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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
Contents
- 1 How to Double Space in Microsoft Word
- 2 How to Double Space in Word Online
- 3 Extra: How to Add Page Numbers in Word
- 4 Extra: How to Remove or Clear Formatting in Word
earning how to double space in Word is a vital skill if you’re planning to send your writing to an editor, publication, or academic journal. As well as making some documents easier to read, double spacing lets editors easily add comments and editing marks above your text. We’ll be walking you through double spacing in Word and Word Online today, as well as explaining what it is and when you should use it.
What does double spaced mean?
A “Double spaced” document is a text with approximately twice the amount of vertical space between lines when compared to a standard document. In other words, there’s a full blank line between each row of text that an editor can write in. In typography, this space between lines is called “leading”.
Double spacing is a practice that typists have used since the advent of typewriters in the 19th century. In fact, double-spaced documents used to be the standard due to the limitations of typewriters. It was only in the mid-20th century that publications standardized single spacing — primarily to cut the costs of mass printed material.
When you should use double spacing in Word
It’s a good idea to use double spacing in situations where you expect somebody to edit or comment on your text in a professional capacity. This includes when writing an academic piece or essay, sending a novel to an agent or editor, or submitting content to a magazine. Legal documents are also typically doubled spaced.
However, you can also double space in Word if you’re struggling to focus on your text. It’s worth noting, though, that this may not always help. Some studies suggest that the additional spacing between lines can make it easier for readers to lose their place in a text, rather than harder.
Whatever spacing you choose, the important part is that it is consistent. A text with randomly differing leading is likely to confuse the reader’s eyes. It may be acceptable to use double spacing for quote blocks within a text, but different line spacing per chapter or section is almost always a bad idea.
With all that said, let’s get into how to do double spacing in Word:
Because of its prevalence in academic writing, Microsoft has made double spacing in Word quite easy to achieve. In fact, it takes just three clicks:
- Open the “Design” tab of the ribbon and click “Paragraph Spacing > Double”
That’s it. Microsoft Word will automatically adjust the leading of your current document and any text you write after that point.
How to Double Space in Word Online
If you’re left wondering how to double space on Word Online, it’s likely because the process is slightly different. The method to double space from your browser takes a few more clicks:
- Open the “Layout” tab of the ribbon, click the three dots on the right, and choose “Paragraph Options…”
- Change the “Line spacing” drop-down in the pop-up from “Single” to “Double” and press “OK”
You’ll notice that your text has automatically changed to match your line height settings.
If you’re sending your document off to a publication, page numbers are often a requirement, too. This is so editors or researchers can easily refer to a part of the text. You can read our full guide on how to add and modify page numbers in Word here.
You may also find it necessary to remove or clear formatting in Word to make your piece consistent. You can do so quickly by following the linked guide.
Home > Microsoft > How to Double Space in Word? 4 Easy Ways
(Note: This guide on how to double space in Word is suitable for all MS Word versions including Office 365)
There are a lot of ways in Microsoft Word (MS Word) to improve the readability scale. One such way to improve the readability of the text is to use double spacing in Word.
Double spacing increases the space between the lines of texts. If you are a teacher or an editor you might have to write or read through a large amount of text. It would be a little hard to read through the text efficiently when they are crammed together.
In such cases, it would be easier to skim and get the whole picture of the context or leave comments and suggestions when there is a little distance between the text.
In this article, I will show you how to double space in Word to improve the readability using 4 easy methods.
You’ll Learn:
- 4 Easy Ways To Apply Double Spacing in MS Word
- From Design Dropdown
- From Line and Paragraph Spacing
- From Modify option
- Using Shortcut Keys
Watch this short video to learn how to Double Space in Word
Related:
How to Convert PDF to Word
How to Add Page Numbers in Word? 3 Easy Examples
How to Track Changes in Word? A Step-by-Step Guide
4 Easy Ways To Double Space in Word
1. From Design Dropdown
- Open the word document you want to apply double spacing.
- Navigate to Design in the main menu. Under Document Formatting, click on the dropdown in Paragraph Spacing. Select Double from the drop-down.
This formats the whole document with double spaces in between the lines and paragraphs.
One drawback of this method is that you can only use it to double-space the whole document. You cannot space any particular text or paragraphs using this method.
Note: The main purpose of double-spacing is to improve the readability of the content. You can also choose any other spacing options (tight, compact, open, or relaxed) from the Paragraph Spacing drop-down based on your preferences.
