To double-space the whole document, go to Design > Paragraph Spacing, and choose Double.
Tip: To double-space only part of the document, select the paragraphs you want to change, go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose 2.0.
Important:
Office 2010 is no longer supported. Upgrade to Microsoft 365 to work anywhere from any device and continue to receive support.
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Double-space the entire document
-
On the Home tab, in the Styles group, right-click Normal, and then click Modify.
-
Under Formatting, click the Double Space button, and then click OK.
Formatting for the entire document changes to double spacing.
Double-space the selected text
-
Select the text that you want to change.
-
On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Line and Paragraph Spacing (Line Spacing in Word 2007) .
-
Click 2.0.
How do you double space in Word? It’s a simple question, but there are various ways to accomplish the same thing. In this guide, we’ll cover how to get that white space when and where you need it. We’ll also cover what it means and when it’s time to make it a double (so to speak).
Read on for more or jump straight to the double-spacing options.
Article Roadmap
- What is Double Spacing in Word?
- When Should I Double Space?
- How to Double Space in Word
- For Most Versions
- Microsoft Office 365 (Microsoft Word 2016+)
- Microsoft Word 2007, 2010 & 2013
- Double Spacing for Some Text
- Double Spacing for a New Paragraph
- FAQs
What is Double Spacing in Word?
Double spacing, simply put, is the act of adding a blank line between every line of text, like an extra bit of padding. The result is a document that’s doubled in size and easier on the eyes.
The extra line genesis comes from the original generator of all printed text, the typewriter. It set line spacing at six lines per inch during the typewriter’s days. If a writer wanted more room on the page, they skipped a line.
This quote from Matt Samberg’s article, “Line Spacing, Explained,” sums it up nicely.
Back in the old days of typewriters, line spacing was always 6 lines per inch (12 points per line). This was a mechanical feature of the type writer; it could not be changed. Your only real options for line spacing were to type single-spaced with 12 points per line, or to insert a carriage return between line [sic] to double-space the text at 24 points per line.”
When Should You Double Space?
Double spacing has several advantages, especially during editing. Double-spaced work is easier to read and has more openings to either scribble notes (if the reviewer reads it on actual paper) or add comments (on a digital copy). Double spacing is commonly used in schoolwork and professional settings, and is a standard part of several grammar style books such as APA, Chicago, MLA and more.
How to Double Space in Word
For Most Versions
To double space all the text in desktop and mobile versions of Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and Microsoft 365, use the following methods:
Use the Spacing Button
- Go to the toolbar.
- Click the button with four lines and up and down arrows.
- Select the desired spacing option.
A simple way to double space.
Use the “Design” Menu
- Go to the “Design” menu.
- Go to “Paragraph Spacing.”
- Click “Double.”
Select Design > Paragraph Spacing > Double.
Use “Format” Context Menu Option
- Highlight the text you wish to double space.
- Right-click the highlighted text.
- Click “Format” and then “Paragraph.” (This may be labeled only as “Paragraph” in some versions” of Word.)
- In the “Paragraph” window, go to the tab, “Indents and Spacing.”
- Click the drop-down menu for line spacing.
- Click “Double.”
- Click “OK.”
Format through the paragraph menu.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
- Highlight your text.
- Use Ctrl+1 (⌘ Command+1 for Mac) to single space.
- Use Ctrl+2 (⌘ Command+2 for Mac) to double space.
- Use Ctrl+5 (⌘ Command+2 for Mac) for 1.5 spacing.
Microsoft Office 365 (Microsoft Word 2016+)
Use “Paragraph”
- Go to the “Home” tab.
- Go to the “Paragraph” group.
- Click “Option.”
- Use the line spacing options for the desired spacing.
The “Paragraph” box on the menu.
Microsoft Word 2007, 2010 and 2013
Use “Styles”
- Click the “Home” tab.
- Click “Styles.”
- Click “Normal,” or the first option.
- Select “modify” on the drop-down menu.
- Under formatting, click double space.
- Click OK.
Double spacing through the “Styles” option in Word.
Here’s a hint: If you don’t want to change the formatting of a “Normal” style, you can create a new style just for double spacing.
- Go to “Styles.”
- Click the “More options” button.
- Click “New Style” and name it something you’ll remember when you refer back to it and hit OK.
- Right-click on the newly created style and select “Modify.”
