How do I delete the word before the cursor without leaving insert mode?

Explanation

Pressing <C-w> in insert mode deletes the word before the cursor instantly, without requiring you to switch to normal mode. This is one of several insert-mode editing shortcuts that dramatically reduce mode-switching overhead during fast typing and correction.

How it works

• <C-w> deletes backward from the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
• It removes the word and any whitespace between the cursor and the word boundary
• The deletion happens in place — you stay in insert mode, ready to continue typing
• It follows the same word boundary rules as b in normal mode

Example

You are typing in insert mode and realize you used the wrong variable name:

const result = calculateWrong|

(| represents the cursor.) Press <C-w> and the last word is deleted:

const result = |

Now type the correct name:

const result = calculateCorrect|

You never left insert mode.

Other insert-mode editing shortcuts

<C-w>   Delete the word before the cursor
<C-u>   Delete from the cursor to the start of the line
<C-h>   Delete one character before the cursor (same as Backspace)
<C-t>   Indent the current line by one shiftwidth
<C-d>   Unindent the current line by one shiftwidth

Tips

• <C-u> is the complement of <C-w> — it deletes everything from the cursor back to the start of the line, which is useful when you want to retype an entire line from scratch
• <C-w> works in Vim's command-line mode too — press <C-w> while typing an Ex command to delete the last word
• These shortcuts come from the Unix terminal (they work in bash and zsh as well), so muscle memory transfers between Vim and your shell
• The deleted text from <C-w> is not placed into a named register — it is effectively discarded
• If you delete too much with <C-w>, press <C-u> to clear the rest and retype, or press <Esc> and u to undo the entire insert session
• Combine with <C-r>{register} to delete a word and immediately paste from a register in its place — all without leaving insert mode
• For deleting a single character, <C-h> (or Backspace) is faster than <C-w> — use <C-w> when you need to erase a whole word at once