how do I use numbered lists in Styles? The numbers disappear.

[MJS]

When I have a Word document with a numbered list and normal paragraphs, and
then use Styles, the numbered list changes. Suppose I change the font size
on a paragraph. All of the other paragraphs correctly change to that new
font.

However, the numbered list changes in different ways. 1. The numbers might
disappear. 2. The numbered list might remain, shifts to flush left. 3. If
I have a multi-level list, it becomes a single-level list.

On the Style Pane Options I have selected just Paragraph Level Formatting,
just Bullet and Numbering Formatting, both of those, none of those, and about
every combination possible. No matter what I try, when I change a paragraph,
the numbered list changes to something I do not want.

 

[Stefan Blom]

If you apply a paragraph style to a numbered list, the numbering might very
well disappear, as you have seen. The settings of the style override any
locally applied formatting (including numbering).

To make numbering stabler, make sure it is applied via paragraph styles
(directly or via a list style, as explained below).

For single-level numbering, you can use a style from the built-in List
Number series. In the Apply Styles pane (Ctrl+Alt+S), just type the style
name (List Number, List Number 2, etc.) and click the Apply button to apply
it to text. After the first use, you should see the style in the Styles pane
(Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S).

For multilevel numbering, there are two different approaches. To quickly set
up a list of headings, you can click Home tab | Multilevel List and then
choose one of the built-in heading formats. To edit such a list, including
most lists created in previous versions of Word, place the insertion point
in the first paragraph of that list (in the case of heading numbering that
means the first Heading 1 paragraph of the document), and then click Home
tab | Multilevel List | Define New Multilevel List. Word displays a dialog
box similar to the Customize Outline Numbered List of Word 2003 (see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html).

A better approach might be to use list styles. To create a list style, click
Home tab | Multilevel List | Define New List Style. Name the list style. In
order to modify all aspects of the list, click the Format button, and then
click Numbering; again, you will see the dialog box mentioned above, which
will let you change numbering formats, indentation, as well as assign
paragraph styles to list levels.

Existing list styles can be found under "List Styles" at Home tab |
Multilevel List, where you can right-click them and choose Modify to open
the Modify Style dialog box. Alternatively, edit the list styles via the
Manage Styles dialog box, just like you can edit any style in Word.