How to add fonts to Word on your Mac: Beginner’s guide

Microsoft Word is a solid go-to for storytelling, editing, and even publishing. It’s been around for decades, packed with features, but it’s still the most versatile writing tool.

That said, Word isn’t perfect. One gripe I’ve had is its font library. Sure, Word has many fonts, but sometimes you just need that one specific font, and it’s not there. What you might not know is that Word uses your system fonts. So, if you want to add new ones to Word on your Mac, you’ll need to install them directly onto macOS. Bonus: once you do, those fonts will work across other apps, too. 

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to find, download, and install fonts on your Mac so they’re ready to use in Word.

How to upload fonts to Word on your Mac

On macOS Sequoia (the latest macOS), managing fonts is easier than ever, thanks to Apple’s Font Book (a built-in app that helps you organize and add fonts system-wide).

Here’s the deal: Word on Mac doesn’t have its fonts. It relies on system fonts stored in Font Book. So, when you add a font to Font Book, it automatically becomes available in Word (and other apps, too). 

Let’s break it down step by step so you can get those dream fonts ready for action:

What do you need?	Here’s what to do:
Word doesn’t have the font I need	Add the font to your Mac’s Font Book by downloading it from Google Fonts.
I want to add a font to Font Book	Open the font folder in Finder, then right-click and choose Open With > Font Book. Click Install.
I don’t know where to download fonts	Check out Google Fonts, or use Glyphs Mini to design your custom font.
My new font isn’t showing up in Word	Restart Word or your Mac to refresh the font list.
I’m not sure which font to use	Use Typeface’s preview and tag features to compare and organize your options.
I want to remove a font	Open Font Book > Choose the font > Edit > Remove to uninstall it.

Importing fonts into Word: Step-by-step

Getting your favorite fonts into Word on Mac is easier than it seems, but it’s one of those things that’s not exactly obvious. I remember the first time I tried — I was staring at Word’s font drop-down like, “Where’s the magic button for this?” Spoiler alert: there isn’t one. 

But don’t worry, here’s your shortcut to making it happen without any unnecessary frustration.

How to add fonts to Word on Mac

Fonts are like outfits for your words — they must fit your style. 

If you’re looking for a font not already on your Mac, Google Fonts is a fantastic place to start. For this guide, let’s say we’re adding Google’s Playwrite Norge font.

Here’s how to get it:

1. Go to Google Fonts and search for Playwrite Norge (or any font that you need).
2. Click the Get font button in the top-right corner of the font’s page. 
3. Click Download all. 
4. A ZIP file will land in your Downloads folder. Find it and double-click to unzip.

Add font to the Font Book

Alright, your font is unzipped and ready to make its grand debut on your Mac. Here’s how to get it into Font Book:

1. Go to the Downloads folder in Finder, open the font folder, and find an OTF or TTF file.
2. Press with two fingers (or right-click) on the file, choose Open With > Font Book.

3. Click Install.

4. Check if your font is installed by opening Font Book and looking under the My Fonts section.

And just like that, your font is officially part of macOS!

How to add custom fonts on Mac

Feeling creative? Make your own font! If you’re ready to go full font designer, let me introduce you to Glyphs Mini — the ultimate lightweight Mac font editor. It’s got everything: a sleek vector editing toolkit, curvature control, a coordinate panel, filters, and more. You can edit existing fonts (like OTF or TTF files) or create something totally unique from scratch.

Here’s how to turn your masterpiece into a Word-ready font:

1. Install and open the app > Customize your font.
2. When ready, click File in the menu bar > Export.
3. Choose your export destination and save your font file.
4. Add your shiny new font to Font Book (keep reading for those steps).

Once your font is in Font Book, Word will recognize it automatically.

Use the font in Word

Now that your font is in Font Book, it’s time to show it off in Word. Here’s how to get started:

1. First, close Word if it’s already open. 
2. Relaunch Word.
3. Click on the font drop-down menu. If everything went smoothly, your new font should be ready to use.

Can’t find it? No worries. Restart your Mac to give the system a little nudge, and the font should appear like magic.

That’s it! Whether you’re working on a school project, your next viral blog post, or just a cute love letter, your font game is officially leveled up. 

Bonus step: Manage and preview fonts with Typeface

If you’re serious about fonts, Typeface is the app you didn’t know you needed. I stumbled upon it while obsessively searching for a better way to manage my growing font collection, and let me tell you — it’s a game-changer.

Typeface isn’t just a font manager. It’s a visual playground for anyone who loves design or just wants their fonts to look as good as they feel. The app’s gorgeous tiled interface previews all your fonts at a glance. It’s like window shopping but for typography nerds.

Here’s how to add fonts in Typeface:

1. Open Typeface and click the plus “+” icon in the bottom-left corner.
2. Choose Import Fonts and choose your unzipped font files.
3. Your fonts are now ready to preview, tag, and use.

How to uninstall fonts on Mac

Fonts, whether you’ve downloaded them from Google Fonts or designed your own, all land in one place: Font Book. If your font collection is getting out of hand, here’s how to uninstall them:

1. Open Font Book. You can find it via Spotlight (Command + Space, then type Font Book).
2. Scroll through the list or use the search bar to find the font you want to remove.
3. Right-click the font > Remove.

Also, if you just want to hide certain fonts without fully uninstalling them (so they don’t show up in Word or other apps), you can deactivate them instead:

1. Open Font Book.
2. Click the font you want to deactivate.
3. Deactivate: Go to Edit > Deactivate, then confirm by clicking Deactivate Fonts.

Why installed fonts aren’t showing in Word on Mac

When I started experimenting with fonts for my book blog and short stories, I ran into a lot of hiccups — blurry text, unrecognized files, and the occasional “why isn’t this working?!” meltdown. 

Over time, I’ve picked up a few tips to make the whole font journey smoother:

Common issue:	Try this!
Font not showing up in Word	1. Close Word and restart it to refresh the font list. 2. Restart your Mac if the font still doesn’t appear. 3. Ensure the font is added to Font Book and not zipped.
Font appears blurry or distorted	1. Use a high-quality font format like .ttf or .otf. 2. Check the resolution settings in your app or system.
Cannot install a font in Font Book	1. Confirm the font file is unzipped and in a supported format. 2. Check if the font file is corrupted by trying to open it in Typeface or another font manager.
Font only partially works	1. Verify that all font files in a family (e.g., bold, italic) are added to Font Book. 2. Reinstall the font and restart your Mac.
Font causing app crashes	1. Remove the problematic font from Font Book. 2. Test the font in another app like Typeface to see if the issue is app-specific. 3. Update macOS to the latest version for better font compatibility.
Font license issues	Use free, licensed fonts from trusted sources like Google Fonts to avoid legal troubles.

How to add fonts to Word on Mac [Solved]

Fonts can completely transform a plain page into something that feels uniquely you. Adding fonts to Word on your Mac isn’t complicated: once they’re in Font Book, they’re good to go across all your apps. Just remember to close and restart Word if the font doesn’t show up immediately.

If you’re looking to tidy up your font collection or experiment with new ones, apps like Glyphs Mini and Typeface will make your life easier. The best part? You can test-drive these apps and 250 more with a free 7-day trial on Setapp and find your perfect fit. So go ahead — download those fonts, experiment a little, and let your documents shine. You’ve got this!