Updated: 10/18/2022 by Short for control, Ctrl is a modifier key found on IBM-compatible computer keyboards in the bottom left and right portion of the main keyboard. The picture is
an example of a Ctrl keyboard key. Tip See our control keys page for information about the keyboard keys, like the Home key, that help control and navigate a document and computer. Where is the Ctrl key on the keyboard?Below is an overview of a
computer keyboard with Ctrl highlighted in blue.
How do you pronounce Ctrl?Ctrl is pronounced as "control." When writing about the key on a PC keyboard, such as a keyboard shortcut, it's written "Ctrl" but pronounced "control." For example, you'd type "Ctrl+F" but say it as "control plus F." Apple control key
Apple computer keyboards also have a Control near Option and Command, as shown in the picture. The Control keys are found in the same location as Ctrl on an IBM
computer. However, when comparing functionality to Ctrl on a Windows keyboard, the command key is more similar. Ctrl keyboard shortcutsCtrl is used in keyboard shortcuts, such as the three-finger salute, also known as Ctrl+Alt+Del. This key combination suggests pressing and holding down Ctrl,
Alt, and Del to open the Task Manager or reboot the computer. Below is a list of many of the top
keyboard shortcuts involving Ctrl. Tip You can click any Ctrl shortcut links below to open a page with a full list of uses for each shortcut.
| Ctrl
| Pressing Ctrl by itself does nothing in most programs. In computer games, Ctrl is often used to crouch or go into a prone position.
| | Ctrl+0
| Pressing Ctrl and 0 (zero) at the same time restores the default zoom level.
| | Ctrl+1
| Switches to the first tab in a browser or another program with tab support.
| | Ctrl+2
| Switches to the second tab in a browser or another program with tab support.
| | Ctrl+3
| Switches to the third tab in a browser or another program with tab support.
| | Ctrl+4
| Switches to the fourth tab in a browser or another program with tab support.
| | Ctrl+5
| Switches to the fifth tab in a browser or another program with tab support.
| | Ctrl+6
| Switches to the sixth tab in a browser or another program with tab support.
| | Ctrl+7
| Switches to the seventh tab in a browser or another program with tab support.
| | Ctrl+8
| Switches to the eighth tab in a browser or another program with tab support.
| | Ctrl+9
| Switches to the last tab in a browser.
| | Ctrl+A
| These two keys select all text or other objects.
| | Ctrl+B
| Bold highlighted text.
| | Ctrl+C
| Copy any selected text or another object.
| | Ctrl+D
| Bookmark an open web page or open font window in Microsoft Word.
| | Ctrl+Del
| Deletes the word to the right of the cursor in many programs, including Microsoft Office applications like OneNote, PowerPoint, Word, and the
Notepad text editor.
| | Ctrl+E
| Center text.
| | Ctrl+End
| Moves cursor to the end of a document or page.
| | Ctrl+Enter
| Autocompletes a URL in an address bar.
| | Ctrl+Esc
| Open the Windows Start menu.
| | Ctrl+F
| Open find window.
| | Ctrl+F4
| Closes the currently active tab or window within a program.
| | Ctrl+G
| Go to the next match of a find in a browser and word processors.
| | Ctrl+H
| Open the Find and Replace in Notepad, Microsoft Word, and WordPad.
| | Ctrl+Home
| Moves cursor to the start of a document or page.
| | Ctrl+Ins
| Copy any selected text or another object.
| | Ctrl+I
| Italicize text.
| | Ctrl+J
| View downloads in browsers and sets justify alignment in Microsoft Word.
| | Ctrl+K
| Create a hyperlink for the highlighted text in Microsoft Word and many HTML editors.
| | Ctrl+L
| Selects the address bar in a browser or left aligns text in a word processor.
| | Ctrl+M
| Indent selected text in word processors and other programs.
| | Ctrl+N
| Create a new page or document.
| | Ctrl+O
| Open a file in most programs.
| | Ctrl+P
| Open a print window to print the page you're viewing.
| | Ctrl+Q
| Remove the paragraph formatting in Microsoft Word.
| | Ctrl+R
| Reload the page in a browser or right-align text in a word processor.
| | Ctrl+S
| Save the document or file.
| | Ctrl+Space
| Select an entire column in an Excel spreadsheet.
| | Ctrl+T
| Create a new tab in an Internet browser or adjust tabs in word processors.
| | Ctrl+Tab
| Switch between open tabs in browsers or other tabbed programs. Ctrl+Shift+Tab goes backwards (right-to-left).
| | Ctrl+U
| Underline selected text.
| | Ctrl+V
| Paste any text or another object that was copied.
| | Ctrl+W
| Close open tab in a browser or close a document in Word.
| | Ctrl+X
| Cut selected text or another object.
| | Ctrl+Y
| These keys redo any undo action.
| | Ctrl+Z
| Undo any recent action.
| | Ctrl+click
| Hold down Ctrl and clicking has different functions. See our Ctrl+click page for further information.
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Tip Apple users can usually substitute Ctrl with the Command or control. Where is the Ctrl key on smartphones and tablets?All
Android devices, Apple smartphones (iPhone), tablets (iPads), and other mobile devices with touch screens don't have a Ctrl key. The Ctrl key is a
modifier key that modifies the functions of other keys (e.g., keyboard shortcuts), which are not used with these devices. How to write or abbreviate Ctrl or controlWhen writing for a PC or IBM-compatible computer, the control key
should always be written as "Ctrl" with a capital "C" and lowercase "trl." Early Microsoft documentation and computer keyboards used "CTRL" but have since moved to using "Ctrl." When writing for an Apple computer user, "control" or "Control" should be used to prevent any confusion with them not having a Ctrl. Many notations represent
Ctrl. Some documentation may also list commands, such as ^X, ^C, ^Z, etc., which means Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Z, etc. In other words, a user would want to press and hold Ctrl or control and then press the letter following the caret. Below are example notations that represent pressing and holding down Ctrl and C simultaneously. These notations are shorthand in
documentation and may be shown on computer screens when Ctrl is pressed.
| Notation | Description |
|---|
| ^C
| Traditional notation that uses a caret (^) to represent Ctrl with the letter that is pressed in conjunction.
| | Ctrl+C
| Microsoft notation and notation used throughout Computer Hope.
| | CTRL-C
| Early notation used by Microsoft.
| | ⌃C or Control-C
| Traditional macOS notation uses the "up arrowhead" character (U+2303, ⌃), followed by the letter indicating a control combination.
| | C-c
| Emacs and Vim notation.
| | Ctrl/C
| OpenVMS notation.
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Alt, Caret, Computer abbreviations, Control, Control keys,
Keyboard terms, Modifier key, Option key
What happens when you press Ctrl key?
In computing, a Control key Ctrl is a modifier key which, when pressed in conjunction with another key, performs a special operation (for example, Ctrl + C ); similar to the Shift key, the Control key rarely performs any function when pressed by itself.
What happens when you press Ctrl I?
Ctrl+I: Italicize the selected text. Ctrl+U: Underline the selected text.
What happens if I press Windows key and R?
Windows key + R Open Run dialog box. Windows key + S Open Search. Windows key + U Open Ease of Access Center.
What happens when you press Ctrl twice?
Double tapping Ctrl key keeps switching on Focus assist. It also shows a circle at my cursor and dims the rest of the screen.
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