Select Word
SelectionSelects the current word, then adds the next occurrence to the selection.
macOS
Windows / Linux
Pro Tip
Press repeatedly to select more occurrences for multi-cursor editing.
About This Shortcut
The Select Word shortcut belongs to the Selection category of VS Code keyboard shortcuts. Selects the current word, then adds the next occurrence to the selection. Learning and using keyboard shortcuts dramatically improves your coding speed and reduces dependence on the mouse.
VS Code is the most popular code editor with over 70% market share among developers. Its extensive keyboard shortcut system enables experienced users to perform complex operations — from multi-cursor editing to Git operations — entirely from the keyboard. This shortcut is one of the essential shortcuts every developer should memorize for efficient coding workflows.
You can customize this keybinding by opening the Keyboard Shortcuts editor (⌘K ⌘S on macOS). Search for "Select Word" to view, change, or add alternative keybindings. VS Code also supports keymap extensions that import shortcut schemes from other editors like Vim, Emacs, Sublime Text, and JetBrains.