with open("out.txt", "wt") as out: for line in open("Stud.txt"): out.write(line.replace('A', 'Orange')) with open('Stud.txt','r') as f: newlines = [] for line in f.readlines(): newlines.append(line.replace('A', 'Orange')) with open('Stud.txt', 'w') as f: for line in newlines: f.write(line) text_file = open("file.txt", "rw") whole_thing = text_file.read() whole_thing = whole_thing.replace("A", "Orange"); text_file.write(whole_thing); text_file.close(); file = open('Stud.txt') contents = file.read() replaced_contents = contents.replace('A', 'Orange') import re input = file('C:full_pathStud.txt), 'r') #when you try and write to a file with write permissions, it clears the file and writes only #what you tell it to the file. So we have to save the file first. saved_input for eachLine in input: saved_input.append(eachLine) #now we change entries with 'A' to 'Orange' for i in range(0, len(old): search = re.sub('A', 'Orange', saved_input[i]) if search is not None: saved_input[i] = search #now we open the file in write mode (clearing it) and writing saved_input back to it input = file('C:full_pathStud.txt), 'w') for each in saved_input: input.write(each)