- Under formatting, click double space.
- Click “OK.”
Use “Page Layout”
- Go to “Page Layout.”
- Click the down arrow in the bottom right corner.
- You’ll see this right next to the “Paragraph” window.
- Go to “Indents and Spacing.”
- Click the down arrow next to the box for line spacing.
- Double click OK.
How to double space through the “Page Layout” option in Microsoft Word 2007, 2010 and 2013.
Double Spacing for Some Text
This strategy works for double-spacing specific parts of text in Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Word 2003
- Select the text you’re going to double space.
- Press Ctrl+A (or ⌘ Command+A on Mac) to select all the text..
- Go to “Format” and go to “Paragraph.”
- Click the “Line Spacing” drop-down box.
- Pick your desired spacing option.
- Click OK.
Where to find options for double spacing in Microsoft Word 2003.
Double Spacing for a New Paragraph
This strategy works for Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and Microsoft 365.
Use “Ctrl+Enter”
- Press “Enter” for a new paragraph.
- The default setting adds a space between the two graphs.
- To go to the next line and not start a new paragraph, press “Ctrl+Enter.”
FAQs
To get the whole scoop, here are a few quick A’s for all your Q’s about double spacing.
What is the default spacing for lines in Word documents?
The default line spacing is 1.15.
How do you get single-spaced text?
Select it from the dropdown menu.
What does the “Exactly” setting do?
It sets an exact measurement of space between lines.
How is the “Exactly” setting measured?
It’s measured in points.
How big is a point?
A total of 72 points is equivalent to one inch.
What does the “Multiple” setting do?
It allows users to set the spacing higher than 2.0, such as triple spacing or beyond.
Does 2.0 count as double spaced?
Yes, 2.0 spacing is double spaced.
Does 1.5 count as double spaced?
No, but 1.5 spacing is useful in various circumstances. Depending on the font and size, a 1.5 space may be a better option for readability.
What does double spacing look like?
Double spacing looks like adding twice as much blank space between lines of text, resulting in spaced-out lines that are easier to read and preferred by many professionals and academics.
When I press enter, why is the space too big in Word?
When you’ve already enabled double spacing in a document, hitting “Enter” between lines adds a third line of space. It’s up to you if you like this style or not, although it’s not standard in most double-spaced documents.
Conclusion
Now you know the tricks and tips for how to double space in Word along with the best of them. Through these methods, you can ensure that your next presentation looks as professional as possible. You’re also giving your readers the most readable format possible. Don’t “space” out when it comes to this easy and useful function in Microsoft Word.
Updated: 05/03/2022 by
When typing in Microsoft Word, you might need to change the line spacing, depending on the document’s style. The steps to enable double spacing differ slightly between versions. Consequently, you may need to use intuition to adapt them for older versions.
Tip
Use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+1 to single space, Ctrl+2 to double space, or Ctrl+5 to set the spacing to 1.5 line spacing on any line, paragraph, or all highlighted text.
Note
When pressing Enter, it starts a new paragraph with extra space between the two paragraphs. If you want to go to the next line without starting a new paragraph, press Ctrl+Enter.
To increase or decrease line spacing or enable double spacing, select a link below and follow the steps.
Enable double spacing for the whole document
Microsoft Word 2016 and 2019 (Office 365)
- Open Microsoft Word.
- On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing () icon.
- Select the desired spacing option from the available list.
- For additional spacing options, select Line Spacing Options in the list.
Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013
- Open Microsoft Word.
- On the Home tab, in the Styles group, right-click Normal.
- Select Modify from the drop-down menu.
- Under Formatting, click the Double Space button (shown below).
- Click OK.
or
- Open Microsoft Word.
- Click the Page Layout tab.
- Click the down arrow in the bottom right corner next to Paragraph to bring up the Paragraph window.
- In the Paragraph window, make sure you are on the Indents and Spacing tab.
- Click the down arrow next to the Line spacing box.
- Select Double and click the OK button.
Modify line spacing for all or part of an existing document
Microsoft Word 2007 and later
- Open Microsoft Word and the document you want to modify.
- Highlight the text where you want to change the line spacing or select all.
- Right-click the highlighted text, and select Format and then Paragraph, or only Paragraph depending on your version of Word.
- In the Paragraph window, make sure you are on the Indents and Spacing tab.
- Click the down arrow in the Line spacing drop-down box.
