The Three Visual Modes

v, V, Ctrl-V — character, line, block.

Keys: v, V, Ctrl-V

Visual mode comes in three flavors: character (v), line (V), and block (Ctrl-V). They differ in what shape they select. Switching between modes mid-selection is a built-in feature.

Visual mode is Vim's select-then-act alternative to the operator-motion grammar. Three sub-modes pick the shape of the selection.

Key Mode Selects
v Character From cursor to point — by character
V Line Whole lines
Ctrl-V Block Rectangular column-by-row region

Watch

See also: Character Visual Mode, Line and Block Visual, Re-Select — gv