Often, you just need to change one character. For example, changing i to j, 2 to 4, ' to " and so on.

  • rj replace the character under the cursor with j
  • ry replace the character under the cursor with y
  • 3ra replace the character under cursor as well as the two characters to the right with aaa
    • no changes will be made if there aren't sufficient characters to match

To replace multiple characters with different characters, use R.

  • Rlion followed by Esc replace the character under cursor and three characters to the right with lion
    • Esc key marks the completion of R command
    • Backspace key will act as an undo command to give back the character that was replaced
    • if you are replacing at the end of a line, the line will be automatically extended if needed

The advantage of r and R commands is that you remain in the Normal mode, without needing to switch to Insert mode and back.

Video demo:


info See also my Vim Reference Guide and curated list of resources for Vim.