- Select Double and click the OK button.
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Simple guide for double spacing in Microsoft Word
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Changing the line spacing can make a Word document easier to read and make notes on when printed. Follow this guide to change the spacing in any version of Word, regardless of your operating system.
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1
Click the Design tab. It’s at the top of Word.[1]
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2
Click Paragraph Spacing. A menu of spacing options will expand.
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3
Click Double. The entire document is now double-spaced.
- To double-space a specific area of text, highlight the text, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button on the Home tab (4 horizontal lines with two blue arrows), then select 2.0.
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1
Set your line spacing before you start. If you want to create a whole document with one standard line spacing, set the spacing before you begin to save time later. If you have nothing selected, the spacing changes will occur from where your cursor is onwards. To adjust line spacing, click either the Home or the Page Layout tab.
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2
Change using the Home tab. In the Home tab, look for the Paragraph section. Click the Line Spacing button to open the Line Spacing dropdown menu. The button has 4 small lines with an arrow pointing both up and down. From this menu, you can select common line spacing options.
- If you don’t see the line spacing button, it is most likely missing because the window isn’t large enough. You can access it by clicking the arrow button next to the word Paragraph. This will open the Paragraph menu.
- In the Paragraph menu, you can adjust the line spacing using the Line Spacing dropdown menu from the Spacing section.
-
3
Change using the Page Layout menu. In the Page Layout tab click the arrow button next to Paragraph. This will open the Paragraph menu. In the Paragraph menu, you can adjust the line spacing using the Line Spacing dropdown menu from the Spacing section.
-
4
Change paragraph spacing. Besides changing the spacing after each line, you can also adjust the amount of space before and after each paragraph. In the Page Layout tab, look for Spacing in the Paragraph section.
- Before will add space before the paragraph begins.
- After will add spacing every time you press Enter to start a new paragraph.
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5
Understand the line spacing options. The default line spacing in Word is set to 1.15, not 1. If you want to have truly single-spaced text, you will need to select Single from the Line Spacing dropdown menu.
- ”Exactly” will allow you to set an exact spacing between lines, measured in points. There are 72 points to an inch.
- ”Multiple” will allow you to set larger spacing, such as triple spacing.
-
6
Change the default spacing. If you would rather have Word automatically space at something other than 1.15, choose your settings in the Paragraph menu and click the Default… button. Word will ask you to confirm the permanent changes to the default template.
-
7
Change spacing for specific portions of text. You can adjust the spacing for individual portions of the document by selecting the text you want to change and then adjusting the spacing as outlined above.
- You can change the spacing of the entire document by selecting all of the text and then adjusting the spacing settings. To quickly select all of the text Press Ctrl+A (PC) or ⌘ Command+A (Mac). This will not affect headers, footers, or text boxes. You will need to select these sections individually to change the spacing in them.
-
8
Learn the keyboard shortcuts. If you find yourself changing line spacing often, learning the keyboard shortcuts can end up saving you a lot of time. Use the following commands to change the line spacing:
- Select all the text you wish to change the spacing of.
- Press Ctrl+2 (PC) or ⌘ Command+2 (Mac). This will give you double spacing.
- Press Ctrl+5 (PC) or ⌘ Command+5 (Mac). This will give you 1.5-line spacing.
- Press Ctrl+1 (PC) or ⌘ Command+1 (Mac). This will give you single spacing.
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1
Select all the text you want double-spaced. Press Ctrl+A to select all.
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2
Go to Format > Paragraph .
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3
Click the Line Spacing drop-down box and select the desired spacing.
-
4
Click OK.
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About This Article
Article SummaryX
1. Click the Design tab.
2. Click Paragraph Spacing.
3. Click Double.
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Double Space Lines in Microsoft Word Documents
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated January 11, 2023
Applies to: Microsoft® Word® 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)
You can double space in Word using the Ribbon, the Paragraph dialog box, a keyboard shortcut or by modifying a style. If you double space a paragraph, you are setting the line spacing of the paragraph to 2.0. Since double spacing is a paragraph format, it’s important to understand that a paragraph in Word is anything with a hard return after it (you pressed Enter or Return).
A paragraph can include text or an inline picture or shape. Line spacing is applied within a paragraph which is different from space above and below a paragraph. To see where paragraphs have been created in a Word document, it’s helpful to turn on Show/Hide ¶ on the Home tab in the Ribbon.