- Additionally, you can also set the default spacing between the text, line, paragraph, and heading in an extensive manner by clicking on the Custom Paragraph Spacing from the Paragraph Spacing dropdown.
- Under Paragraph Spacing, from the After: dropdown you can select the spacing to Double. Additionally, you can change the font, size, color, alignment, and spacing manually by providing a set value.
Also, when working on multiple documents you don’t have to set the extensive spacing for every single document. Just check the New documents based on this template and the same spacing changes will be applied to all documents.
2. From Line and Paragraph Spacing
There might be instances where you won’t need to double-space the whole document. You might only need to double space a part of the paragraph, or a text to show emphasis or importance to that part.
For such cases, you can double-space any selected text from the paragraph instead of the whole document.
- Select all the text you want to add double-spaces to.
- Now navigate to Home, under Paragraph, click on the Line and Paragraph Spacing icon
- Now, select 2.0.
- The selected text will be formatted with double spacing between the lines.
- For extensive customization of the spacing, click on Line Spacing Options from the Line and Paragraph Spacing dropdown.
- This opens up a dialog box. From the Line Spacing dropdown, click on Double for double line spacing.
There are also other options for spacing, indentations, and page breaks in the Paragraphs dialog box. You can customize them to your desired preferences.
You can see the preview text in the Preview pane below. Additionally, you can apply the same spacing to other word documents too. Just click on Set As Default to set the spacing option to default for other word documents.
Also Read:
Using Tables in Word
Working with Page Breaks in Microsoft Word
How to Make a Checklist in Word? 3 Simple Steps
3. From Modify option
Another way to set the double spacing and add customization to spaces is to use the Modify option in Styles. You can set the spacing for both the selected text and the whole document using this option.
- Navigate to Home.
- Under Styles, right-click on any of the styles. In most cases, Normal will be the default style but you can select any style depending on your document.
- Right-click on any of the styles and select Modify.
This opens up a Modify styles dialog box. In the dialog box, select the double-spacing option to enable double spacing to the text.
You can also change the before and after paragraph spacings, indentations, and alignment. Also, you can make the changes to the text or apply them as a default spacing for other documents.
4. Using Shortcut Keys
This is the easiest method to add double spaces to the text. You can add double spacing to the text by using shortcut keys.
This works both on the paragraphs and the selected text. If you use the shortcut keys without selecting any text, the space is applied to the paragraph with the cursor.
- Select the text you want to add double spaces.
- Press Ctrl+2. This adds double spaces to the selected text.
Note: You can also add a single space(1) or a space of 1.5 by pressing Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+5 respectively.
Suggested Reads:
The Most Used Microsoft Word Shortcuts – Download
How to Create Hyperlinks in Microsoft Word 2013
Using Settings and Preferences in Microsoft Word 2013
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find the option to double space in Word?
To double space between text in Microsoft Word, select the Double option from Paragraph Spacing dropdown or select 2.0 from Line and Paragraph Spacing dropdown.
What is double spacing in Word?
Users often get confused with the term double spacing in Microsoft Word. To double space in Word is to extend the spacing between two lines of text in a word document.
What is 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 spacings in Word called?
In Microsoft Word, 1.0 spacing is called single spacing.1.5 is called one and half spacing and 2.0 is called double spacing.
Final Thoughts
Double spacing boosts the readability and presentability of the text in your Word document, especially when the content is extended for multiple pages.
In this article, we saw how to add double space in Word using 4 methods. These methods are similar and you can use the method that is approachable. (Kbeautypharm) Use the method that suits you the best.
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Chris “Simon” Calder was working as a Project Manager in IT for one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious cultural institutions, LACMA.He taught himself to use Microsoft Project from a giant textbook and hated every moment of it. Online learning was in its infancy then, but he spotted an opportunity and made an online MS Project course — the rest, as they say, is history!
Wondering how to double space in Microsoft Word? We’ll walk you through it in Word on your desktop, the web, and your mobile device.
You may have a requirement that your paper is set up as double-spaced. Or perhaps you prefer to format your document this way for easier reading. You can double-space in Microsoft Word a couple of different ways, depending on if it’s the entire document or just a section.
How to Double Space Your Document in Word
You can apply double spacing to your document in the Word desktop application on Windows and Mac, even if you’ve started it already. It takes just three clicks.
- Go to the Design tab.
- Click Paragraph Spacing in the ribbon.
- Select Double.
Your entire document should then update to the double-space format.
