How to Convert PDF to Word for Free (Including Scanned PDFs)
Clear steps · Accurate results
How to Convert PDF to Word for Free (Including Scanned PDFs)
You have a resume, a contract, or an old letter as a PDF, and you need to change a date, a name, or a whole paragraph. Retyping it is slow. Converting it to Word gives you editable text in a minute.
The one thing that decides a good result is knowing what kind of PDF you have. Here is how to tell, which mode to pick, and how to finish the job cleanly.
Digital PDF or scanned PDF? A 5-second test
Open the PDF and try to select a word with your mouse or finger. If the text highlights, it is a digital PDF. If the whole page highlights like a photo, or nothing happens, it is a scan.
Digital PDFs convert best with No OCR. Scans need OCR, which reads the words on the page image and rebuilds them as real, editable text.
How to convert PDF to Word
Open PDF to Word and add your file. Choose the conversion mode, and if you picked OCR, select the language of the document. Then convert and download your DOCX.
- Add your PDF
- Choose No OCR for digital files, or OCR for scans and photos
- For OCR, pick the document language
- Click Convert to WORD and download the DOCX
Tips for tidy formatting
Clean text documents arrive with headings, paragraphs, and lists in order, so most need only light touch-ups. Layouts with many columns or text boxes are worth a quick look before you send them.
For scans, clear print gives the most accurate text. A sharp, flat, evenly lit page beats a shadowy photo every time.
Back to PDF when you are done
Most portals and employers want a PDF, not a Word file. After editing, use Word to PDF to get a clean PDF that keeps your layout. If it is too big for an email, run it through Compress PDF.
FAQ
Is PDF to Word free?+
Yes. It uses one of your 3 free advanced uses each day. Free covers digital PDFs up to 20 pages and scans up to 5 pages in OCR mode, with files up to 10 MB, and your DOCX has no watermark.
Why does my Word file show pictures instead of text?+
The PDF is a scan, so each page is an image. Convert again with OCR mode on and the right language selected, and the words become editable paragraphs.
Is my file safe during conversion?+
Your file travels over an encrypted connection and is used only to build your Word document. Temporary copies are deleted after processing, and anything left is removed within 1 hour.
Can I open the DOCX in Google Docs?+
Yes. The file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Pages on Mac.
My PDF is longer than the free page limit. What can I do?+
Pull out the pages you need with Extract Pages first, then convert that smaller PDF.