To adjust line spacing in Word, select the paragraphs you want to change, open Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose a preset such as 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0. For exact control, open Line Spacing Options. Space between lines and space before or after paragraphs are separate settings.
Change spacing in part of a document
- Select one or more paragraphs. You can press Ctrl+A on Windows to select the whole document.
- On the Home tab, choose Line and Paragraph Spacing in the Paragraph group.
- Choose a preset for a quick change. To enter a custom value, choose Line Spacing Options and set Line spacing in the Paragraph dialog.
- If the gap between paragraphs still looks too large, check the Before and After values in that same dialog. Select OK and review the result.
Word applies line spacing to entire paragraphs. Selecting a few words inside one paragraph will still change the spacing of that paragraph. Use the same steps on a different selection if only part of the document needs a different setting.
Set spacing for the whole document
Choose Design > Paragraph Spacing and select a document-wide preset. No Paragraph Space is useful when the extra gap comes from paragraph spacing. This Design setting can override the spacing supplied by the current style. To return to the original look, choose the option listed under the style set.
Word for Mac and Word for the web
On a Mac, select the paragraphs and use Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, then choose a preset or Line Spacing Options. In Word for the web, select paragraphs, open Home > Line Spacing, and choose the spacing or open its options for paragraph Before and After values.
Line spacing shortcuts and common settings
In Word for Windows, select the paragraphs and press a shortcut:
- Ctrl+1 for single spacing
- Ctrl+5 for 1.5 spacing
- Ctrl+2 for double spacing
New documents based on Word’s default Normal style use slightly more than single spacing (1.15 in current Microsoft 365, 1.08 in some older versions) with 8 pt of space after each paragraph. That’s why a new document looks more open than true single spacing.
Many school essays and manuscripts ask for double spacing with no extra space between paragraphs. Select the whole text, open Line Spacing Options, set Line spacing to Double, set Before and After to 0 pt, and select OK. Always follow the exact format your instructor or publisher specifies.
Why spacing changes when you paste text
Pasted text can bring its original paragraph formatting along. Right after pasting, click the Paste Options button and choose Keep Text Only or Merge Formatting, or apply your usual style to the pasted paragraphs.
Why some lines look uneven
With Single, 1.5, Double, or At least, Word makes a line taller when it holds a larger font, an equation, or an inline picture. If you need every line to be identical, choose Exactly in Line Spacing Options and enter a point value. Large characters or pictures may be cut off with Exactly, so check the page afterward.
If spacing still looks wrong
Check whether the large gap is between paragraphs rather than between lines. Also inspect the paragraph style and any blank paragraph marks with Home > Show/Hide ¶. If the unusual gap is between words across a line, see our guide to weird word spacing; line spacing will not fix justified text or extra spaces.
Source: Microsoft Support: change line and paragraph spacing in Word.
If the extra room sits between paragraphs rather than between lines, change the spacing after each paragraph instead of the line spacing.
For gaps caused by page-break settings, justified text, or pasted formatting, our complete guide to changing spacing in Word walks through each fix.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com