How to Double Space Part of a Document in Word
If you’re using Word for the web or want only to double-space a section of your document, you can do this in several different ways.
- Select the text you want to double-space.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Click Line and Paragraph Spacing.
- Choose 2.0 in the drop-down list.
Alternatively, you can follow the same steps directly above, but in Step 4, choose Line Spacing Options.
- In the window that displays, confirm that you’re on the Indents and Spacing tab.
- Go to the Spacing section and select Double in the drop-down list for Line spacing.
- Click OK.
Using either of the above, you should then see only the selected text convert to double-spaced.
How to Double Space in the Word Mobile App
If you use Word on your mobile device, you can apply double-spacing similarly to Word on the web or for part of the document.
- Select the text you want to double-space.
- Tap to open the Home tab at the bottom.
- Pick Paragraph formatting.
- Choose Line spacing.
- Select 2.0 in the list.
Your selected text should then display as double-spaced.
Go Beyond Single Spacing in Microsoft Word
It takes only a minute to double-space your Microsoft Word document, whether for need or preference. So remember these options when using Word on your desktop, the web, or your mobile device.
For additional help formatting your Word documents, check out these related how-tos:
- How to Find and Replace Formatting in Microsoft Word and Excel
- How to Clear Formatting in Microsoft Word
- Change the Default Font Size and Style for Microsoft Word Documents
- How to Improve the Appearance of Word Documents with Designer
- How to Work with Page and Section Breaks in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is an established software vastly used in our modern day of typewriting. We utilize this app to write school papers or work documents.
However, when extra space is needed between the lines for commenting or adding some notes, we apply the double space in MS Word. But many of us don’t know how to implement double space within lines in Microsoft Word.
There are several convincing methods to use the double space in MS Word, and in this article, I’m displaying 7 super easy ways to carry out this task.
So, precisely read this article to know how to apply this double space between lines in MS Word.
Let’s jump in!
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What is Double Spacing in Microsoft Word?
The blank line between two sentences is called double spacing in Microsoft Word. In the days of the Typewriter, there was always a free space within the sentence. Even now, we use this feature, and it is known as double spacing.
This feature can add essential notes or comments, improving understanding and allowing you to modify the Word documents.
When Should You Use Double Space in Word?
Suppose your teacher gives you an assignment and wants to mark your problems, then they can ask you to submit your Word file in double space format. Also, you can order your employee to submit their worksheet in this format so you can fix or comment on their Word document.
You should use this double space feature when this school works and the professional situation arises. Besides, it is easy to read a double-space article, and many grammar-style books such as Chicago and MLA use this feature.
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Applying the double space between lines is a standard process for many tasks. You can follow several methods to implement this feature, but the quickest and easiest ones are presented in this content.
So follow the approaches taken below to apply double space in MS Word.
Here are the methods to apply double space within lines on Microsoft Word:
1. Select Text and Choose Paragraph
The standard and straightforward process to set double space is to select the text, right-click, then choose the Paragraph option and double the space.
Here are the steps to double space with the paragraph option in Word:
You will notice the selected text is now double-spaced in your Word file.
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There is a paragraph section in the top-down menu on Microsoft Word. With the help of this, you can apply the double space feature.
Here are the steps to apply double space using the top-down paragraph menu:
The selected text is double-spaced now on your Microsoft Word file.
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3. Use Keyboard Shortcut
Sometimes the keyboard shortcut keys make our life easier with their mind dazzling usage. For the double space, there are also some shortcut keys in Word.
Here are the steps to use shortcut keys to apply the double space feature:
- Highlight the text you want to double space.
- Press CTRL+2 to Double the space between lines.
- Press CTRL+1 to Single the space within lines.
- Type CTRL+5 to apply the 1.5 spacing between the lines.
If you are a Mac user, press the Command key instead of the CTRL key. The rest of the process is identical.
4. Select the Line & Paragraph Spacing Option
In the top-down menu of Microsoft Word, there is a Line & Paragraph spacing option. You can easily set the double space feature with the help of that option; it is just a click away.
Here are the steps to apply double space using the Line & Paragraph Spacing option:
- Open the MS Word file and highlight the specific text.
- Move your cursor to the Line & Paragraph Spacing option above the Paragraph section.
- Click on the Line & Paragraph Spacing option and select the 2.0 spacing.
You will immediately notice that spacing is set to the 2.0 value in MS Word for your selected text.
