[Shadowed_]

When you copy something, application can put data in multiple formats on clipboard. When you paste, application may or may not recognize some of those formats and will choose which one (if any) to use. In your example MS Word will store at least two formats. One is plain text and one is formatted. Which one is used depends on destination application (where you paste).

Others already recommended software that will let you see what's currently on the clipboard. In the past, Windows had application for that.

[taubek]

I didn't know that clipboard can contain multiple formats. Yes, I think that I remember that software. It was called Clipboard Viewer.