Double spacing in Word takes three clicks

Open your document in Microsoft Word. Select all the text you want to double-space by pressing Ctrl+A (on Windows) or Command+A (on Mac). Then go to the Home tab at the top, find the Paragraph group, click the small arrow next to the line spacing icon, and choose 2.0. Your text is now double-spaced.

If you want to double-space only part of your document, highlight just that section instead of pressing Ctrl+A, then follow the same steps. The rest of your document keeps its original spacing.

Word remembers your spacing choice. If you always write papers with double spacing, you can set it as your default so every new document starts that way — but most people just do it once per document when they need it.

Key Takeaways

  • Select all text with Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac), then click the line spacing dropdown in the Paragraph group on the Home tab and choose 2.0.
  • You can double-space your entire document or just highlight a section and double-space only that part.
  • The line spacing dropdown shows your current spacing and lets you pick from common options like 1.5 or 2.0 without opening a dialog box.
  • If you want every new document to start with double spacing, you can change your default through the Normal template, though this is rarely necessary.

Finding the line spacing control in different Word versions

In Word 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365 (the subscription version), the line spacing button lives in the Paragraph group on the Home tab. It looks like four horizontal lines with arrows pointing up and down. Click the small arrow next to it to see your options.

In Word Online (the free version you use in a web browser), the process is slightly different. Select your text, then go to Home, find Line Spacing in the toolbar, and click it to see the same 2.0 option. Word Online has fewer formatting tools overall, but line spacing is one of the ones it includes.

On a Mac, the steps are identical — the Home tab and Paragraph group are in the same place. The keyboard shortcut is Command+A instead of Ctrl+A, but once you have selected your text, the line spacing dropdown works the same way.

What double spacing actually does to your document

Double spacing puts a full blank line between each line of text. If your normal spacing is single (the default), double spacing doubles the vertical distance. This makes your document longer — a five-page single-spaced paper often becomes eight or nine pages when you double-space it.

Many schools and publishers require double spacing because it leaves room for handwritten comments and feedback. It also makes text easier to read on paper, which is why it became standard for printed manuscripts before digital editing was common. Today, some instructors still ask for it out of habit, while others have moved to single spacing for digital submissions.

If you change your mind, you can always go back. Select all your text again and choose 1.0 from the same line spacing dropdown to return to single spacing, or pick 1.5 for spacing halfway between single and double.

Setting double spacing as your default for new documents

If you write papers regularly and always need double spacing, you can make it your default so every new blank document starts that way. In Word 2016 and later, go to Home, click the small arrow in the bottom right corner of the Paragraph group, and a dialog box opens. At the bottom, click Set as Default. Word will ask if you want to change the default for the Normal template — click Yes.

From that point on, every new document you create will open with double spacing already applied. Your existing documents do not change. If you ever want to undo this, follow the same steps and click Set as Default again — Word will reset to single spacing.

Most people do not need to do this. It is faster to just double-space each document when you need it, since the process takes only a few seconds. But if you write thesis chapters or formal papers constantly, setting it as default saves you a repeated step.

Spacing between paragraphs versus spacing between lines

Word has two separate spacing controls that people often confuse. Line spacing is the space between lines within a paragraph — this is what double spacing controls. Paragraph spacing is the gap between one paragraph and the next, and it is a separate setting in the same Paragraph group.

When someone asks for double spacing, they mean line spacing. But if your document looks cramped even after you double-space, the problem might be paragraph spacing. You can adjust that in the same line spacing dropdown — look for options like Add Space Before Paragraph or Add Space After Paragraph. Most of the time you will not need to touch these, but they exist if you want more breathing room between your paragraphs.

Troubleshooting when double spacing does not seem to work

If you select your text, choose 2.0, and the spacing does not change, the most common cause is that you did not actually select all the text. Click somewhere in your document, press Ctrl+A (or Command+A on Mac) to make sure everything is highlighted in blue, then try the line spacing dropdown again.

Another possibility is that you are looking at the wrong dropdown. The line spacing button is in the Paragraph group on the Home tab — it shows four horizontal lines with arrows. If you click a different button by mistake, you might be changing font size or alignment instead. Look for the button that specifically shows lines, not letters or text alignment icons.

If you are using a very old version of Word (2010 or earlier), the interface looks different. Go to Format in the menu bar, click Paragraph, and in the dialog box that opens, find the Line Spacing dropdown and choose Double. The result is the same, but the path to get there is different.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does double spacing work the same way in Google Docs?

Google Docs uses the same concept but a slightly different menu. Select your text, go to Format in the menu bar, click Line Spacing, and choose Double. The spacing itself looks identical to Word's double spacing, so if you switch between the two programs, your document will look the same.

Can I double-space just one paragraph instead of the whole document?

Yes. Click anywhere in the paragraph you want to double-space, then go to the line spacing dropdown and choose 2.0. You do not have to select the entire paragraph — just having your cursor in it is enough. The rest of your document keeps its original spacing.

What if my teacher says they want "double spacing" but my document looks too spread out?

Double spacing is double spacing — there is no variation in what it means. If your teacher thinks it looks wrong, they may have meant something else, like 1.5 spacing, or they may want you to also adjust paragraph spacing. Ask them to clarify, or show them a sample page so you can fix it together.

Will double spacing change when I email my document to someone else?

No. The spacing is saved inside the document file itself. When someone opens your Word document, they will see the same double spacing you set, whether they open it on Windows, Mac, or in Word Online.

Can I undo double spacing if I change my mind?

Yes. Select all your text again with Ctrl+A, go to the line spacing dropdown, and choose 1.0 for single spacing or 1.5 for spacing between single and double. Your document will return to normal spacing when ready.