what is the extension of a word file
The standard extension of a Microsoft Word document file is .docx.
Quick Scoop: The Basics
- Modern Word documents (Word 2007 and later) normally save as filename.docx by default.
- Older versions of Word (Word 97–2003) used .doc as the main extension.
So if someone asks, “what is the extension of a Word file?” they almost always mean .docx today.
Other Word-Related Extensions
Word can also use several related extensions depending on what you’re doing.
- .docx – Standard Word document (default in recent versions).
- .doc – Legacy Word document (used by Word 97–2003).
- .dotx – Word template file (no macros).
- .dotm – Word template that can contain macros.
- .docm – Word document that can contain macros.
These are all “Word files,” just used for slightly different purposes.
Mini FAQ Style View
- Q: What is the extension of a Word file in current versions?
A: .docx.
- Q: What was the old Word extension?
A: .doc.
- Q: Are templates also Word files?
A: Yes, they use .dotx or .dotm , but they’re still opened in Word.
Simple HTML Table Version
| Type | Extension | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Modern Word document | .docx | Default file type in recent Microsoft Word versions |
| Legacy Word document | .doc | Documents from Word 97–2003 |
| Word template (no macros) | .dotx | Reusable layouts/styles for new documents |
| Word macro-enabled template | .dotm | Templates that can include macros |
| Word macro-enabled document | .docm | Documents that can include macros |
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
