Thanks for answering, but I really do not think this is what I am after. Please see my follow on post.

I appreciate the feedback, but what I believe would really help me is if someone can explain to me:

1. Precisely what each of the various settings in the "Adjust List Indents" dialog box actually mean.

2. How these settings can interact with each other.

3. How these settings can interact with settings implemented through other dialog boxes (such as the "Paragraph" dialog box).

Try to put yourselves in my shoes. When I see a setting in the "Adjust List Indents" dialog box titled "text indent", and then I also see a setting titled "Indentation" in the "Paragraph" dialog box, my head starts to spin, frankly.

At the end of the day what I want to do is really simple (I think). Given that I have implemented a numbered list, all I want to do is to adjust the amount of "leading white space" to the left of the number as well as the amount of "white space" between the number and the text. And, of course, I want subsequent lines of text (within the body of the numbered item) to all align on the left.

Most of what you have asked would be covered in Shauna Kelly's article, but here is a brief version:

"Number position" is the position of the numbered item. "Text indent" determines where the second and subsequent text lines start. "Add tab stop" defines the location for the text following the number (on the first line). Note that all measurements are from the left margin of the page.

If you want a hanging indent for your list, "Text indent" and "Add tab stop at" should be identical.

The indentation in the Adjust List Indents dialog box (or the Multilevel List dialog box in the case of multilevel lists) should always be used as these override the corresponding settings in the Paragraph dialog box.

Attached Images

adjustListIndents.PNG (6.0 KB, 20 views)

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Shauna's page may be more than you think you want, but it will give you what you want, along with a stable numbering system. The thing is, it is all tied in together, at least it is if it is done properly. The buttons on the ribbon work fine for one-of documents that will not be heavily edited or shared. Not so much for documents that you will be using for a while. There is a technical term you do not want to become familiar with: spaghetti numbering. (For more on this term, Google "spaghetti numbering microsoft word.)

Numbering in Microsoft Word

OK, I will be patient and give it a careful read - I appreciate your feedback.