How to turn a PDF into a Word document you can edit
Last updated 26 September 2026
A PDF is made for reading, not editing. When you need to change more than a few words, the easiest way is often to turn it into a Word document, edit it there, and make a new PDF.
Only a few words to change?
Then you may not need Word at all. Edit PDF changes the words already on the page, adds new text, or covers something with a white patch. A line does not reflow there, so converting is better when whole paragraphs change.
Convert it
- Open PDF to Word and drop the PDF.
- Choose Keep the look to keep the layout, or Just the text if you only need the words to rewrite.
- Press Convert to Word, check what was found, and press Save the Word file.
- Open it in Word, Google Docs, Pages or LibreOffice and edit.
If the PDF is a scan
A scan holds pictures of words, not words, so there is nothing to convert. The tool will tell you so. Run it through OCR a scan first to read the words out of the pictures, then convert the copy it saves.
Back to PDF
When you have finished, save the document as .docx and turn it back into a PDF with Word to PDF, so it looks the same for everybody who opens it.