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5. Choose Design then Paragraph Spacing Option
You can enable double spacing from the Design section within MS Word. Hover through the section, choose the Paragraph Spacing option, and select the Double option.
Here are the steps to choosing the paragraph spacing option:
- Highlight the text on MS Word.
- Navigate to the Design section.
- Click on the Paragraph Spacing option.
- Select the Double option.
Particular texts you selected are in double space format; check for yourself.
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6. Apply Styles Modify Option
As I stated before, several effective processes exist to use the double space. One of them is the Styles modification option.
Here are the steps to apply the styles modify option:
Double space format is applied in your desired section of text.
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7. Use Layout Paragraph Window to Apply Double Space
There is a Paragraph section implemented in the MS Word Layout section. You can open the paragraph settings window from here and alter your spacing.
Here are the steps to use the layout paragraph window:
Your MS Word texts are now set in double-space format.
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How to Double Space Line Using Mobile Word App
MS Word is now available for Android. So if you are using the Word app on your Mobile, then you can use the double space format.
Here are the steps to use the double space format in the mobile MS Word app:
Instantly you will see that the selected text is in double space format. With these simple steps, you can enable the double space feature.
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FAQs
How to apply the double space feature in MS Word?
Select your desired text and Right-click on it, then choose Paragraph > Line spacing > Double and you are all set.
What is the default spacing for lines in MS Word?
1.15 is the default space between the lines in the MS Word program.
How o set double space format as default in MS Word?
Open a Word document, then click on the Paragraph option from the top-down menu. Select the Line spacing to Double, choose the Set As Default option, and hit the OK key.
Conclusion
Setting the double spacing format on MS Word is an easy peasy process. But there are several approaches you can take to enable that feature.
You can use MS Word’s Home, Design, and Layout sections to set the double space option. You just need to open them and navigate through the Paragraph or Paragraph Spacing options.
If you read this article thoroughly, you can apply double space on your Word document without any hassle as there are 7 unique methods stated above.
Feel free to comment if you have any queries related to this article.
Steve Debenport / Getty Images
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. The white space between the lines leaves room for editing marks and comments.
Double spacing is the norm for essay assignments, so if you are in doubt about expectations, you should format your paper with double spacing. Only use a single space if the teacher asks explicitly for it.
Don’t worry if you’ve already typed your paper and you now realize that your spacing is wrong. You can change spacing and other types of formatting easily and at any time in the writing process. But the way to go about these changes will differ, depending on the word processing program you’re using.
Microsoft Word
If you are working in Microsoft Word 2010, you should follow these steps to set up double-spacing.
- Select (highlight) text if you have already typed some lines. If not, go to the next step.
- Click on the Page Layout tab.
- Go to the Paragraph section. You will see a small arrow in the bottom left corner.
- Click on the arrow to bring up a new window.
- Select the Indents and Spacing tab (it is probably already open).
- Find the Line spacing menu and select double from the list. Then select OK.
Other versions of Microsoft Word will use a similar process and the same wording.
Pages (Mac)
If you’re using the Pages word processor on a mac, you can double-space your paper following these instructions:
- First highlight text, if you have already typed some lines
- Click on Inspector, which is a blue button on the top right of your window
- When a new window opens, select the Text tab which is a large «T»
- Find the section labeled Spacing and type 2 into the box to the right of the slide bar
Some of the formatting requirements that your school or job may want for your documents will involve things like the margin size and spacing.
A common setting that many people need to use involves making the amount of space between their lines larger.
Our tutorial below will show you how to double space in Word, even if you have already written the document and it is currently using single spacing, or some other line spacing size.
How to Change Spacing in Word 2013 to Double Spacing
- Open your document in Word.
- Click Home.
- Click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button, then click 2.0.
Our article continues below with additional information on how to double space in Word 2013, including pictures of these steps.
Microsoft Word includes a “Normal” template that has some default formatting options. It’s often necessary to change these options for a document, so you may need to learn how to double space in Word 2013.
There are a couple of options that can help to make a paper created in Microsoft Word 2013 easier to read, and one of those options is the amount of spacing between lines.
If you are creating your document for school or for your work, then it is very possible that the person reading it will also be reading many other papers at the same time.
Individuals in this situation will often develop preferences that make this task easier, and double spacing is something that can be very important to them.
You can configure your document with double-spacing with just a few simple mouse clicks in Word 2013. Follow our steps below to learn how.
If you also work in Google Docs a lot then you might need to know how to remove space between paragraphs in Google Docs as well.
