Each new version of Microsoft Word supports features that previous versions do not. This handy table displays the features that each version of Word supports:
Feature | 97-2003 | 2007 | 2010 | 2013 and 2016 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Apps for Office | No | No | No | Yes |
Web video | No | No | No | Yes |
New numbering formats | No | No | Yes | Yes |
New shapes and text boxes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Text effects | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Alternative text on tables | No | No | Yes | Yes |
OpenType features | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Blocking authors | No | No | Yes | Yes |
New WordArt effects | No | No | Yes | Yes |
New content controls | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Word 2007 Content controls | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Themes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Major/minor fonts | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Tracked moves | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Margin tabs | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
SmartArt graphics | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Office 2007 charts | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Open XML Embedded objects | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Building blocks | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bibliography and citations | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Equations | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Relative text boxes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Custom XML | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Previous-version WordArt | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Previous-version diagrams | Yes | No | No | No |
Previous-version charts | Yes | No | No | No |
Just because Word 2016 supports different features than previous versions, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use it to open up, for example, a Word 2010 document. Find out how to convert an old Word document to Word 2016 format.