How to Double Space Text in Microsoft Word

The Standard Requirement for Academic Writing

If you are writing a university essay, a research paper, or a manuscript for publication, you will almost certainly be asked to submit your document in a “double-spaced” format. Double spacing simply means adding a full blank line between every line of text. This makes the document significantly easier for professors and editors to read, and it provides them with enough physical white space on the printed page to write corrections and grading notes.

In the days of manual typewriters, you achieved this by physically striking the return carriage twice at the end of every line. In modern word processors, this is handled automatically by the software’s line spacing settings.

Unfortunately, many people still try to manually replicate the typewriter method by pressing the Enter key at the end of every single line in Microsoft Word. This is a catastrophic formatting error. If you manually insert blank lines and later change the font size or add a new sentence, the entire document will break, leaving you with awkward gaps and half-empty pages.

Here is how to properly double space your document using Word’s built-in formatting tools.

Method 1: The Quick Keyboard Shortcut

If you prefer to work quickly without clicking through menus, the fastest way to double space your text is by using a universal keyboard shortcut.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Select the text you want to double space.
   • To select a specific paragraph, click and drag your mouse over it.
   • To select the entire document (the most common requirement), press Ctrl + A (or Cmd + A on a Mac).
3. With the text highlighted, press the number 2 while holding down the Ctrl key (or Cmd key).

Shortcut Summary:

• Ctrl + 2: Double spacing
• Ctrl + 1: Single spacing (returns it to normal)
• Ctrl + 5: 1.5 spacing (a common compromise for readable business reports)

Method 2: Using the Ribbon Menu (Standard Method)

If you prefer visual buttons, the standard line spacing tool is located right on the main home screen of Microsoft Word.

1. Highlight the text you wish to format (press Ctrl + A to highlight everything).
2. Click on the Home tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the screen.
3. Look for the Paragraph section in the middle of the ribbon.
4. Click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button. (The icon looks like four horizontal lines of text with two small blue arrows pointing up and down).
5. A dropdown menu will appear showing various numerical values (1.0, 1.15, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0).
6. Click on 2.0.

Your text will instantly spread out, providing a full line of white space between every sentence.

How to Make Double Spacing the Default Setting

If you are a university student and every single assignment you write for the next four years must be double-spaced, it is incredibly tedious to manually change the settings every time you open a new document. You can instruct Microsoft Word to make double spacing the default template for all future files.

1. Open a blank document in Word.
2. Go to the Home tab.
3. Look at the Styles gallery (the large box showing Normal, Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.).
4. Right-click on the Normal style box.
5. Click Modify… from the context menu.
6. A “Modify Style” window will open. Look near the bottom centre of this window for a row of three formatting icons showing lines of text. The first is single-spaced, the second is 1.5 spaced, and the third is double-spaced.
7. Click the Double Space icon (the one on the far right).
8. Before clicking OK, look at the very bottom of the window and click the radio button labeled New documents based on this template.
9. Click OK.

From now on, whenever you click “File > New Blank Document,” the cursor will automatically be set to double spacing, saving you time on every assignment.