- Double spacing a whole Word document from the Design tab
- Double spacing selected paragraphs in Word from the Home tab
- Word line spacing versus paragraph spacing
- Double spacing in Word for the web
- Double spacing in the Word app on iPhone, iPad and Android
- Removing double spacing from a Word document someone sent you
- Why double spacing in Word sometimes doesn't stick
- When double spacing in Word helps business documents
- Frequently asked questions
To double space in Word, go to Design, then Paragraph Spacing, and choose Double for the whole document. For only some paragraphs, select them, go to Home, then Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose 2.0. The catch is that paragraph spacing and line spacing are separate settings.
Double spacing is one of those requests that turns up in a brief, a college assignment or a publisher's submission guidelines, and then you're left hunting through the ribbon for it. Word gives you two quite different routes, and picking the wrong one is why some people end up with gaps between paragraphs but lines still squashed together.
I'll show you the whole-document route, the route for just a few paragraphs, how it works on a phone, and how to undo it when a client sends you a double-spaced draft you'd rather read single-spaced.
Double spacing a whole Word document from the Design tab
Microsoft's training page gives the quickest method for an entire document. It works from the Design tab rather than Home, which surprises a lot of people.
- Open your document in Word for Windows or Word for Mac.
- Select the Design tab on the ribbon.
- Select Paragraph Spacing.
- Choose Double from the list.
That's it. There's no need to select anything first, because this setting applies across the document's style set. On a Mac, Microsoft notes that choosing an option here overrides your current style's settings, so any custom spacing you'd built into a style gets replaced.
Double spacing selected paragraphs in Word from the Home tab
Sometimes only part of a document needs it, such as the body of an essay while the title page stays tight. For that, Microsoft points you to the Home tab instead.
- Select the paragraphs you want to change. To pick everything, press Ctrl + A on Windows or Command + A on a Mac.
- Go to Home, then Line and Paragraph Spacing (the icon with lines and up and down arrows).
- Choose 2.0.
If you want more control, choose Line Spacing Options from the same menu instead. That opens the Paragraph dialog, where you can pick a setting in the Line spacing box and change the Before and After values, which control the gap between paragraphs rather than between lines. Select OK when you're done.
Word line spacing versus paragraph spacing
This is the bit people trip over. Line spacing is the distance between each line of text inside a paragraph. Paragraph spacing is the extra gap above or below a whole paragraph. A document can have generous paragraph spacing and still look cramped if the line spacing is low.
| Setting | Where it lives | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Line spacing 2.0 | Home, Line and Paragraph Spacing | The gap between lines in the selected paragraphs |
| Before and After | Line Spacing Options, Spacing | The gap above and below each paragraph |
| Double | Design, Paragraph Spacing | The spacing for the whole document's style set |
For reference, Microsoft says Word's default is 1.15 lines with 10 points of space after each paragraph. So if a page looks almost double-spaced but isn't, that space after paragraphs is usually the reason.
Double spacing in Word for the web
Word for the web has a slightly different label. According to Microsoft's help, you select the text or press Ctrl + A, then go to Home and choose Line Spacing rather than Line and Paragraph Spacing. Pick the spacing you want from the list, or select Line Spacing Options to open the Paragraph dialog and adjust the values under Spacing.
If the menu looks different on your screen, menus vary by version, so look for the icon with stacked lines and arrows.
Double spacing in the Word app on iPhone, iPad and Android
On a phone or tablet, Microsoft's help says the Line Spacing menu offers values from 1.0 to 3.0, so you'll choose 2.0 for double. First select your text. To grab the whole document, press and hold inside it and choose Select All.
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- On iPhone or an Android phone, tap the Edit icon at the top of the screen.
- On iPhone, choose Line Spacing from the Home menu. On an Android phone, tap Paragraph Formatting under Home.
- On iPad, open the Home tab and tap the Line Spacing icon. On an Android tablet, open Home and tap the Paragraph icon.
- Open the Line Spacing menu and choose 2.0.
Removing double spacing from a Word document someone sent you
If you're on the receiving end of a double-spaced file and it's driving you mad, the fix runs in reverse. For the whole document, go back to Design, then Paragraph Spacing, and choose the option listed under Style Set, which Microsoft says may be called Default or carry your current style's name. Choosing No Paragraph Space takes out the extra gaps between paragraphs too.
For just part of it, select the text, go to Home, then Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose a smaller value. Microsoft's separate guide on removing double line spacing follows the same Home tab steps.
Why double spacing in Word sometimes doesn't stick
- You changed the Design tab setting, but some paragraphs had their own spacing applied by hand. Select those and set 2.0 from the Home tab.
- You only selected part of the text. Press Ctrl + A or Command + A first if the whole document should change.
- The gaps look huge because both line spacing and space after paragraphs are switched on. Open Line Spacing Options and lower the After value.
- New documents keep reverting. Microsoft's help points you to its guide on changing the default line spacing if you want a setting to apply every time.
When double spacing in Word helps business documents
Outside school and publishing, double spacing has a practical use for anyone who reviews drafts on paper. It leaves room to scribble edits between lines, which is handy when you're checking a contract summary, a speech or a long blog post before it goes out.
Academic and research writing is where you'll meet it most. If you're writing a paper, my article on how much AI writing is acceptable in a research paper is worth a read before you submit. And for your CV, which usually works better with tighter spacing, I've rounded up free resume templates that are worth downloading with sensible layouts already built in.
Frequently asked questions
What's the fastest way to double space a whole document in Word?
Go to Design, then Paragraph Spacing, and choose Double. Microsoft's training page lists this as the method for the entire document, and you don't need to select any text first.
How do I double space only one section in Word?
Select the paragraphs, go to Home, then Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose 2.0. Only the selected text changes.
Is 2.0 the same as double spacing in Word?
Yes. Microsoft's steps for double spacing part of a document tell you to choose 2.0 from the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu.
Can I double space in the Word mobile app?
Yes. Microsoft says the Line Spacing menu on phones and tablets offers values from 1.0 to 3.0. Select your text, open Line Spacing from the Home options and choose 2.0.
Why does my Word document look double spaced when it isn't?
Word's default, according to Microsoft, is 1.15 lines with 10 points of space after each paragraph. That space after paragraphs can make short paragraphs look widely spaced.