Note that double space or 2.0 spacing is calculated by Word based on the font size of the selected text.
In this article, we’ll review 4 ways to double space in Word:
- Use commands in the Ribbon
- Use the Paragraph dialog box
- Use a keyboard shortcut
- Modify the Normal style (or another style)
Recommended article: How to Add or Remove Page Breaks in Microsoft Word
You should follow best practices in your Microsoft Word documents if you want to avoid issues with line spacing:
- Use wordwrapping when entering text (don’t press Enter until you reach the end of a paragraph).
- Delete blank paragraphs (often created when users press Enter twice after paragraphs).
Double space using the Ribbon
You can double space using two different tabs in the Ribbon – the Home tab or the Design tab.
To double space a Word document using the Design tab in the Ribbon:
- Click in the Word document.
- Click the Design tab in the Ribbon.
- Click Paragraph Spacing in the Document Formatting group. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select Double. This will change the entire document to double spacing.
The Paragraph Spacing command appears in the Design tab in the Ribbon as follows:
To double space specific paragraphs using the Home tab in the Ribbon in Word 2016 and later versions:
- Select the paragraph(s) that you want to double space. If you want to select all paragraphs, press Ctrl + A.
- Click the Home tab in the Ribbon and then click Line and Paragraph Spacing in the Paragraph group. A drop-down menu appears.
- Click 2.0 to double space.
The Line and Paragraph Spacing button appears as follows in newer versions of Word (2016 and later):
The Line and Paragraph Spacing drop-down menu offers the following options:
To double space specific paragraphs using the Home tab in the Ribbon in Word 2013:
- Select the paragraph(s) you want to double space. If you want to select all paragraphs, press Ctrl + A.
- Click the Home tab in the Ribbon and then click Double in the Paragraph group.
Line spacing buttons appear as follows in Word 2010 or 2013:
Double space using the Paragraph dialog box
To double space one or more paragraphs using the Paragraph dialog box:
- Select the paragraph(s) you want to double space. If you want to select all paragraphs, press Ctrl + A.
- Right-click and select Paragraph from the drop-down menu. The Paragraph dialog box appears.
- Click the Indents and Spacing tab if necessary.
- From the Line spacing drop-down menu, select Double.
- Click OK.
Below is the Paragraph dialog box:
Double space using a keyboard shortcut
To use a keyboard shortcut to double space one or more paragraphs in a Word document:
- Select the paragraph(s) you want to double space. If you want to select all paragraphs, press Ctrl + A.
- Press Ctrl + 2 to double space.
If you want to change a paragraph back to single spacing, press Ctrl + 1 to single space.
Double space by modifying the Normal style
When you create a new blank document, it starts out using the Normal style which contains default paragraph and character formatting. You can modify line spacing in the Normal style (as long as another style has not been used for standard paragraphs) and change your entire document. If manual line spacing has been applied to one or more paragraph(s), this overrides the Normal style.
To double space a Word document by modifying the Normal style:
- Click in a paragraph using the Normal style.
- Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
- In the Styles group, right-click Normal and select Modify from the drop-down menu. A dialog box appears.
- Click Format at the bottom left of the dialog box. A drop-down menu appears.
- Click Paragraph. The Paragraph dialog box appears.
- Click the Indents and Spacing tab if necessary.
- From the Line spacing drop-down menu, select Double.
- Click OK.
- Ensure that Only in this document is selected.
- Click OK.
Below is the Modify Style dialog box:
You may encounter issues if you modify spacing in the Normal style since other styles are based on this style by default. Cells in tables would likely be affected and so would other styles that are based on the Normal style (such as Header, Footer and Heading styles). Paragraphs using these styles would then also be double spaced (unless spacing has been specifically modified in these styles). If you are comfortable using styles, you could create your own style for double spaced paragraphs or use and modify a different Word style to avoid this issue.
You can right-click other styles and modify the spacing in the same way.
This article was first published on October 24, 2019 and has been updated for clarity and content.
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The default line spacing in Ms Word (as well as in Google Docs) is 1.15. Double spacing is the commonly used line spacing for document after the default. There are four different ways to double space in Word.
Three different ways to do double spacing in Ms Word
1. Double spacing of selected text using Line and Paragraph Spacing Option
- Select the text that you need to double space. To select the entire document, you can use the “Ctrl + A” for Windows or “Command + A” for MacOS.
- Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing in Paragraph Group and select 2.0
2. Double spacing of selected text using Keyboard Shortcut
- Select the text that you need to double space. To select the entire document, you can use the “Ctrl + A” for Windows or “Command + A” for MacOS.
- Hit “Ctrl + 2” (Windows) or “Command + 2” (Mac) for double space.
3. Double line spacing using Styles
Ms Word is attaches almost every thing to styles (Heading1, Title, Normal etc) which can have their own formatting. By default text are styled as ‘Normal”.
By simply changing format of particular style, you can change format (including spacing) of all the text of that style.
To change line spacing of a style say “Normal”:
- Go to Home tab, right click desired style that you need to apply double spacing (e.g. Normal) and click Modify to open modify style window.
2. To set double line spacing, go to Format >Paragraph to open paragraph window
3. In Indents and Spacing tab, set Line space as Double.
4. Close “Paragraph” and “Modify Style” window by clicking ok
Summary
To set double line spacing of the selected text, go to Home > Line & Paragraph Spacing in Paragraph Group and select 2.0 or simply hit “Ctrl + 2” (Windows) or “Command + 2” (Mac), a shortcut for double spacing.
You can double-space all or part of a Word document. To double-space the whole document, go to Design > Paragraph Spacing, and choose Double. Tip: To double-space only part of the document, select the paragraphs you want to change, go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose 2.0.
Contents
- 1 What is the shortcut for double spacing in Word?
- 2 How do you double space twice?
- 3 Which command is used for double line space in paragraph?
- 4 How do I change spacing in Word?
- 5 How do you right align?
- 6 How do I align justified in Word?
- 7 How do you double space in Word for Mac 2021?
- 8 What does it mean for a paper to be double spaced?
- 9 What is double spaced paper?
- 10 How do I change from double space to single space in Word 2010?
- 11 How do I get rid of double spacing between words in Word?
- 12 How do I change 1.5 line spacing in Word?
- 13 How do I fix the position of text in Word?
- 14 How do I create a right-aligned line in Word?
- 15 How do I align text on the same line in Word?
- 16 How many ways can you align your text in?
- 17 What is the shortcut for right align?
- 18 How do you align lines in Word?
- 19 How do you double space in Word on iPad 2021?
- 20 How do I make Word my default double spacing on Mac?
What is the shortcut for double spacing in Word?
Tip: Shortcut for applying line spacing in Word documents
- Ctrl+1 for single space.
- Ctrl+2 for double space.
How do you double space twice?
To apply double spacing to one or more paragraphs using the Paragraph dialog box:
- Select the paragraph(s) to which you want to apply double spacing. If you would like to select all paragraphs, press Ctrl + A.
- Right-click and select Paragraph.
- From the line spacing drop-down menu, select Double.
- Click OK.
Which command is used for double line space in paragraph?
Use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + 1 to single space, Ctrl + 2 to double space, or Ctrl + 5 to set the spacing to 1.5 line spacing on any line, paragraph, or all highlighted text.
How do I change spacing in Word?
Change the spacing between characters
- Select the text that you want to change.
- On the Home tab, click the Font Dialog Box Launcher, and then click the Advanced tab.
- In the Spacing box, click Expanded or Condensed, and then specify how much space you want in the By box.
How do you right align?
The alignment keyboard shortcut keys can vary depending on what program is used and the type of computer. However, generally speaking, use Ctrl + L to left align, Ctrl + E to center, Ctrl + R to right align, and Ctrl + J to justify text.
How do I align justified in Word?
Justify text
- In the Paragraph group, click the Dialog Box Launcher. , and select the Alignment drop-down menu to set your justified text.
- You can also use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + J to justify your text.
How do you double space in Word for Mac 2021?
How to Double Space Microsoft Word for Mac Documents
- Open Microsoft Word on your Mac, and then create a new document.
- To double space the entire document, select Select All from the Edit menu.
- From the Format menu, select Paragraph.
- From the Line Spacing menu, select Double.
- Click OK.
What does it mean for a paper to be double spaced?
Word forms: double-spaces, double-spacing, double-spaced. transitive verb. If you double-space something you are writing or typing, you include a full line of space between each line of writing. Double-space the entire list.
What is double spaced paper?
