# How to convert a scanned PDF to Word with OCR

A scanned PDF holds pictures of pages, so a converter needs OCR before you can turn that PDF to Word text you can edit. The box below reads page 1 of a PDF up to 5 MB and gives you a .docx after a free email sign-in. For every page of a longer scan, use the LoreAI app, where your first document is free up to 3 pages.

## Why a normal converter gives you a picture instead of text

A PDF made from Word or a browser stores letters. A PDF made by a scanner or a phone scan app stores one image per page. A plain PDF to Word converter copies what it finds, so a scan arrives in Word as a picture you can't type into.

Word itself works this way. Microsoft says its PDF conversion works best with files that are mostly text, and that a page of mostly charts or graphics may show up as an image that can't be edited[1]. OCR, optical character recognition, is the step that reads the letters in the image and writes them into the .docx as text.

To check your file, open it and try to select a single word. If only that word highlights, the PDF has text. If the whole page highlights like a photo, or nothing does, it is a scan.

## How to convert a scanned PDF to Word

1. **Choose the PDF.** Any PDF up to 5 MB. For a file with several pages, the free converter reads page 1 and tells you how many pages the file has.
2. **Press Get the text.** The first lines appear after a few seconds, so you can see the scan was readable before you sign in.
3. **Type the code from your email.** We send a 6-digit code. It opens the full result and creates a free account if you have none.
4. **Download Word (.docx).** Headings, lists and tables come back in the order of the page, as real Word text.

With a free account you can run the converter 10 times a day. For the whole file, upload it in the [LoreAI app](https://www.loreai.org/app) and choose OCR Only. Every page goes into one Word file, in the original order.

## Does OCR keep tables and headings?

Yes, as Word structure rather than as a copy of the page. A table on the scan becomes a Word table with one cell per cell, a heading becomes a Word heading and a list becomes a list. Fonts, colors and the exact position of each block are not copied, so the file looks plainer than the scan but is easier to edit.

- **Typed letter or contract**: Comes back close to word for word on a straight, clear scan
- **Form or certificate**: Field labels and values come back in Word tables. Check merged cells by eye
- **Stamps and signatures**: Faint stamps may be read in part or not at all. Signatures are not text
- **Handwriting**: Not something to rely on. Check every handwritten word against the scan
- **Photos and logos**: Kept as images in the Word file in the app, or left out if you switch off Include images in results

Whatever the tool, check names, amounts and long numbers against the scan before you send the file anywhere.

## Searchable PDF or editable Word file?

A searchable PDF keeps the scan as it looks and adds an invisible text layer behind it, so you can search and copy but not rewrite the page. An editable Word file drops the scanned image and gives you the text itself. Choose a searchable PDF to archive a scan. Choose Word when you want to correct, reuse or translate the content.

LoreAI returns Word and text, not a searchable PDF. If you need the PDF version, use a PDF editor that offers OCR on export.

## Free ways to convert a scanned PDF to Word

*Scanned PDF to Word options, checked on November 2, 2026*

| Option | Scanned pages | Limit | Tables |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft Word, opening the PDF | A page of mostly graphics may come in as an image you can't edit[1] | Works best on files that are mostly text[1] | Rebuilt from lines, cell spacing converts poorly[1] |
| Google Drive, Open with Google Docs | Read with OCR[2] | 2 MB or smaller[2] | Not likely to be detected[2] |
| LoreAI free converter | Read with OCR | Page 1, up to 5 MB, 10 a day | Rebuilt as Word tables |
| LoreAI app, OCR Only | Read with OCR | First document free, up to 3 pages | Rebuilt as Word tables |

Google Drive is a good free choice for a short letter with no tables. It keeps bold, italics and font sizes more often than lists and tables, and it wants pages right side up[2].

## What if the scan is not in English?

LoreAI detects the language of the scan, so you don't choose it. The Word file keeps the text in that language. In the app the same upload can also be translated into one of 105 languages if you choose OCR + Translate instead of OCR Only.

For a script you haven't converted before, try one page first and compare it with the scan line by line.

## Can I prepare the Word file for Trados or memoQ?

Yes, on a paid plan. Under Word file in the app, choose CAT-ready instead of Standard before you upload. The file is built for Trados, memoQ and Phrase to split into clean segments.

- Lines the OCR broke in the middle of a sentence are joined back into one paragraph.
- Only bold and italic are kept, and styles are reduced to Normal, three heading levels and bulleted lists.
- Each table cell holds one paragraph, and the tables stay real Word tables.
- Images become a short note in brackets, such as [Image], instead of a picture.
- Page breaks from the scan are kept, and the document language is set to the language the file is written in.
- Author, title and other document properties are left empty, so they don't turn up as segments.

On the free plan the option is shown but locked. The Standard Word file works in a CAT tool too, with more tags and broken sentences to clean up. Import one page first and look at the segments before you set up a whole project.

## Questions people ask

### Can I convert a scanned PDF to Word for free?

Yes. The converter on this page reads page 1 of a PDF up to 5 MB with a free account. Google Drive also runs OCR on PDFs of 2 MB or smaller, though tables are not likely to be detected[2].

### Why does Word open my scan as a picture?

Word converts the text it finds in a PDF. A scan has no text, only images, and Microsoft says such pages may show up as an image that can't be edited[1]. Run OCR first.

### How many pages can I convert?

The free converter reads page 1 of each PDF. The LoreAI app reads the whole file, up to 3 pages for your free first document, 30 on Basic and 100 on Pro.

### Is my PDF kept after conversion?

The free converter sends the PDF to LoreAI's OCR provider, which deletes it right after reading. The text stays on LoreAI's server for 1 hour so you can open it after you sign in.

## Sources

1. [Microsoft Support: Opening PDFs in Word](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/opening-pdfs-in-word), accessed November 2, 2026
2. [Google Drive Help: Convert PDF and photo files to text](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692?hl=en), accessed November 2, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 2, 2026