How to Generate Random Text in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word can generate placeholder text without a website, add-in, or copy-and-paste. The quickest option is to place the cursor in a blank paragraph, type =rand(), and press Enter. Word replaces the command with built-in sample text. You can also use =lorem() for pseudo-Latin Lorem Ipsum.

Microsoft's current support documentation describes both commands and lets you control the amount of text with two optional numbers. This is useful when you are building a template, testing styles, checking page breaks, or seeing how a layout behaves before the final copy is ready. See Microsoft's official guide to inserting sample text in Word.

Generate sample text with =rand()

The =rand() command inserts localized sample text. In an English installation, the wording is based on Word-related sample content, so it is better to think of it as built-in filler text rather than unpredictable random prose.

1. Open the Word document where you want the placeholder text.
2. Click in a new, otherwise empty paragraph.
3. Type =rand().
4. Press Enter immediately after the closing parenthesis.

To control the amount of text, use =rand(p,l). Microsoft defines p as the number of paragraphs and l as the number of lines in each paragraph. For example, =rand(3,4) requests three paragraphs with four lines per paragraph. If you omit both numbers, Microsoft's documented default is three paragraphs with three lines each.

You can also supply just the first number. For example, =rand(1) creates one paragraph and uses the default number of lines for that paragraph.

Generate Lorem Ipsum in Word

If you want neutral-looking filler instead of Word's localized sample text, use =lorem(). The process is the same: type the command in a blank paragraph and press Enter. Word inserts pseudo-Latin text that works well for testing fonts, columns, spacing, and page density without distracting readers with meaningful copy.

You can control the result with the same pattern: =lorem(p,l). For example, =lorem(2,4) requests two paragraphs with four lines in each paragraph. Use a comma between the values. A period, such as =lorem(2.4), is not the documented syntax.

Word random-text commands at a glance

What to do if =rand() or =lorem() does not work

These shortcuts depend on Word's AutoCorrect behavior. Microsoft says sample-text insertion is disabled when Replace text as you type is turned off. In Word for Windows, you can check the setting here:

1. Select File > Options.
2. Open Proofing.
3. Select AutoCorrect Options.
4. On the AutoCorrect tab, enable Replace text as you type.
5. Return to the document and try the command again in a blank paragraph.

Also check the spelling of the command, keep the insertion point directly after the closing parenthesis, and press Enter rather than adding other text to the same paragraph first.

What about =rand.old()?

You may see older tips that use =rand.old() to insert the classic “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” pangram. That shortcut has a long history in Word, but Microsoft's current sample-text support page documents =rand() and =lorem(), not =rand.old(). If =rand.old() still works in your Word build, it can be handy for quickly previewing letters in a font. For templates or instructions that need to be dependable across current Word installations, use the two documented commands above.

For most layout work, =rand() is the fastest choice when you want realistic paragraph blocks, while =lorem() is better when you want visually neutral filler. Both let you create exactly the amount of sample text you need without leaving Microsoft Word.