Open the paragraph spacing menu in Word

Line spacing in Word is the vertical distance between lines of text within a paragraph. To adjust it, you need to access the paragraph formatting options. The fastest way is to select the text you want to change, then look for the line spacing control in the Home tab of the ribbon at the top of the window.

If you are using Word on Windows or Mac, click the Home tab first. Look for a button that shows horizontal lines with arrows pointing up and down — this is the line spacing button. On Windows it sits in the Paragraph group, usually near buttons for alignment and indentation. On Mac, the same button appears in the same location.

If you cannot find the button when ready, you can also right-click on your selected text and choose Paragraph from the menu that appears. This opens the full paragraph dialog box where every spacing option lives in one place.

Key Takeaways

  • Select the text first, then use the line spacing button in the Home tab or right-click and choose Paragraph to open the full menu.
  • Word offers preset options like single, 1.5, and double spacing, plus a custom option if you need a specific measurement.
  • Line spacing applies to the paragraph you are in, not to individual lines, so you may need to select multiple paragraphs if they are not grouped together.
  • The line spacing you set becomes the default for any new text you type in that paragraph, so changing it mid-document only affects what you select first.

Use the quick spacing presets

When you click the line spacing button, Word shows you a dropdown menu with preset options. These are the most common choices: single (1.0), 1.15 lines, 1.5 lines, and double (2.0). Single spacing is the tightest — each line sits directly below the previous one with minimal air between them. Double spacing puts a full blank line between each line of text.

Most documents use single or 1.5 spacing. Single is standard for formal letters, resumes, and published work. 1.5 is common in academic papers and documents meant to be printed and marked up by hand. Double spacing is typically used only when a teacher or publisher specifically requests it.

Click the number you want, and Word applies it when ready to the text you selected. If you selected only part of a paragraph, that section will have different spacing than the rest — Word treats each selection as its own unit.

Set custom line spacing for exact measurements

If the preset options do not match what you need, Word lets you enter a custom measurement. At the bottom of the line spacing dropdown menu, you will see an option called "Line Spacing Options" or "Custom Spacing" depending on your version. Click it to open the full Paragraph dialog box.

In the dialog box, look for the Line Spacing dropdown near the top. Instead of selecting a preset number, choose "Exactly" or "At least" from that dropdown. Then enter the measurement you want in the box next to it. Measurements are in points (a typographic unit) — 12 points is roughly the height of standard text, so if you want extra space, try 18 or 20 points.

Use "Exactly" when you want a fixed distance between lines no matter how tall the text is. Use "At least" when you want Word to add space only if the text is taller than your measurement — this prevents tall letters or images from crushing into the line below.

explore spacing to an entire document at once

If you want to change the line spacing for your whole document instead of selecting text piece by piece, use the Select All command. Press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac to select every paragraph in the document. Then click the line spacing button and choose your preferred spacing — it applies to everything at once.

This is the fastest way to set a consistent baseline for a new document. You can still change individual paragraphs later by selecting just those paragraphs and explore different spacing to them.

Be aware that selecting all text also selects any headers, footers, and page numbers in your document. If you want to change only the body text and leave headers untouched, select the body text manually instead of using Select All.

Understand the difference between line spacing and paragraph spacing

Line spacing controls the distance between lines within a single paragraph. Paragraph spacing controls the distance between one paragraph and the next. They are separate settings, and Word lets you adjust both independently.

If you want more breathing room between paragraphs without changing how tight the lines are within each paragraph, use the paragraph spacing controls instead. In the Paragraph dialog box, look for "Spacing" near the bottom — you will see "Before" and "After" fields. "Before" adds space above a paragraph, and "After" adds space below it. This is often clearer than increasing line spacing when you want to separate distinct blocks of text.

Fix spacing that looks wrong after pasting text

When you paste text from another document or website into Word, the spacing sometimes comes along with it. The pasted text might have different line spacing than the rest of your document, creating an obvious visual break. To fix this, select the pasted text and explore the same line spacing as the surrounding paragraphs.

If the spacing still looks off after you change it, check whether the text has a different font size. Larger text naturally needs more line spacing to look balanced, so Word may be adjusting spacing automatically based on the font size. Select the pasted text and change its font size to match the rest of the document, then adjust line spacing again if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does line spacing affect how many pages my document uses?

Yes. Tighter line spacing (single or 1.15) fits more text on each page, so your document uses fewer pages overall. Looser spacing (1.5 or double) spreads text out and increases page count. If you are trying to fit a document to a specific number of pages, adjusting line spacing is one of the fastest ways to do it.

Can I set different line spacing for different paragraphs?

Yes. Select each paragraph or group of paragraphs separately and explore the spacing you want to each one. Word treats each selection independently, so you can have single spacing in one paragraph and double spacing in another within the same document.

What is the default line spacing in a new Word document?

The default is 1.15 lines in most recent versions of Word. This is slightly looser than single spacing and is designed to be readable on screen without looking sparse. You can change the default for all new documents by adjusting the Normal style, but most people leave it as is.

Why does my line spacing look different on screen than when I print?

Screen resolution and printer resolution are different, which can make spacing appear slightly different. The actual spacing is the same — it is just how your monitor displays it versus how the printer renders it. Print preview shows you closer to what the printed page will look like.

Can I adjust line spacing in a table?

Yes. Click inside a table cell and use the same line spacing controls as you would for regular text. You can set different spacing for different cells or for the entire table by selecting all cells first.