How to Double Space in Microsoft Word: Step by Step Guide

Double spacing in Microsoft Word makes documents easier to read, edit, and review, especially for school papers, manuscripts, reports, and drafts with comments. Word offers several ways to apply it, whether you need to format a single paragraph, a selected section, or an entire document.

The process can vary slightly depending on your version of Word and whether you are using Windows, Mac, or Word for the web. You can also control related settings like paragraph spacing before and after text, which often affects how “double spaced” a document appears on the page.

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How to Double Space Selected Text in Microsoft Word

Double spacing only part of a Word document is useful when you want certain paragraphs, quotes, draft sections, or assignment text to follow a required format without changing the rest of the file. The process is the same in most recent desktop versions of Microsoft Word, including Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016, with only small visual differences in the ribbon.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Select the text you want to double space. You can click and drag across a paragraph, select multiple paragraphs, or press Ctrl + A only if you want to select everything.
3. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
4. In the Paragraph group, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button. It usually looks like horizontal lines with up and down arrows.
5. Choose 2.0 from the spacing menu.

After you choose 2.0, Word applies double spacing only to the highlighted text. Text outside your selection keeps its existing line spacing. If your selection includes several paragraphs, Word updates all selected paragraphs at once, including blank lines between them if those blank lines are part of the selection.

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Using the Paragraph dialog box

You can also double space selected text through the Paragraph settings window, which gives you more control. Select the text, right-click the highlighted area, and choose Paragraph. In the Indents and Spacing tab, find the Line spacing dropdown menu and select Double. Then click OK. This method is especially helpful if you also need to check paragraph spacing before or after the selected text.

Double spacing selected text in Word for the web

In Word for the web, select the text you want to change, open the Home tab, and click Line and Paragraph Spacing. Choose 2.0 from the list. If you do not see all spacing options, make sure you are in Editing mode rather than Viewing mode. Some advanced paragraph controls may be limited in the web version, but standard double spacing is available.

• For one paragraph: Click anywhere inside the paragraph, or highlight the paragraph, then choose 2.0.
• For several paragraphs: Drag to select all the paragraphs before applying the spacing.
• For non-adjacent text: On Windows, hold Ctrl while selecting separate sections, then apply double spacing. On Mac, use Command for similar selection behavior where supported.

If the selected text looks more spread out than expected after applying 2.0, the document may also have extra paragraph spacing before or after each paragraph. Double line spacing controls the space between lines within a paragraph, while paragraph spacing controls the space between paragraphs. You can review both settings from the Paragraph dialog box if the result does not match the formatting you need.

How to Double Space an Entire Word Document

To double space an entire Microsoft Word document, select all of the text first, then apply the line spacing setting once. This is the fastest method when you want every paragraph, heading, list item, quote, and body-text section to use double spacing. It works well for essays, manuscripts, academic papers, and documents that must follow formatting rules such as MLA, APA, or instructor-specific requirements.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Select the entire document by pressing Ctrl + A on Windows or Command + A on Mac.
3. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
4. In the Paragraph group, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button. The icon looks like horizontal lines with up and down arrows.
5. Choose 2.0 from the spacing menu.

Your whole document should now be double spaced. If your document contains mulle sections, tables, text boxes, headers, footers, or footnotes, review those areas separately. Ctrl + A or Command + A usually selects the main document content, but some elements may need manual formatting, especially if they use separate styles or are placed inside objects such as text boxes.

Using the Design Tab for Document-Wide Spacing

In many recent versions of Word, you can also adjust spacing from the Design tab. This method changes the overall document formatting by applying a document spacing preset, which may affect both line spacing and paragraph spacing. Go to Design, select Paragraph Spacing, then choose an option that uses double spacing, such as Double. If you only want line spacing changed and do not want extra space added before or after paragraphs, the Home tab method gives you more direct control.

For more precise formatting, select the full document, then open the Paragraph dialog box by clicking the small arrow in the corner of the Paragraph group on the Home tab. Under Line spacing, choose Double. While you are there, check the Spacing fields labeled Before and After. If your document looks more spread out than expected, those fields may be adding extra vertical space between paragraphs. Set them to 0 pt if you want clean double spacing without additional paragraph gaps.

If only part of the document changes after you apply double spacing, the document may contain section-specific formatting or styles that override the selection. Try pressing Ctrl + A or Command + A twice, then apply 2.0 again. You can also update individual styles, such as Normal, Heading 1, or Body Text, if the document relies heavily on Word styles rather than direct formatting.

How to Set Double Spacing as the Default

If you want every new Word document to use double spacing automatically, change the default paragraph formatting instead of applying spacing manually each time. This is useful for school papers, manuscripts, legal drafts, and any workflow where double spacing is required regularly. The setting is controlled through Word’s paragraph formatting options and can be saved to the default template, so new blank documents start with the spacing you choose.

