Word processing is using a computer to create, edit, and format written documents. When you write a report on a computer instead of by hand, you're doing word processing. The software that lets you do this (like Microsoft Word or Google Docs) is called a word processor.

Word processing revolutionized writing because it made revision incredibly easy. Before computers, if you wanted to change a sentence in the middle of a typed page, you'd have to retype the entire page. With word processing, you can delete words, move paragraphs around, fix spelling mistakes, and change fonts instantly. You can save different versions of your work, search for specific words, and share documents electronically.

Early word processors in the 1970s were expensive machines used mainly by professional typists. Today, word processing is so common that most people use it without thinking about it. The ability to easily revise and improve your writing has changed how people compose everything from school essays to novels to business letters.