How to Double Space in Word and Google Docs

To double space text, select it and choose 2.0 line spacing: in Word, go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0; in Google Docs, choose Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Double. Select all text first if you want the setting throughout the document. Double spacing adds vertical room between lines, making a page easier to read, mark up, or prepare for a school or work submission.

What You’ll Need

A document open in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 or Google Docs.
A keyboard and mouse or trackpad. The steps below use the desktop versions; Google Docs works in a web browser.
If the document is stored online, an internet connection may be needed to open it or save changes.

You do not need to install an add-on or change a page setting. Line spacing is a paragraph-formatting option, so you can apply it to one passage, selected paragraphs, or the whole document. The exact controls are slightly different in Word and Google Docs, so follow the section for the app you are using.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and decide what should be double-spaced. If only a section needs the change, locate that passage and select it. If the whole document should be double-spaced, select all the document text before changing the setting. This choice matters: applying line spacing with no selection usually affects the paragraph where the cursor is, rather than every paragraph already in the file.
Select text in Word. Drag across the passage you want to change. To select the entire document on Windows, press Ctrl+A while the document is active. On a Mac, press Command+A. If the document contains several sections with different formatting, check what is highlighted before continuing; selecting all can also include headings, lists, and text in tables.
Set double spacing in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Open the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, select Line and Paragraph Spacing, the button shown as horizontal lines with vertical arrows, and choose 2.0. The selected paragraphs should immediately show more space between each line. If you do not see the button, widen the Word window or look for the Paragraph group controls hidden in a compact ribbon.
Use the Word keyboard shortcut if you prefer. Select the text, then press Ctrl+2 on Windows to apply double line spacing. In Word for Mac, select the text and press Command+2. These shortcuts change line spacing, not the font size or the spacing before and after paragraphs. If a shortcut does not work, click inside the document first and make sure the cursor is not in a search box, comment, or ribbon control.
Set spacing precisely in Word’s Paragraph dialog. For more control, select the text, open Home, and click the small dialog launcher in the lower-right corner of the Paragraph group. In the dialog, find the Spacing area, open the Line spacing menu, choose Double, and select OK. The dialog is useful when the ribbon button is hard to find or when you also need to inspect the paragraph’s Before and After spacing. Leave those values alone unless you specifically want to change the gaps between paragraphs.
Select the text in Google Docs. Click in the document and drag over the words or paragraphs to change. To select all text in the document, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on a Mac. As in Word, verify the selection before applying a format. A heading or a paragraph inside a table may be included if it falls within the selected range.
Apply double spacing in Google Docs. Open Format in the menu bar, point to Line & paragraph spacing, then select Double. You can also use the toolbar’s Line & paragraph spacing button and choose Double from its menu. The document updates as soon as you select the option, and Google Docs saves changes automatically while you work.
Check the result and repeat for any missed paragraphs. Scroll through the document, paying attention to its beginning, end, headings, lists, and table content. If one part still looks single-spaced, select just that paragraph and apply 2.0 or Double again. A mixed-format document may contain paragraphs with different settings, so one visual check near the top is not always enough.
Choose whether new paragraphs should keep the spacing. When you press Enter after a double-spaced paragraph, the next paragraph normally inherits its formatting. If it does not, put the cursor in the new paragraph and apply double spacing again. For a recurring document, you can adjust the relevant style, such as Normal text in Google Docs or the paragraph style used in Word, but avoid changing a shared template unless you want future documents to inherit the change.

These steps change line spacing, which is the distance between lines within a paragraph. It is different from paragraph spacing, which adds room before or after a whole paragraph. A document can be set to double line spacing and still have extra gaps between paragraphs, so the page may look more open than expected. If a submission asks for double spacing, check whether it also specifies paragraph spacing, margins, or font requirements.

Common Mistakes

Changing the whole document by accident. If you selected all text, headings, captions, lists, and table content may also be affected. Undo with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac if the result is not what you wanted, then select only the intended passage and apply spacing again.
Changing paragraph spacing instead of line spacing. A command labeled Add space after paragraph creates larger gaps between paragraphs; it does not set every line to double spacing. Use the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu and choose 2.0 in Word or Double in Google Docs.
Expecting the page count to stay the same. Double spacing increases the document’s height and can push paragraphs, page breaks, or footnotes onto later pages. That is a normal result. Do not delete text simply to restore the old page count unless the document’s requirements call for it.
Applying spacing to only the current paragraph. If no text is selected, the change may affect only the paragraph containing the insertion point. Select the full passage first, or use Ctrl+A or Command+A when the whole document is meant to change.
Confusing line spacing with blank lines. Pressing Enter twice inserts an empty paragraph. That can make the page look spaced out, but it creates inconsistent gaps and can complicate editing. Apply the 2.0 line-spacing setting instead of adding extra empty lines.