Set double spacing as the default in Microsoft Word for Windows

1. Open Microsoft Word and create a new blank document.
2. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
3. In the Paragraph group, select the small diagonal arrow in the bottom-right corner to open the Paragraph dialog box.
4. Under Spacing, open the Line spacing menu.
5. Choose Double.
6. Set Before and After spacing to 0 pt if you want clean double spacing without extra gaps between paragraphs.
7. Select Set As Default.
8. Choose All documents based on the Normal template.
9. Select OK to save the change.

After you save this setting, Word applies double spacing to new blank documents that use the Normal template. Existing documents will not automatically change, because they already have their own formatting. To update an existing file, select the text or use Ctrl + A, then apply double spacing from the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu or the Paragraph dialog box.

Set double spacing as the default in Word for Mac

1. Open a new blank document in Word.
2. Go to Format in the menu bar.
3. Select Paragraph.
4. In the Line spacing menu, choose Double.
5. Adjust Before and After spacing if needed.
6. Select Default or Set As Default, depending on your Word version.
7. Confirm that you want the change to apply to documents based on the Normal template.

The exact labels can vary slightly between Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, and older Mac versions, but the setting is usually found under Format > Paragraph. If you do not see a default option, apply double spacing to the document, open the Styles pane, modify the Normal style, and choose the option to apply the change to new documents based on the template.

Use the Normal style to control default spacing

Another reliable method is to modify the Normal style, since most new Word documents use that style for body text. On the Home tab, right-click Normal in the Styles gallery, then choose Modify. Select Format, then Paragraph, set Line spacing to Double, and choose the option for New documents based on this template. This approach is especially helpful if Word keeps reverting to single spacing because a style is overriding your paragraph settings.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Double Spacing

Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to apply double spacing in Microsoft Word, especially when you are editing a long essay, report, manuscript, or assignment. Instead of opening the Paragraph dialog box or using the ribbon, you can select the text you want to format and apply double line spacing with a simple key combination.

In Word for Windows, the shortcut for double spacing is Ctrl + 2. First, highlight the paragraph, page, or section you want to change. Then press Ctrl and 2 at the same time. Word immediately changes the selected text to double spacing. If no text is selected, the shortcut usually applies to the paragraph where your cursor is placed, and any new text you type in that paragraph will continue using double spacing.

In Word for Mac, use Command + 2 to apply double spacing. Select the text first, then press Command and 2 together. This works in most modern versions of Microsoft Word for Mac, including Microsoft 365. If the shortcut does not respond, check whether another macOS app or custom keyboard setting is using the same shortcut.

Common line spacing shortcuts in Word

To double space an entire document with shortcuts, press Ctrl + A on Windows or Command + A on Mac to select all content. Then press Ctrl + 2 or Command + 2. This changes the line spacing throughout the document, including headings, body paragraphs, bullet lists, and quoted text. If you only want the body text double spaced, select those paragraphs manually instead of selecting the entire document.

Shortcuts are also useful when switching between formatting styles. For example, you might use Ctrl + 1 to keep a title page single spaced, Ctrl + 2 for the main body, and Ctrl + 5 for a section that requires 1.5 spacing. These shortcuts change line spacing only; they do not automatically remove extra space before or after paragraphs. If your document still looks too spread out after using Ctrl + 2 or Command + 2, check the paragraph spacing settings separately.

Adjusting Paragraph Spacing Before and After Text

Double spacing controls the space between lines inside a paragraph, but Microsoft Word also lets you control the space before and after each paragraph. These settings are separate from line spacing, and they can make a document look more open than expected even when the line spacing is correctly set to Double. If your paragraphs appear to have extra blank lines between them, the Before or After paragraph spacing setting is usually the cause.

To adjust these settings, select the paragraphs you want to change, or press Ctrl + A on Windows or Command + A on Mac to select the whole document. Go to the Home tab, then look in the Paragraph group. Click the small diagonal arrow in the lower-right corner of the Paragraph group to open the full Paragraph dialog box. Under Spacing, you will see fields labeled Before and After. Enter a value such as 0 pt, 6 pt, or 12 pt, depending on the amount of space you want around each paragraph.

For many school papers and formal documents, a common setup is Line spacing: Double, with Before: 0 pt and After: 0 pt. This creates clean double-spaced text without additional gaps between paragraphs. If your formatting style allows visible separation between paragraphs, you might use After: 6 pt or After: 8 pt instead of pressing Enter twice after each paragraph. Using paragraph spacing is more consistent than adding blank lines manually because Word applies the spacing evenly throughout the document.

How to change paragraph spacing from the Layout tab

You can also adjust paragraph spacing from the Layout tab. Select the text you want to modify, then open the Layout tab and find the Spacing controls in the Paragraph group. Use the Before and After boxes to increase or decrease the spacing around selected paragraphs. This method is fast when you only need to make a small adjustment and do not need to open the full Paragraph dialog box.