Double spacing refers to the amount of space that shows between the individual lines of your paper. When a paper is single-spaced, there is very little white space between the typed lines, which means there is no room for marks or comments. This is precisely why teachers ask you to double space.
How do I change from double space to single space in Word 2010?
How to type (create,Change TO) single spacing word 2010? Select the double spaced text, then in the “Paragraph” section click on the “Line & Paragraph Spacing” button drop down arrow and choose 1.0 spacing. Also “Ctrl key + 1 will also change the spacing from double to single.
How do I get rid of double spacing between words in Word?
Remove double line spacing
- Select the paragraph you want to change, or press Ctrl+A to select all text.
- Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing.
- Select the line spacing you want.
- For more exact spacing, select Line Spacing Options, and make changes under Spacing.
How do I change 1.5 line spacing in Word?
To format line spacing:
- Click Format on the menu bar.
- Select Paragraph. The Paragraph dialog box appears.
- Click the Indents and Spacing tab.
- In the line spacing drop-down menu, you can select single, 1.5, or double spacing. The default is single spacing.
- Click OK.
How do I fix the position of text in Word?
Word provides a palette of options you can use to fine-tune an object’s position. Select your object, head back to Layout > Position, and this time click the “More Layout Options” command. The Layout window should open with the “Position” tab selected. Here you can customize to your heart’s content.
How do I create a right-aligned line in Word?
Now, let’s create that right-aligned tab as follows:
- On the Home tab, click the Paragraph group’s dialog launcher and then click Tabs in the bottom-left corner.
- Enter 6.5 in the Tab stop position.
- Click Right in the Alignment section (Figure C).
- Click Set.
- Click OK.
How do I align text on the same line in Word?
Flush Left and Flush Right On the Same Line
- Make sure the paragraph is formatted as left-aligned.
- Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
- Click the small icon at the bottom-right of the Paragraph group.
- Click the Tabs button.
- What you want to do is to insert a right-aligned tab near the right edge of the line.
How many ways can you align your text in?
There are four main alignments: left, right, center, and justified. Left-aligned text is text that is aligned with a left edge. Right-aligned text is text that is aligned with a right edge. Centered text is text that is centered between two edges.
What is the shortcut for right align?
Ctrl+R
Right-aligned text is text that is aligned with a right edge. You can also right-align your text with the shortcut Ctrl+R (Cmnd+R).
How do you align lines in Word?
Change text alignment
- Place the insertion point anywhere in the paragraph, document, or table that you want to align.
- Do one of the following: To align the text left, press Ctrl+L. To align the text right, press Ctrl+R. To center the text, press Ctrl+E.
How do you double space in Word on iPad 2021?
Change spacing between lines
On your iPad, tap the Home tab, and then tap the Line Spacing icon. at the top of your screen, then in the Home menu, choose Line Spacing. Tap the Line Spacing menu and choose the line spacing you want, from 1.0 to 3.0.
How do I make Word my default double spacing on Mac?
Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing. Select Line Spacing Options, and then choose the options you want under Spacing. To change the spacing before or after the selected paragraphs, select the arrow next to Before or After and enter the amount of space that you want. Select Set as Default.
Microsoft Word lets you control basically every aspect of any document you create on it. This includes how much space Word leaves between each line in the document. The more space you have between lines in a Word document, the easier it will be for anyone reading the document to follow the flow of words, and the easier it will be for anyone to make notes on the document after it has been printed out. In text formatting, double-space between lines means that two lines have an entire blank line (or at least the space equivalent to a full line of text) between them.
Almost all word processors out there (including Microsoft Word) leave less than double space between lines by default. However, users who want double spaces between lines can certainly configure Microsoft Word to double space lines, and this is not only easy but is also possible on all currently supported versions of Microsoft Word. When it comes to double spacing lines in a Word document, you can either double space the entire document or a specific selection of lines within the document.
Double spacing an entire Word document
If you would like to double space the entirety of a Word document, here’s what you need to do:
On Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010
- Open the Word document you want to have double spacing between lines in.
- Navigate to the Home tab in Microsoft Word’s toolbar.
- In the Styles section, right-click on Normal and click on Modify… in the resulting context menu.
- Under the Formatting section, locate the Double Space button and click on it to enable double spacing between lines.
- Click on OK. As soon as you do, the formatting of the entire document will be changed to have double spacing between lines.
