The following table contains a list of each RTF control word, the name of the section where it may be found, and a brief description of the type of control word. The types are described in the following table:
| Type | Description |
| Flag | This control word ignores any parameter. |
| Destination | This control word starts a group or destination. It ignores any parameter. |
| Symbol | This control word represents a special character. |
| Toggle | This control word distinguishes between the ON and OFF states for the given property. The control word with no parameter or a nonzero parameter is used to turn on the property, while the control word with a zero parameter is used to turn it off. |
| Value | This control word requires a parameter. |
Note In the following comprehensive table, the names of all control words that are new to Microsoft Word version 7.0 are followed by an asterisk (*), the names of all control words that are new to Microsoft Word 97 are followed by two asterisks (**) and the names of all control words introduced in Word 2000 are followed by three asterisks (***).