Updated June 2023

Knowing how to use line numbering can be very helpful, especially for writers who are editing their own work or who are in a writing group. Make the most of the “line numbering” feature of your word-processing program. Line numbering works for any prose (books, stories, or essays) or poetry.

If you are inputting corrections from paper to your screen, line numbers make comparing formats easier and faster. Just be sure to input the corrections by starting at the end and working backward. Making adjustments from the beginning may cause the line numbering to change as you work down.

In writers groups, referring to a line number is much easier than referring to the “second paragraph from bottom, second to last line.”

To learn how to incorporate line numbers, search for or type “line numbers” in the help feature on your personal word-processing program.

Tip submitted by Don A. Campbell
Text by Writer’s Relief Staff

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