On Microsoft Word 2013 and 2016
- Open the Word document you want to have double spacing between lines in.
- Navigate to the Design tab.
- Click on Paragraph Spacing.
- In the context menu that appears, click on Double. Once you do, the entire document will have double spacing between every line.
Doing so overrides the line spacing settings of whatever style set you are currently using. If, later on, you want to go back to using the line spacing settings of the style set you are using, simply navigate to the Design tab, click on Paragraph spacing and, under Style Set, click on Default or whatever other option you see under there (if it is not Default, it will probably be the name of the style set you are using).
Double spacing a specific selection of lines within a Word document
If you would only like to have double spacing between the lines in a specific part of a Word document, simply:
- Highlight the part of the word document you want to have double spacing between lines in to select it.
- Navigate to the Home tab in Microsoft Word‘s toolbar.
- In the Paragraph section, click on the Line Spacing button (if you’re using Microsoft Word 2007) or the Line and Paragraph Spacing button (if you’re using Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft Word 2013 or Microsoft Word 2016).
- Click on 2.0 in the menu that appears on your screen. As soon as you do so, all of the lines included in the selection you made will have double spacing between them.
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How skilled are you at text formatting? If you are using Word for business or school purposes, you should know how to format your document properly. Content does matter, but the way it is presented in a document is equally important. A well formatted document is easier for reading and reviewing. If you need to send your Word document to your boss or teacher for a review, double check if your text was formatted well. Here you will learn how to double space in Word and have your text presented in a more visible way.
What do you mean by double spaced?
Double space refers to the text formatting option in Microsoft Word, that actually makes space between text lines. For instance, if you want to use the printed version of a Word document, it would be better to make wider space between lines so you write comments under specific part of the text. Also, when there is double space between the lines, your text will be easier to read.
How do you double space words in Word?
For Word 2007 and 2010 users
In the Styles section, right-click with your mouse on the Normal style first.
Next step is to open the Modify option and choose the Double space button and then click OK.
By following these steps you will set double space for the whole document. If you want to format only the part of Word document, first select the text you want to format. Then in the Paragraph section, choose Line Spacing. Once you click on 2.0 option the selected text will have double space.
Note: first set up spacing and then write in a document, so the changes will apply to the whole document. If you want to double space in Word document that already has some text, make sure you have selected the whole document. Only in that way the new settings will be applied to the previously written text.
For 2013 users as well
Click on the Design tab first, which is next to the Insert tab.
Click on the drop-down menu called Paragraph spacing and choose Double option.
Again, if you want to apply these settings to specific paragraphs of the text, first select the part of the text and then do the rest.
How do you double space between paragraphs?
If you want to change spacing between paragraphs, you can use the following guidelines. Have in mind that if you want to apply these settings to one paragraph only, you need to select that paragraph first.
For Word 2007, 2010 users:
Go to the Page Layout tab and in the Paragraph section find Spacing options. You have two fields to fill in, before– if you want to change default spacing before a paragraph and after it.
For Word 2016, 2013 users:
Again, go to the Design tab and Paragraph Spacing. Then click on the Custom Paragraph Spacing and the window will pop up (see the image below).
In the Paragraph spacing section, fill in the fields “before” and “after”.
Double space between lines in Word
For Word 2007, 2010 users:
If you want to put double space for the whole text, read the first guide above. To double space between lines, select the part of the text and go to Paragraph tab. Click on Line Spacing to put double space between lines.
For Word 2016, 2013 users:
Select the part of the text and then go to Line and paragraph spacing tab. In paragraph spacing and choose 2.0.
How to cancel double space in Word
If you change your mind and want to cancel double space in Word, the settings are the same as explained above. Depending on your Word version, go to line spacing and instead of double (2.0) select single spacing (1.0).
This guide on how to double space in Word is just one tip for using text formatting settings to make your document look professional. Microsoft Word offers a wide range of formatting options and it is only a matter of time and practice when you will adopt all these skills.
Microsoft Word provides various options for changing the line spacing of your document. The line spacing refers to the distance between two consecutive lines of text. The line spacing can be changed depending on the style of the document. For example, you may need double spacing for academic papers, while single spacing may be more suitable for business letters.
