How to Merge Two Tables in Microsoft Word

Working with tables in Microsoft Word is a great way to organize information — if you haven’t already, check out the guide on three ways to insert a table in Word before diving into merging them. However, you may sometimes end up with two separate tables that you want to combine into one.

In this guide, you’ll learn multiple ways to merge tables in Word including quick keyboard shortcuts, cut-and-paste methods, and a reliable workaround if nothing else works.

Contents hide

1 Why Tables Don’t Automatically Merge

2 Step 1: Set Text Wrapping to None

3 Method 1: Merge Tables Using Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest Way)

4 Method 2: Merge Tables Using Cut and Paste

5 Method 3: Workaround (Convert to Text and Back)

6 When to Use Each Method

7 Pro Tips for Merging Tables

8 FAQs

9 Conclusion

Why Tables Don’t Automatically Merge

Before merging tables, it’s important to understand why they may stay separate.

The most common reason is text wrapping settings. If tables are not set to “None,” Word treats them as floating objects rather than inline elements.

Watch the Video Tutorial

If you prefer to see this in action, the full video walkthrough is below, showing each method step by step.

Step 1: Set Text Wrapping to None

In order to ensure your tables can merge correctly:

For both tables:

Select the table
Right-click and choose Table Properties

Microsoft Word table context menu showing table properties option with arrow highlighting how to merge two tables

Set Text Wrapping to None
Then click OK

Table properties window in Microsoft Word showing alignment and text wrapping options with none selected

Repeat this for each table before attempting to merge them.

Method 1: Merge Tables Using Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest Way)

Once text wrapping is set correctly, you can merge tables instantly using a shortcut.

To merge the bottom table into the top table:

Select the bottom table
Press Alt + Shift + Up Arrow

👉This basically moves the table up and merges it with the one above.

To merge the top table into the bottom table:

Click the top table
Press Alt + Shift + Down Arrow

👉 This moves the table down and combines both tables.

Method 2: Merge Tables Using Cut and Paste

Whenever your tables are separated by multiple lines or pages, use this method:

Steps:

Choose the table you want to move
Press Ctrl + X (Cut)
Then click just below the first table
Press Ctrl + V (Paste)

👉 As a result, tables will now merge into one.

Method 3: Workaround (Convert to Text and Back)

If ever the above methods don’t work, use this reliable workaround.

Step 1: Convert Both Tables to Text

Select the first table
Go to Table Layout
Click Convert to Text

Screenshot of a table layout in a word processing application, displaying a table with fruit names like Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Pears, Strawberries, and Grapes.

Choose Tabs and click OK
Repeat for the second table

Step 2: Remove the Gap

Start by removing space between the two text blocks.
Press Backspace to bring them together

Step 3: Convert Back to a Table

Highlight all the merged text.
Go to Insert
Click Table → Convert Text to Table

Microsoft Word Insert tab showing convert text to table option with arrow pointing to the feature

Set the correct number of columns
Choose Tabs
Click OK

Convert Text to Table dialog box in Microsoft Word showing columns, rows, and tab separation option selected

Step 4: Adjust Formatting

If necessary, merge the cells.
Realign text.
Apply formatting to match your layout

When to Use Each Method

Method	Best For
Keyboard Shortcut	Quick merges with adjacent tables
Cut & Paste	Tables separated by space or pages
Convert to Text	When Word refuses to merge tables

Pro Tips for Merging Tables

Always check text wrapping settings first
Keep tables aligned with the same number of columns
Use gridlines to stay organized during editing
Preview your document after merging

FAQs

Why won’t my tables merge in Word?

Most likely because text wrapping is not set to “None,” or there’s content between the tables.

Can I merge tables with different column numbers?

Yes, but the formatting may break. You may need to manually adjust columns afterward.

Is there a shortcut to merge tables?

Yes. Use Alt + Shift + Arrow Keys to move and merge tables quickly. For a full list of useful Word shortcuts, see the Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet.

Will merging tables affect formatting?

Sometimes. You may need to reapply formatting after merging.

What is the easiest method?

The keyboard shortcut is the fastest if your tables are directly next to each other.

Conclusion

Merging tables in Microsoft Word is simple once you understand how Word handles table positioning.

By setting text wrapping correctly and using shortcuts like Alt + Shift + Arrow Keys, you can quickly combine tables. And if that fails, the convert-to-text method gives you a reliable fallback.

Mastering these techniques will help you create cleaner, more professional documents with ease — and for further layout control, learning how to adjust margins in Word will give your tables even more breathing room on the page.

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