I have a reference to a table that keeps changing its font size to be different from the surrounding text. See below, Table 2-2 keeps resetting to larger font. I keep changing it but when I open the file it's too big again.

Attached Images

2025-09-25_07-27-28.png (6.7 KB, 11 views)

See https://www.msofficeforums.com/word/...link-here.html. I suspect the same thing is going on.
The link you are creating uses the font from the underlying paragraph style.

If that is not it, could you attach a document that has the problem here so we can look at it. It may depend on how the link was created.
Attach a Sample File Demonstrating the Problem - Here's How

The cause might be direct formatting applied to the cross-referenced table caption—formatting which is then reflected in the cross-reference itself.

Long term, this must be fixed in the cross-referenced item. However, a quicker fix might be to add the \* CHARFORMAT switch to the cross-reference (REF) field. If many cross-references have this problem, then adding a switch may be time-consuming. However, if it happens with just a few of them, you can certainly use this workaround.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional