How to Double Space in Word 365: Text and Paragraphs

To double-space text in Word 365 on Windows, select the text—or press Ctrl+A to select the document—then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. You can also press Ctrl+2. Double spacing adds vertical room between lines, which can make a document easier to read, annotate, or prepare for a formatting requirement. You do not need a special add-in; just open the document in Word and decide whether to change selected text, the whole document, or the default for new documents.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on a Windows PC, or Word for Mac if you are following the Mac notes below.
The document you want to format. If you are changing only part of it, identify the paragraphs or text first.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and decide what should change. Double spacing can apply to a few paragraphs, a section, or all the text. Click inside the document before using a keyboard shortcut. If you only want to change one paragraph, clicking in it is enough; Word applies paragraph formatting to the paragraph containing the cursor. If you want a specific range, select it by dragging across the text or using Shift with the arrow keys. For a whole document, use Ctrl+A on Windows. Check the selection before changing the spacing, especially if the file contains multiple sections, headings, or footnotes.
Use the Home ribbon to apply double spacing. With the relevant text selected—or the cursor in the paragraph—open the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, select the Line and Paragraph Spacing button, shown as horizontal lines with up-and-down arrows. Choose 2.0 in the menu. The selected paragraphs should immediately display more space between each line. If the ribbon is narrow and the control is not visible, expand the Word window or open the Paragraph group’s options; the keyboard method in the next step is often quicker.
Apply it with a keyboard shortcut if you prefer. On Windows, select the target text and press Ctrl+2. Word applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs. On a Mac, use Command+2. These shortcuts change line spacing, not the font size, and they work on the paragraph or paragraphs containing the selection. If the shortcut changes something unexpected, click in the document body and try again with the intended text clearly selected.
Double-space the entire existing document. Click in the document body, press Ctrl+A on Windows (or Command+A on Mac), and then select Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Alternatively, use Ctrl+2 or Command+2 after selecting all. Review the result from beginning to end. Applying spacing to everything may also affect headings, lists, captions, or other paragraphs that you might prefer to keep compact. If so, select those parts individually and choose a different spacing option, or format them through their styles.
Double-space only a portion of the document. Drag to highlight the paragraphs you want to format, then choose 2.0 from the line-spacing menu. A reliable alternative is to click at the start of the section, hold Shift, and click at its end before applying the setting. Take care not to include the next heading or paragraph accidentally. If you are selecting a long section, use the Navigation pane or Find to locate its beginning, then select through the final paragraph and verify the highlighted range before applying the format.
Check paragraph spacing if the result looks too loose. Line spacing controls the distance between lines within a paragraph. Word can also add extra space before or after each paragraph, which is a separate setting. To inspect both, open Home and select the small dialog box launcher in the lower-right corner of the Paragraph group. In the Paragraph dialog, check the Spacing values for Before and After and the Line spacing setting. For ordinary double-spaced paragraphs, set Line spacing to Double. If you do not want extra gaps between paragraphs, set Before and After to 0 pt, where appropriate. Avoid changing those values blindly in a document that has intentional spacing.
Set double spacing for future documents, if that is what you need. Open the Paragraph dialog from Home > Paragraph group, choose Double under Line spacing, and select Set As Default. Choose the option to apply the change to documents based on the Normal template if you want it to affect new documents, rather than only the current file. The exact prompt can vary by Word build. Existing documents are not automatically reformatted just because you change the default. If you only need one assignment or report double-spaced, changing the current document is safer than altering the default.
Save and inspect the document. Press Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. Look through several pages, including headings, lists, tables, and the final page. If the document is intended for printing or submission, use Print Preview or export a PDF and check that the line spacing remains consistent. Double spacing increases page count, so confirm that page breaks, headers, footers, and any required page limits still work.

Common Mistakes

Adding blank lines instead of changing line spacing. Pressing Enter twice between every line creates separate paragraphs rather than true double spacing. It can produce uneven gaps, interfere with editing, and make later formatting harder. Use the 2.0 line-spacing setting instead. If the document already has many extra paragraph breaks, show formatting marks with the paragraph symbol button on Home to identify them, then remove only the unnecessary breaks.

Confusing line spacing with space after a paragraph. A large gap between paragraphs does not necessarily mean the lines inside each paragraph are double-spaced. Conversely, double-spaced lines can still have extra paragraph spacing after them. Check Line spacing and the Before/After values separately in the Paragraph dialog.

Formatting only the cursor location. If no text is selected, Word generally changes the paragraph where the insertion point sits—not every paragraph in the file. Select the desired range or use Ctrl+A before choosing 2.0 when the entire document should change.

Expecting every element to look identical. Headings, tables, footnotes, and text in shapes can use different styles or formatting. After changing the main text, inspect these elements rather than assuming they all inherited the same setting.

Tips

Use the ribbon menu when you want to see the available spacing choices and the shortcut when speed matters. If you are editing a long document, apply the change to the whole document first, then adjust exceptional elements such as headings or captions. Keeping formatting consistent through styles is usually easier than manually fixing many paragraphs one at a time.

For a document that must meet a submission rule, check whether the requirement means double line spacing throughout or only in the main body. Some instructions specify font, margins, paragraph spacing, or exceptions for block quotations and footnotes as well. A setting of 2.0 is the usual Word option for double line spacing, but follow the exact formatting instructions you have been given.

Use Print Layout to judge how the text flows across pages. Draft or other views may not show page layout in the same way. Before making a large change, consider saving a separate copy if the original layout is important. That gives you an easy way to compare versions if headings move, page count rises, or a table becomes awkward to read.

On Word for Mac, the ribbon command is also on the Home tab under Line and Paragraph Spacing, and Command+2 is the quick shortcut. In Word for the web, the Home tab also offers line-spacing controls, though the menu arrangement may differ from the desktop app. If a particular command is not visible in the browser version, open the document in the desktop Word app to use the Paragraph dialog and default-template options.

Troubleshooting

The text did not change. Confirm that the correct paragraphs were selected and that the document is editable. If the file is in Protected View or editing is restricted, Word may prevent formatting changes; choose Enable Editing only when you trust the file and have permission to edit it. If the selection was lost, click in the paragraph and apply 2.0 again, or reselect the full range first.

The paragraphs look more than double-spaced. Open the Paragraph dialog and inspect Before and After. If either value is adding unwanted space, adjust it to 0 pt for the affected paragraphs, then check whether their style is applying spacing too. In the same dialog, verify that Line spacing is Double rather than a larger multiple or an exact value. Recheck headings and body paragraphs separately if they use different styles.

Only some paragraphs changed. This often happens when the selection missed text, or when parts of the document use distinct formatting or styles. Select the missing paragraphs and apply 2.0 directly. If a style is responsible, right-click its name in the Styles gallery and choose Modify, then change the paragraph spacing in the style options. Be cautious: modifying a style can update every paragraph using that style throughout the document.

The shortcut does something unexpected. Click in the document text first, not a search box, ribbon field, or table of contents control. Then select the intended paragraphs and use Ctrl+2 on Windows or Command+2 on Mac. On some keyboards or in remote desktop sessions, shortcut keys may be intercepted by another app; use Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0 instead.

The spacing changes when you open or share the file. Make sure the document is saved as a Word file and view it in a compatible version of Word. If you are sharing a fixed-layout copy, save or export a PDF and inspect it. A different app, font substitution, or document template can change how a file appears even when the paragraph setting is Double.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to double-space in Word 365?
Click in the paragraph or select the paragraphs, then press Ctrl+2 on Windows. On Mac, press Command+2. For the whole document, select all first.

How do I double-space the whole document?
Click in the document body, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Review headings and other special elements afterward.

Does double spacing add a blank line between paragraphs?
No. Double line spacing increases the distance between lines within each paragraph. A separate Before or After paragraph setting can add extra space between paragraphs.

Can I double-space only one paragraph?
Yes. Click anywhere in that paragraph and choose 2.0 from the Home tab’s Line and Paragraph Spacing menu. You do not need to select the whole paragraph first.

How can I make new Word documents double-spaced?
Set Line spacing to Double in the Paragraph dialog, choose Set As Default, and select the option for documents based on the Normal template. This affects new documents using that template, not files already created.

Will double spacing increase the number of pages?
Usually, yes, because each line takes more vertical space. The final page count depends on the font, margins, paragraph spacing, and document content, so check the layout after applying the setting.

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