How to Use ZWSP in Microsoft Word?

What is Zeo-Width Space (ZWSP)?

A zero-width space (ZWSP) is a non-printing character used in text processing to indicate word boundaries without displaying a visible space. It’s particularly useful in scripts that don’t use explicit spacing between words, such as Thai, Khmer, and Japanese

Here are some key points about zero-width spaces:

• Unicode Character: The zero-width space is represented by the Unicode character U+200B.
• HTML Representation: In HTML, it can be represented as ​, ​, or ​.
• Usage: It marks potential line breaks without adding a visible space, similar to a soft hyphen but without displaying a hyphen when the line breaks
• Applications: It’s used to control line breaks in text, especially in justified text where inter-character spacing might be adjusted

How to Use ZWSP in Microsoft Word without it being detected as a spelling error.

1. Using the Symbol Dialog:

   • Place your cursor where you want to insert the zero-width space.
   • Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
   • Click on Symbol and then More Symbols.
   • In the Symbol dialog box, go to the Special Characters tab.
   • Select No-Width Optional Break and click Insert.

2. Using a Keyboard Shortcut:

   • You can assign a keyboard shortcut to the zero-width space for easier access. For example, you can use Ctrl + Space to insert it

3. Using Unicode:

   • Place your cursor where you want the zero-width space.
   • Press Alt and type 8203 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. This will insert the zero-width space character (U+200B)

Automate insert ZWSP into MS Word with Macro script (Not Success yet)

1. Open the VBA Editor:
   • Press Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor in Word.
2. Insert a New Module:
   • In the VBA editor, go to Insert > Module to create a new module.
3. Write the Script:
   • Copy and paste the following VBA code into the module:

Sub InsertZWSPInConnectiveVerbs()
    Dim doc As Document
    Dim rng As Range
    Dim verbs As Variant
    Dim verb As Variant
    Dim zwsp As String
    
    ' Define a list of connective verbs
    verbs = Array("is", "are", "was", "were", "be", "being", "been")
    
    ' Zero-width space character
    zwsp = ChrW(&H200B)
    
    ' Set the document
    Set doc = ActiveDocument
    
    ' Loop through each word in the document
    For Each rng In doc.Words
        ' Check if the word is a connective verb
        For Each verb In verbs
            If InStr(1, rng.Text, verb, vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
                ' Debugging statement
                Debug.Print "Found verb: " & rng.Text
                ' Insert ZWSP at the beginning of the verb
                rng.Text = Replace(rng.Text, verb, zwsp & verb)
            End If
        Next verb
    Next rng
End Sub

4. Run the Script:
   • Close the VBA editor and return to your Word document.
   • Press Alt + F8 to open the Macro dialog box.
   • Select InsertZWSPInConnectiveVerbs and click Run.

References:

• Zero-width space – Wikipedia
• Zero-Width Space | CSS-Tricks
• Coauthor with MS Copilot on 5 March 2025

@lerlerchan by LerLer Chan

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