To double-space text in Word, select the paragraphs you want, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. For the whole document, you can use Design > Paragraph Spacing > Double in desktop Word, or select the body text first and apply 2.0. Check any separate rule about space before or after paragraphs: that setting is different from double line spacing.
Double-space selected paragraphs
- Open the document and decide whether you need to change one paragraph, several paragraphs, or all the main text. For one paragraph, click inside it; for several, select them. To select all main text in desktop Word, click in the body and press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on a Mac.
- On the Home tab, find the Paragraph group and open Line and Paragraph Spacing. Select 2.0. In Word for Windows, Ctrl+2 also applies double spacing to the selected paragraphs.
- Click in another paragraph and check its setting if the whole assignment should match. Review headings, lists, block quotes, tables, and the references section against your style instructions.
Microsoft’s double-spacing instructions give the 2.0 route for selected paragraphs and the Design menu route for a whole document. If the document uses styles, modifying the relevant paragraph style may be more reliable than repeatedly applying direct formatting to individual paragraphs.
Use a whole-document setting
In desktop Word, Design > Paragraph Spacing > Double changes the document’s spacing scheme. Inspect the preview before choosing it, then check the body and any special sections. If your school or publisher specifies exactly double line spacing with no extra gap between paragraphs, selecting the body and setting 2.0 in Home may give you clearer control, followed by a separate check of Before and After spacing.
Do not add a blank line after every paragraph to simulate double spacing. That adds extra paragraph marks, changes page breaks, and may violate a style guide. For a reusable template, set the line spacing in the paragraph styles the document actually uses; Microsoft describes this in its style-spacing guidance.
Why the page still looks too spread out
Double line spacing controls the distance between lines within a paragraph. A large gap between two paragraphs can come from Spacing Before or Spacing After in the Paragraph dialog or Layout tab. Turn on Home > Show/Hide ¶ to spot extra empty paragraphs. Remove accidental blank paragraphs and set Before/After values to the required amount instead of switching the line spacing back to single.
Our guide to paragraph spacing in Word covers those separate controls. If only one section refuses to match, click inside it and inspect its style, line spacing, and Before/After values. Pasted text may bring its own formatting and override the surrounding style.
If the 2.0 command seems to have no effect, confirm the cursor is in the paragraph you meant to format rather than in a header or text box. Click directly in a visibly tight paragraph, open the Paragraph dialog, and read its Line spacing value. A style with fixed line spacing, a table row with exact height, or a large amount of paragraph spacing can make the page look different from an ordinary double-spaced paragraph. Change the setting responsible for the visible gap, then compare a new sample paragraph.
Word for the web also has a Line and Paragraph Spacing control, though its ribbon may be condensed. On a phone or tablet, select the text, open paragraph formatting, and choose 2.0 from the line-spacing choices. If a required style is hard to apply on mobile, finish the document in desktop Word and inspect the saved result on the device where it will be submitted.
Double-space from the Paragraph dialog with no extra paragraph gap
Many essay formats want double line spacing and no additional space between paragraphs. The Paragraph dialog sets both at once in desktop Word:
- Select the body text.
- On the Home tab, click the small arrow in the corner of the Paragraph group.
- Under Line spacing, choose Double.
- Set Before and After to 0 pt, or check Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style.
- Click OK.
On a Mac, open the same dialog with Format > Paragraph. Word for Mac also accepts Command+2 as a double-spacing shortcut.
Double-space in the Word app on a phone or tablet
- Open the document in the Word app and tap in the text to start editing.
- Select the paragraphs you want to change. To change everything, select all the text.
- On a phone, tap the Edit icon (the letter A with a pencil) to open the ribbon. On a tablet, the Home tab is already visible.
- On Home, open Paragraph Formatting and tap Line Spacing. In some versions, Line Spacing appears directly in the Home list.
- Tap 2.0.
The selected paragraphs switch to double spacing right away. Tap 1.0 in the same list to undo it.
Switch back to single spacing or make double spacing the default
To undo double spacing, select the paragraphs and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 1.0. In Word for Windows, Ctrl+1 does the same thing.
If every new document you start needs double spacing, change the default in desktop Word for Windows:
- On the Home tab, click the small arrow in the corner of the Paragraph group to open the Paragraph dialog.
- Under Line spacing, choose Double.
- Click Set As Default.
- Choose All documents based on the Normal template? and click OK.
New blank documents will now start double-spaced. Existing documents keep their current spacing.
Check the document before submitting
Look at a representative body page, a page with headings or lists, and the last page in Print Preview. A spacing change can move a heading to the next page or leave an unexpected nearly blank page. Compare the result with the assignment’s exact rules: some require double-spaced body text but single-spaced tables, footnotes, or references. If you change a style or template, save and reopen the document and confirm the formatting remains consistent.
Does double spacing change the page count?
Yes. Double spacing roughly doubles the height each line of body text takes up, so a page of single-spaced text usually spills onto a second page. Headings, tables, and images that stay single-spaced do not grow at the same rate, so the exact increase varies. If your assignment has a page minimum or maximum, set the required font, size, margins, and spacing first, then check the page count in the status bar at the bottom of the Word window.
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