Merge will recognize it as from a Word document format. In fact Word's mail
merge is not at all fussy about data formats. MDB is an Access file format,
but there's no need to go there.

See http://www.gmayor.com/convert_labels_into_mail_merge.htm
and
http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_labels_with_word_xp.htm

even if you are not merging to labels, these two articles will tell you all
you need to know about using your table as data.