On Windows it is Ctrl+Right Arrow to move to next word. Have you tried Command+Right Arrow? In most cases using Command key instead of Ctrl key should work.

On Mac, default shortcut key for moving word-by-word is Option and Left/Right arrow. Command and Left/Right goes to the beginning/ending in the current line. (Not only Microsoft Excel on Mac but in other programs such as TextEdit.

Confirming with

Version: 6.0.0.0.beta1
Build ID: 97471ab4eb4db4c487195658631696bb3238656c
CPU threads: 4; OS: Mac OS X 10.13.1; UI render: default; 
Locale: fr-FR (fr_FR.UTF-8); Calc: group threaded

This behaviour has been there since

LibreOffice 3.3.0 
OOO330m19 (Build:6)
tag libreoffice-3.3.0.4

setting version to InheritedfromOOo

In comparison, Apple's own 

Numbers version 4.3.1 (5249)

behaves in the expected Apple way, i.e. using the Option+arrow key to jump from word to word.

What does LibreOffice use for word wise cursor movement in normal text in Writer?
Is the short cut Ctrl+Arrow already used on a Mac for something, or can it be used as an alternative for changing column width?

In LibreOffice Writer on MacOS, Option + Left/Right Arrow scrolls word-by-word.

In macOS Ctrl + Left Arrow key switch the user desktop into the special desktop named dashboard (with some sort of widgets). Ctrl + Right Arrow does not have a special behaviour.

Ctrl+left/right arrow is the MacOS/OSX system shortcut for switching desktop spaces.

So what is your suggestion for shortcuts for changing the column width for Mac? It has to be suitable for all Writer, Calc, Draw and Impress.

(fn + Option + Left/Righ Arrow) may be suitable.

By the way, I realized that (Shift + Option + Right Arrow) key combination arranges the current column's width in a best fit in calc. Therefore, this shortcut should also changed accordingly (i.e. fn + Shift + Option + Right Arrow).

I strongly support the view that this is unexpected behaviour, i.e. a bug.  Actually, I have just registered to post it and found this when searching.

Calc is the only application I use that does not use the standard shortcuts (don't know about Impress which I never use. A brief test shows me that the behaviour is normal (i.e. option+arrows jumping words, cmd+arrows jumping towards beginning/end of line). Writer behaves as I would expect it on my mac).

As for a suggestion: what do the other LibreOffice apps use? (If somebody knows it). Fn+the keys seem viable for me, although I don't know whether that's Apple standard. Otherwise: what about Cmd+Option+Arrows (that is resize *cell* in Writer currently, as far as I can tell)?

Personally, I think it would be better not to have a combination than to have a totally unexpected one for Mac users (Mac used to be known for its consistency in UI, although Apple is apparently letting on that).

Hi Hieko,
Could be easyhack-ified ?

(In reply to Cor Nouws from comment #12)
> Could be easyhack-ified ?

If you find the right code pointer it's a one-liner. But most key events in the edit engine are hard-coded and well hidden under the spaghetti pile. Tried https://opengrok.libreoffice.org/xref/core/sc/source/ui/drawfunc/fudraw.cxx?r=423d1648#360 but that's not the right place. Maybe Eike has time to help.

After removing all settings, I tested the issue with v7.6.2.1.
Cmd+Left/Cmd+Right moves by words, while Option+Left and Option+Right would resize the cell. This is still breaking the conventions.
Cmd+Arrows should move to beginning/end while Option+Arrows should move by words.

The expected hotkey bindings can be found here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236 section "Document Shortcuts"

In my reading, Option+Cmd+Arrows are free, i.e. the resize could move to that.

Very annoying bug for almost any libreoffice calc user on macOS.