Keyboard shortcuts reassign themselves

So now I’m really lost.

Do we have a step-by-step that we can follow to reliably reproduce the problem?

Is there a work-around that works every time?

On your first question, no, I don't think there's a reliable process to trace. I'm usually merrily working away and then go to copy text and it pastes stuff instead. I can tell you, however, that happens consistently after I have edited a table (see below). Doesn't matter if it's a .doc or .docx file.

On your second question: the only solution I've found is quitting and restarting Word.

So, in pursuit of an answer to your first question, I just opened an existing file with a multi-column, multi-row table. I made several editorial changes (retyping contents), saving frequently. No problem. I selected the contents of a cell (not the whole cell, just the characters). No problem. I made more editorial changes. No problem. I assigned paragraph styles to a row.

Then I selected and copied one cell. Presto.

I undid (command-z). That undid the edit I made but did not restore the menu or shortcut key assignment.

I quit and restarted Word, opened up the same file, selected a cell, and presto, the menu was mangled.

I quit and restarted Word, opened up the same file, selected and deleted a column by hitting the delete key. Menu was mangled.

On restarting again, I deleted a row by putting the cursor in a row and selecting "delete row" from the pulldown menu. No problem. No problem either when I selected the whole row and hit the delete key. 

So then I put the cursor in a column and selected "delete column" from the pulldown menu and nothing happened.

So it's a bit inconsistent!!

Jim & Madeline {perhaps JThurber as well, but we've not seen any screen shots]:

One thing common in the images you've each posted -- There is a Start Dictation... command in your respective Edit menus. Apparently there is an external influence acting on Word's menu structure whether or not you realize it.

That is not a built-in Word menu command. It's being added by a 3rd party program which is modifying your menu structure. My thought is that it is the dictation software &/or OS X which is causing your issues. [Note that in the first images posted by Madeline that the command is in 2 different locations in the Before & the After images.]

I'd suggest removing the dictation software to see if that resolves the issue. If so, make sure the dictation software is fully updated before reactivating it. If the issue persists contact Support for the developer of that software.

Jim & Madeline {perhaps JThurber as well, but we've not seen any screen shots]:

One thing common in the images you've each posted -- There is a Start Dictation... command in your respective Edit menus. Apparently there is an external influence acting on Word's menu structure whether or not you realize it.

That is not a built-in Word menu command. It's being added by a 3rd party program which is modifying your menu structure. My thought is that it is the dictation software &/or OS X which is causing your issues. [Note that in the first images posted by Madeline that the command is in 2 different locations in the Before & the After images.]

I'd suggest removing the dictation software to see if that resolves the issue. If so, make sure the dictation software is fully updated before reactivating it. If the issue persists contact Support for the developer of that software.

Hm. I don't have any third-party dictation software, at least none that I'm aware of. There is only whatever is installed with OS 10.9. I have never turned it on, either. I do, however, have Text to Speech's "Speak Selected Text -- but I'm fairly certain this problem predates my use of that.

I'm willing to try to turnoff the OSX dictation software, but dont know how. How do you do this?

Jim

Depending on version of OS X please see either:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14361 [10.9.x]

or

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11463 [10.8.x]

Note that the service can be activated by inadvertently tapping fn twice.