave, choose View > Edit Document. Details are in Read documents in Word.

Note: Read Mode reflows text, so its “pages” don’t match your printed pages. Use the next two methods to check the real layout.

Using Side to Side for editing and proofreading

Use this when you want to keep editing but flip through pages horizontally, like a book.

1. Go to View.
2. In the Page Movement group, select Side to Side.
3. Scroll with the mouse wheel, the horizontal scroll bar or a swipe on a touch screen.
4. To go back, select Vertical in the same group.

Result: Pages appear next to each other and move left and right, and you can still type and edit.

Microsoft describes this in View a page at a time, side by side in Word. It also notes that zoom is turned off while Side to Side is on.

Displaying multiple pages at once

Use this when you want to see your real page layout, such as facing pages, a landscape page in the middle of a document or where page breaks fall.

1. Make sure you’re in View > Print Layout.
2. In the Zoom group on the View tab, select Multiple Pages.
3. If you see more than two pages, drag the zoom slider in the bottom-right corner to the right until two fit.
4. To return, select 100% or Page Width in the Zoom group.

Result: Two full pages appear next to each other, and you can still edit both.

Tip: Hold Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel (Windows) to zoom quickly. On a Mac, use View > Zoom or the zoom slider.

Comparing two documents side by side

Use this when you want two separate files, or two parts of the same file, next to each other.

1. Open both documents.
2. Go to View and, in the Window group, select View Side by Side.
3. Select Synchronous Scrolling to scroll both together, or turn it off to scroll them separately.
4. Select View Side by Side again to close it.

To see two parts of one document, first go to View > New Window, then use View Side by Side. Microsoft’s steps are in View and compare documents side by side.

Comparing the methods

Platform differences

• Windows: all methods. Microsoft documents Read Mode, Side to Side, Multiple Pages and View Side by Side for Word for Windows.
• Mac: in Print Layout, zoom out with the slider or View > Zoom until two pages fit across the window. Menu names differ from Windows, so not every command above appears.
• Word for the web: these layout commands aren’t the same. Use Open in Desktop App for a full side-by-side view.

Troubleshooting side-by-side view

• Only one page shows with Multiple Pages: the window is too narrow. Maximize Word or lower the zoom.
• The zoom slider doesn’t work: Side to Side is on. Switch back to Vertical.
• Margins look uneven across the two pages: the document may use mirror margins for printed books. See how to change margins in Word.
• Pages look different from print: you’re in Read Mode or Web Layout. Use Print Layout, or save the document as a PDF to check the final pages.

Two-page views are also handy for checking a two-column layout in Word. For more layout guides, browse the Microsoft Word guides.