Tips

Use a small test selection first. If you are unsure which control is right, select one paragraph and apply double spacing. Once you see the result, you can extend the selection or select all.
Keep paragraph gaps separate from line spacing. In Word’s Paragraph dialog, inspect Before and After if the document looks unusually spread out. In Google Docs, the Line & paragraph spacing menu includes options that add space before or after paragraphs as well as line-spacing choices. Choose Double, not an add-space option.
Apply formatting before final pagination. Because double spacing can move content to another page, apply it before you finalize page numbers, page breaks, or a table of contents. Review the document afterward for headings stranded at the bottom of a page.
Use styles for long or repeated documents. If all body paragraphs need the same spacing, changing the body-text style can be more consistent than formatting paragraphs one by one. In Google Docs, you can update a selected style from the Styles menu. In Word, modify the paragraph style used for body text. Check the style name and scope before saving changes, especially in a shared template.
Remember the difference between apps. Word calls the command 2.0 in its line-spacing menu; Google Docs labels the matching choice Double. Both set double line spacing, even though the wording is not identical.

Troubleshooting

The text still looks single-spaced. Check that the intended text is highlighted and that you chose 2.0 or Double rather than 1.0 or Single. If the selection disappeared before you opened the menu, select the paragraphs again and repeat the command. In Word, use the Paragraph dialog to confirm that Line spacing is set to Double. In Google Docs, reopen Format > Line & paragraph spacing and check the selected option.

There are huge gaps between paragraphs. The line-spacing command may have been combined with extra paragraph spacing, or blank paragraphs may have been inserted. In Word, select the affected paragraphs, open the Paragraph dialog, and review the Before and After values. In Google Docs, remove unintended empty paragraphs and check whether space before or after paragraphs was added. Do not change the line-spacing setting to Single just to remove paragraph gaps; address the separate paragraph-spacing setting.

Only part of the document changes. The original selection may not have covered the entire document, or sections may have different formatting. Select the remaining paragraphs and apply the setting. If you used Ctrl+A or Command+A but a header or footer did not change, note that headers and footers are edited separately: open that area and format its text there if needed. Text inside a separate text box may also need to be selected and formatted on its own.

The shortcut does something unexpected. Confirm that Word is the active app and that you are editing document text. On Windows, Ctrl+2 is Word’s double-spacing shortcut; on Mac, use Command+2. If your keyboard layout or another app intercepts the shortcut, use the ribbon menu in Word instead. Google Docs users should use its Format menu rather than assuming Word shortcuts apply identically.

The document changes back or looks different on another device. Confirm that the file has finished saving, then reopen it. Google Docs saves edits online automatically; a weak connection can delay synchronization. In Word, check that you are editing the intended copy and save it. If the file was exported to another format, such as plain text, formatting may not be retained; use a format that preserves document layout when sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I double space only one paragraph?

Yes. Select the paragraph, then choose 2.0 in Word or Double in Google Docs. If you click inside a paragraph without selecting text, the command generally applies to that paragraph. Check the surrounding paragraphs afterward to make sure they kept their original spacing.

How do I double space an entire document?

Click in the document, select all with Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then apply the relevant setting: Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0 in Word, or Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Double in Google Docs. Review tables, headings, and other special areas for exceptions.

Does double spacing mean adding a blank line after every line?

No. Double spacing increases the distance between lines through paragraph formatting. Adding blank paragraphs with Enter creates separate empty lines and can lead to irregular spacing. Use the built-in line-spacing command for a consistent result.

Will double spacing change my font or margins?

No. The line-spacing setting changes vertical spacing between lines. It does not, by itself, change font, font size, or page margins. However, the text takes up more vertical room, so the document may have more pages.

Why does double-spaced text still have extra gaps between paragraphs?

Line spacing and paragraph spacing are separate settings. The paragraphs may have added space before or after them, or an empty paragraph may be present. Check the paragraph-spacing controls and remove unintended blank paragraphs while keeping line spacing set to Double.

Can I make double spacing the default for future documents?

Usually, yes, by changing the body-text style or the default template, but the exact effect depends on the app and document. In Google Docs, update the Normal text style and, if offered, set it as the default style. In Word, modify the style used for body paragraphs or the Normal template. Make this change only if you want it to affect new documents, and check an existing document before changing a shared template.

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