To change the line spacing, you can either use keyboard shortcuts or follow a series of steps in the software. The keyboard shortcuts to change line spacing are Ctrl+1 for single spacing, Ctrl+2 for double spacing, and Ctrl+5 for 1.5 line spacing. This can be applied to any line, paragraph, or all highlighted text.
However, if you prefer to use the software, the steps to enable double spacing to differ slightly between versions. In the newer versions of Microsoft Word, you can go to the Home tab, select the Paragraph group, and then click the Line Spacing option. You can choose either Single, 1.5 lines, Double, or At Least from the dropdown menu.
In older versions of Microsoft Word, you can go to the Format menu, select Paragraph, and then click the Indents and Spacing tab. In the Line Spacing section, you can select Double and then click OK.
Note: Pressing the Enter key creates a new paragraph with added space between the previous and the new one. If you want to move to the next line without creating a new paragraph, use the Ctrl + Enter combination instead.
Enable Double Spacing for the Word
Here some ways to double-space in words are:
1. From the Design Dropdown
To double-space a Microsoft Word document using the Design Dropdown, follow these steps:
- Open the Word document you want to double-space.
- Go to the «Design» tab in the main menu.
- In the «Document Formatting» section, click on the dropdown in «Paragraph Spacing».
- From the drop-down menu, select «Double».
This will double-space the entire document, with two spaces between each line and paragraph.
Before:
After:
Keep in mind that this method only allows you to double-space the entire document and not specific text or paragraphs. The purpose of double spacing is to improve the readability of the content.
If you want to choose other spacing options or customize the spacing, you can also select «Custom Paragraph Spacing» from the Paragraph Spacing dropdown.
This allows you to change the font, size, colour, alignment, and spacing manually by providing a set value.
In addition, if you want to apply the same double spacing to future documents, you can check «New documents based on this template». This way, you don’t have to set the spacing for every single document.
2. From Line and Paragraph Spacing
Here are the steps to double-space selected text using the Line and Paragraph Spacing option in Microsoft Word:
- Select the text you want to double-space.
- Go to the «Home» tab in the main menu.
- Under «Paragraph», click on the «Line and Paragraph Spacing» icon.
- From the drop-down menu, select «2.0».
- This will double-space the selected text, adding two spaces between each line.
- If you want to customize the spacing further, you can select «Line Spacing Options» from the Line and Paragraph Spacing dropdown.
This will open a dialog box where you can adjust the line spacing, indentations, and page breaks. You can preview the changes in the Preview pane and set them as the default for other Word documents by clicking on «Set As Default».
3. From Modify Option
- Navigate to Home Tab: Open the word document and go to the Home tab in the main menu.
- Right-click on Style: In the Styles section, right-click on any of the styles. Usually, the Normal style is the default, but you can choose any style based on your document.
- Modify Style: Select Modify from the right-click menu. This will open the Modify Styles dialog box.
- Customize Spacing: You can also customize the before and after paragraph spacings, indentations, and alignments. Additionally, you can make changes to the text or set the changes as a default for other documents.
- Apply to Selected Text: To double-space only a selected part of the text, select the text first and then follow the above steps.
This method of using the Modify option in Styles allows you to set a default spacing for the entire document and customize spacing for specific parts of the text as needed.
4. Using Shortcut Keys
To add double-spacing using shortcut keys, follow these steps:
- Select the text you want to add double spaces too.
- Press Ctrl + 2 on your keyboard.
- The selected text will now be double-spaced.
Note: If you use the shortcut keys without selecting any text, the double spacing will be applied to the paragraph with the cursor. Using the same shortcut keys, you can also add single spacing (Ctrl + 1) or 1.5 spacing (Ctrl + 5).
Modify Line Spacing For All Or Part Of An Existing Document
Microsoft Word 2007 And Later
- Open Microsoft Word and the document you want to modify
- Highlight the text where you want to change the line spacing or select all the text
- Right-click the highlighted text, and select Format, and then Paragraph (or just Paragraph, depending on your version of Word)
- In the Paragraph window, go to the Indents and Spacing tab
- Click the down arrow in the Line spacing drop-down box
- Select Double
- Click the OK button.
This process will double-space the text you highlighted. If you selected all text, the entire document would be double-spaced. The Line spacing drop-down box will allow you to choose different line spacing options, including Single, 1.5 lines, or At Least, which sets the minimum line spacing but allows it to increase if necessary to accommodate larger text sizes or images.