How do I overwrite existing text character by character without deleting first?

Explanation

Replace mode lets you type over existing text one character at a time, like the "Insert" key behavior in traditional editors. Press R in normal mode to enter Replace mode, then every character you type overwrites the character under the cursor instead of inserting before it.

How it works

• R enters Replace mode from normal mode
• Each keystroke replaces the character under the cursor and advances to the next
• <Backspace> restores the original character (unlike delete)
• <Esc> returns to normal mode
• The entire Replace session counts as one undoable change

Example

Given the text with the cursor on H:

Hello World

Press R then type Jelly:

Jelly World

The first five characters were overwritten in place without shifting the rest of the line.

Tips

• Use r (lowercase) to replace a single character and immediately return to normal mode — R stays in Replace mode
• gR enters Virtual Replace mode, which treats <Tab> as screen columns rather than a single character, preserving alignment
• Replace mode respects <Backspace> specially: it restores the original character rather than deleting, so you can "undo" within the session
• Combine with a count: 5rx replaces the next 5 characters with x
• Replace mode is ideal for editing fixed-width data like tables, columns, or aligned comments