How Do You Double Space in Word 2013? (Guide with Pictures)
This article will assume that you have not already started typing the document. If the document already exists with single spacing, then you will need to select the entire document before you apply double spacing.
You can do this by clicking anywhere inside the document, then pressing Ctrl + A on your keyboard.
These steps will show you how to double space in Word applications like Word for Office 365, or Word 2013.
Step 1: Open Word 2013.
Open your word document.
Step 2: Click the Home tab at the top of the window.
Choose the Home tab.
Step 3: Click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button in the Paragraph section of the ribbon, then click the 2.0 option.
Select the Line and Paragraph Spacing option, then choose 2.0.
Any text that you type into the document now will have double spaced lines.
Now that you know how to double space in Microsoft Word you will be able to adjust your document spacing whenever you are working with a new document or need to update an existing one.
You can apply double spacing to an existing whole document by clicking anywhere inside the document, pressing Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select everything, then selecting the 2.0 option from the Paragraph and Line Spacing dropdown.
How to Double Space By Default in Microsoft Word
If you find that you are changing line spacing on every document that you create, then you might want a faster way to apply the double-space setting.
Perhaps the easiest way to do this is by changing the default line spacing setting.
If you would like to use double spacing as the default for future new documents then you can click the small button at the bottom-right of the Paragraph section in the ribbon. You can then set the line spacing on that menu and click the Set as Default button.
Specifically, these steps are:
- Select the Home tab.
- Click the Paragraph Settings button at the bottom-right of the Paragraph group in the ribbon.
- Choose the Line spacing drop down menu in the Paragraph dialog box and choose the Double option.
- Click the Set as Default button.
More Information on Line Spacing in a Microsoft Word Document
- Is 2.0 double spaced or is 1.5 double spaced? – You may be asking yourself this question when you are looking at the different line spacing settings on the line and paragraph spacing menu. If you need to double space your Word document then you will want to select the 2.0 option.
- Line spacing in Word will change for future content that you type into the document after you make the line spacing adjustment. However, if you need to change line spacing for existing content then you will need to select that content first before you double space or use one of the other line spacing options. For example, you could press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select the whole document, then choose the double space option.
- Some of the other line spacing options include 1.0, 1.15, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0.
- If you click the Layout tab at the top of the window (or Page Layout tab in some older versions of Microsoft Word) then you will see another Paragraph section with more spacing options. This lets you choose values for indent spacing, as well as the spacing that appears before and after your paragraphs.
Are you editing an existing document, or have you copied and pasted text from other locations? This type of information can often have odd formatting that can be difficult to remove. Learn how to clear all formatting in Word 2013 to make all of your text look the same.
Frequently Asked Questions About Double Line Spacing in Microsoft Word
Can I use double spacing in just part of my Word document?
Yes, you are able to change the spacing for individual parts of your document instead of the entire thing.
Simply select the text in the document to which you would like to apply double spacing, then choose the Home tab, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button, then choose the 2.0 option.
Now only the text that you selected will have double spacing, while the rest of the document will have single spacing, or whichever line spacing options were previously applied to it.
How do I change default line spacing in Word?
If you would like to change the default spacing for future documents that you will create, then you can select the Home tab at the top of the window, then click the tiny Paragraph Settings dialog box launcher in the Paragraph group of the ribbon.
You can then choose the Line Spacing drop down menu, select the Double option, then click Set as Default.
When should I double space a document?
Aside from situations where double spacing might be required, such as educational or professional environments where MLA, APA, or Chicago style guidelines are required, you may find that you need to do it in situations where other people might need to make handwritten notes on the document.
By increasing the spacing to the 2.0 value you provide enough space between each line so that notes and corrections can easily be added to the correct place in the document.
What other line spacing options are available in Microsoft Word?
If you need to change your document spacing but don’t want to use 2.0 or whichever option is currently applied, then the default options include:
– 1.0
– 1.15
– 1.5
– 2.0
– 2.5
– 3.0
You can also select the Line Spacing Options button, which will open a Paragraph dialog box where you can make additional spacing adjustments.
Where can I adjust the paragraph spacing settings for my document?
By clicking the Paragraph Settings button in the Paragraph section of the Home ribbon you will find a number of different Indents and Spacing options. These include things like:
– Alignment
– Outline level
– Direction – Right-to-left or Left-to-right
– Indentation before text
– Indentation after text
– Spacing before paragraphs
– Spacing after paragraphs
– Line spacing
Additional Sources
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.
Read his full bio here.