• Before: Adds space above the selected paragraph.
• After: Adds space below the selected paragraph.
• 0 pt: Removes extra paragraph spacing.
• 6 pt or 12 pt: Adds moderate separation without inserting blank lines.

If you see uneven spacing, select the affected text and check both the line spacing and paragraph spacing settings. In some versions of Word, the option Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style may also appear in the Paragraph dialog box. Turning this on can remove extra gaps between paragraphs that use the same style, such as Normal. This is especially useful when cleaning up copied text from another document, website, or PDF.

For the most consistent result, avoid using repeated Enter presses to create vertical space. Instead, set the exact Before and After values you need. This keeps your document easier to edit, prevents spacing from shifting when text moves to a new page, and helps headings, body paragraphs, and lists maintain a professional layout.

Troubleshooting Common Double Spacing Issues

If double spacing is not appearing the way you expect in Microsoft Word, the issue is usually caused by mixed formatting, paragraph spacing, styles, or hidden manual line breaks. Word has several spacing controls that can overlap, so a document may look “too spaced out” even when the line spacing is correctly set to double. Checking the settings in the right order will usually fix the problem quickly.

Text looks more than double spaced

When lines appear farther apart than standard double spacing, check the paragraph spacing before and after the text. Select the affected paragraphs, go to the Home tab, and open the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu. Choose Line Spacing Options, then review the Spacing section. Set Before and After to 0 pt if you only want true double spacing between lines. Also make sure Line spacing is set to Double, not Mulle with a larger value.

Only part of the document changes

If some paragraphs remain single spaced, the document may contain different styles or direct formatting. Press Ctrl + A on Windows or Command + A on Mac to select the entire document, then apply double spacing again from the Home tab. If the problem continues, use the Styles pane. Right-click the style being used, such as Normal, choose Modify, then adjust the spacing through Format > Paragraph. This updates every paragraph that uses that style.

Blank lines appear between paragraphs

Extra blank space often comes from pressing Enter more than once between paragraphs. Turn on formatting marks by selecting the ¶ button on the Home tab. If you see mulle paragraph marks between sections, delete the extras. A properly formatted double-spaced document usually needs only one paragraph mark at the end of each paragraph, with spacing controlled through Word’s paragraph settings rather than repeated blank lines.

• For pasted text: Use Paste Special or Keep Text Only to remove web or PDF formatting that may override Word spacing.
• For tables: Select the table text, then apply double spacing. Table cell margins may still affect how spacious the text looks.
• For footnotes or endnotes: These often use separate styles. Modify the Footnote Text or Endnote Text style if needed.
• For headings: Heading styles may have custom spacing before or after. Modify the heading style instead of changing each heading manually.

Spacing changes after reopening the file

If spacing reverts after you close and reopen Word, the document template or style settings may be overriding your edits. Save the file after applying changes, then confirm that the correct format is being saved, such as .docx. Older formats, including .doc, can sometimes handle layout and style settings differently. If the document was created from a shared template, open the Styles pane and check whether the style is set to update automatically. Disable automatic style updating if it keeps changing your spacing.

Word Online or Mac menus look different

In Word for the web, some advanced paragraph controls are limited compared with the desktop app. You can still select the text and use the line spacing menu from the toolbar, but detailed style and paragraph settings may require opening the file in the desktop version. On Word for Mac, the same options are available, though they may appear under slightly different menu names. Look for Format > Paragraph or the line spacing button on the ribbon to reach the same double-spacing controls.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I double space only part of a Word document?

Highlight the text you want to change, then go to the Home tab and open the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu. Choose 2.0 to apply double spacing only to the selected text without changing the rest of the document.

How do I make an entire Word document double spaced?

Press Ctrl + A on Windows or Command + A on Mac to select the whole document. Then choose 2.0 from the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu on the Home tab, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + 2 on Windows.

How do I stop Word from adding extra space between paragraphs?

Select the affected text, open the Paragraph settings, and set Before and After spacing to 0 pt. You can also check the box for “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style” if it appears in your version of Word.

Can I make double spacing the default for every new Word document?

Yes. Open the Paragraph dialog box, set Line spacing to Double, then choose Set As Default. Select the option to apply the change to all documents based on the Normal template so future blank documents use double spacing automatically.

What is the keyboard shortcut for double spacing in Microsoft Word?

In Word for Windows, select your text and press Ctrl + 2 to apply double spacing. Press Ctrl + 1 for single spacing or Ctrl + 5 for 1.5 spacing. On Mac, shortcuts can vary by version, so the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu is usually the most reliable method.

Bottom Line

Double spacing in Microsoft Word is simple once you know where to look: use the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu, the Paragraph dialog box, or keyboard shortcuts to format selected text or your whole document. If you want every new file to open with double spacing, update the default settings so Word does the work for you.

Before you submit or share your document, check for extra paragraph spacing, inconsistent formatting, and version-specific menu differences. A quick review ensures your document looks clean, readable, and meets any required formatting guidelines.

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