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How to Compare Two Word Documents and Highlight Differences in WPS Office?

February 2, 2024
4.5K Views

You have two distinct Word documents. Unlike pictures where differences are easily spotted, dealing with extensive text can be challenging. In this article, we'll show you an effective method of comparison, enabling you to effortlessly compare two word documents and highlight differences. This proves particularly valuable for educators or professionals working with extensive documents.

How to Compare Two Word Documents and Highlight Differences in WPS Office

Why Compare Your Word Documents

Comparing two documents serves various purposes, particularly in an educational context where teachers, professionals, and students can benefit from these tools. The ability to compare versions of a document, identify differences, and track changes is valuable for maintaining academic integrity and improving the quality of work. Here are the key reasons and benefits:

  • Ensuring Originality and Avoiding Plagiarism: Document comparison tools help individuals verify the authenticity of their work, preventing unintended similarities and plagiarism.

  • Assessing Revisions and Improvements: Comparing different versions of documents streamlines the process of assessing revisions, fostering effective collaboration and communication.

  • Identifying Mistakes and Inconsistencies: Efficiently pinpoint errors and inconsistencies in documents, facilitating targeted feedback and improving overall document quality.

  • Streamlining Collaboration: Enhance teamwork and communication by ensuring that collaborators are on the same page through document comparison.

  • Saving Time and Increasing Efficiency: Automated tools save time by quickly highlighting changes, contributing to increased efficiency in document review and assessment.

Consider a teacher who assigns a research paper to her students. Suspecting potential plagiarism, she uses Microsoft Word's document comparison feature. By comparing different versions of the students' documents, the teacher can identify commonalities and differences, helping her assess the originality of each submission.

This allows her to provide targeted guidance on proper citation practices and ensures the academic integrity of the assignments. The comparison tool becomes a valuable asset in maintaining high standards of education and fostering a culture of ethical writing.

Steps to Compare Two Documents and Highlight Differences in WPS Office

WPS Office provides a simple and easy method to compare Word documents in its WPS Writer application, a convenient "Compare" tool. In this section, we learn how to compare two Word documents and highlight differences in WPS Office.

Step 1: First, open the original or the revised document using WPS Office.

Step 2: Now, navigate to the Review tab and find the "Compare" option located in the Review ribbon.

WPS Writer Review Tab

Step 3: As you click on the Compare option, it expands the dropdown menu; here, click on "Compare".

WPS Writer Compare option

Step 4: The Compare dialog will pop up. Here, simply browse and select both the original and the revised documents. To do this, click on the Folder icon to select your document.

WPS Writer select original and revise documents for comparison

Step 5: After selecting, type in the name of the person who made the changes in the "Label changes with" field.

WPS Writer Label changes with

Step 6: Now, here's where WPS Writer's Compare option really shines. Click on "More" to go into more advanced settings of the Compare features.

WPS Writer More Comparison settings

WPS Writer More Comparison settings

Step 7: The first section is the Comparison settings. Here, you can select the specific changes to focus on. For example, do you want to see changes made to a table?

WPS Writer Comparison Settings

WPS Writer Comparison Settings

Step 8: The next section is the Show changes section. Here, users can select whether they want to show the changes in the original or the revised document and choose to view the differences at the Character level or Word level.

 WPS Writer Show Comparison Changes

WPS Writer Show Comparison Changes

Step 9: Now, simply click on OK and allow WPS Writer to compare the document.

WPS Writer click OK

WPS Writer click OK

Step 10: Witness a comprehensive overview of the disparities between the two Word documents.

WPS Writer Compared Document

WPS Writer Compared Document

Now you can see that in front of you, both documents, plus a new document, have been created in which all revisions are highlighted separately. Here are some key details that you need to know before you use the comparison feature in WPS Writer:

  • The changes you made in the revised document will appear highlighted in red in the "Compared document". Scroll down to see all the changes that have been made.

 WPS Writer Changes made highlighted in the Compared Document

WPS Writer Changes made highlighted in the Compared Document

  • If you feel that some things were revised incorrectly in the revised document or if you forgot to add something, users can easily edit the "Compared Document".

WPS Writer Edit Compared Document

WPS Writer Edit Compared Document

  • You should show the differences between two Word documents after using the "Compare Documents" feature in WPS Writer. In our example document, the Company logo that was there in the original document has been deleted, so it will not appear in the revised document. In the compared document, you will see a red comment indicating that this content has been deleted.

 WPS Writer view changes made in the Compared Document manually

WPS Writer view changes made in the Compared Document manually

Comparing two different documents is effortlessly simplified in WPS Writer. Whether it's for plagiarism checks or ensuring consistency across various files, the ease of use makes it highly recommended for anyone needing to compare two Word documents in WPS Writer.

Choose Excellent Word Processing Toll for Working and Learning - WPS Writer

WPS Office provides unparalleled convenience for users, catering to diverse document needs with a comprehensive set of features. Whether you're a teacher aiming to ensure originality in student work or an individual requiring efficient documentation, WPS Office has you covered. The platform's compare feature facilitates teachers in preventing plagiarism by comparing two documents seamlessly. Moreover, creating documents becomes effortlessly streamlined, thanks to advanced PDF tools seamlessly integrated with the writer. With WPS Office, the entire process, from creation to printing, sharing, and collaborative editing, is made exceptionally user-friendly and efficient.

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FAQs

Q1. Can I edit the original document and the revised document on the right side after document comparison?

Unfortunately, WPS Writer doesn't allow direct editing of the Original Document and the Revised Document after document comparison. However, you have the option to copy content from both documents and paste it into a new document to make the necessary changes.

Q2. How does the document comparison feature contribute to proofreading and error checking in the WPS Office?

The document comparison feature in WPS Office plays a crucial role in the proofreading and error-checking process. By meticulously analyzing different versions of the document, it assists users in identifying errors, omissions, or discrepancies. This detailed comparison ensures a thorough examination, contributing to the production of error-free and polished documents.

Q3. Is it possible to customize the highlighting colors in the WPS Office during document comparison?

Yes, you can customize the highlighting colors in the WPS Office during document comparison. It's a user-friendly feature that lets you personalize the colors to suit your preferences during document comparison.

Exploring Similarities and Ensuring Authenticity with WPS Writer

When you compare two word documents and highlight differences, it not only serves practical purposes but can also be a fun exploration of similarities. You can uncover shared elements between documents effortlessly, avoiding the unintentional submission of work that might seem copied. With WPS Office, this task becomes much simpler, thanks to its dedicated compare feature within the office suite. Download WPS Office now to benefit from this efficient tool and ensure the authenticity of your work.


15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.