How to Double Space in Word for Mac: Steps and Fixes

To double-space text in Word for Mac, select it and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. To double-space a whole document, press Command+A to select its text, then choose the same menu option. You can also select text and press Command+2. Double spacing adds more vertical room between lines; it does not automatically remove extra space between paragraphs.

What You’ll Need

A Mac with Microsoft Word, such as Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2021.
A document you can edit. If it is read-only or protected, you may need permission or an editable copy before changing its spacing.

The instructions below use Word’s Mac ribbon. Button placement can vary slightly with the Word version or ribbon layout, but the Paragraph dialog offers another way to set line spacing if you cannot find the ribbon control.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and decide what to change. Start Word, open the document, and click in the main text. Decide whether you need double spacing for the whole document, a few paragraphs, or text you are about to type. Selecting only the intended text first prevents you from changing sections that should remain single-spaced, such as a title page, footnotes, or a reference list with different requirements.
Select the text or paragraphs. To change the whole main document, click in its body and press Command+A. To change a section, drag across the paragraphs or click in a paragraph if you want to change that paragraph’s spacing. For several non-adjacent sections, select the first and use Command-click to add other selections where Word supports it; otherwise, format each section separately. If the selection is difficult to see, check that it includes the paragraph marks at the ends of the paragraphs you want to affect.
Open the line-spacing control. Click the Home tab in the ribbon. Find Line and Paragraph Spacing, often shown as horizontal lines with up-and-down arrows. If the ribbon is simplified, look for the spacing button in the Paragraph group or expand the ribbon to reveal its controls. Do not choose a command called Paragraph Spacing alone if your goal is line spacing: the line-and-paragraph menu contains both kinds of controls.
Choose 2.0. In the spacing menu, click 2.0. Word applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs. The lines should appear farther apart immediately. If nothing seems to change, confirm that text is still selected or that the insertion point is inside the paragraph you meant to format, then try the command again.
Use the keyboard shortcut if you prefer. Select the target text and press Command+2. This is Word for Mac’s double-spacing shortcut. The related shortcuts are Command+1 for single spacing and Command+5 for 1.5 spacing. Make sure you press the number row key rather than relying on a number-pad shortcut, which may behave differently depending on your keyboard and setup.
Set double spacing in the Paragraph dialog when you need more control. Select the text, then open Format > Paragraph from the macOS menu bar. In the dialog, find Line spacing and choose Double, then click OK. This route is useful when you want to confirm the setting or when the ribbon menu is hard to locate. The dialog may also show Before and After paragraph spacing; those settings control space between paragraphs, not the distance between lines within one paragraph.
Check the result and save. Review a few paragraphs, including a paragraph that wraps onto multiple lines. Save with Command+S. If you are preparing a submission, compare the document with its instructions: double line spacing and paragraph spacing are separate settings, and some requirements specify both.

For text you type after making the change, the result depends on where you continue typing. If you press Return at the end of a double-spaced paragraph, Word generally carries that paragraph formatting into the next paragraph. If new text returns to single spacing, click in that paragraph and apply 2.0 again, or update the style used by the text. When formatting an existing document, applying spacing to the entire body is usually more reliable than changing only the paragraph where the cursor happens to be.

Common Mistakes

Adding blank lines instead of changing line spacing. Pressing Return twice between every line or paragraph creates extra empty paragraphs. That can make the document uneven and difficult to edit. Use 2.0 line spacing instead; reserve an extra paragraph break for places where a genuine blank line is intended.
Changing paragraph spacing, not line spacing. A larger After value makes a gap between paragraphs but does not double-space the lines inside them. Choose 2.0 under Line and Paragraph Spacing or Double under Format > Paragraph.
Forgetting to select the intended range. If only the current paragraph changes, you probably had an insertion point rather than the full document selected. Select the required text first, then apply the setting. Conversely, Command+A may change more of the body than you intended, so use a narrower selection when some sections must keep their current format.
Assuming 2.0 removes all other gaps. A document can be double-spaced and still have space before or after paragraphs. If it looks unusually loose, inspect those separate values rather than changing line spacing back to 1.0.
Using the wrong app shortcut. In Word for Mac, the shortcut is Command+2. On Word for Windows it is Ctrl+2. Shortcuts can differ in other writing apps, so use Word’s ribbon if a key combination does something unexpected.

Tips

Follow the exact formatting instructions. If an instructor or publisher asks for double spacing with no extra paragraph gaps, set line spacing to Double and set Before and After to 0 pt in Format > Paragraph. Do this only when the instructions call for it; some styles intentionally add space between paragraphs.
Use styles for consistent documents. A document may contain Normal, Body Text, headings, and other styles. Applying spacing to selected text is direct, but later paragraphs using a different style may not inherit the same setting. For repeated work, open the Styles pane from the Home tab, control-click the relevant style, and choose Modify Style. If available, use its Format > Paragraph options to set line spacing for paragraphs using that style. Check the document afterward, since headings may be designed to have different spacing.
Format before you write when practical. If you know the required layout in advance, set the body text’s spacing before typing. This reduces the chance that new paragraphs inherit a mixture of settings. For a document already in progress, select all relevant body text first rather than repeatedly adjusting individual lines.
Use formatting marks to diagnose odd gaps. Turn on the paragraph mark button on the Home tab to reveal paragraph breaks and empty paragraphs. If large gaps come from extra Returns, delete only the unnecessary blank paragraphs. Turn the marks off again when you are finished; they are editing aids and do not print.
Check more than the first page. Review headings, lists, tables, captions, and the final page. A selection of the main text may not include text inside every object, header, footer, or footnote. Those areas may need to be selected and formatted separately, depending on the document.

Troubleshooting

The menu is missing or looks different. Make sure the Home tab is selected and the ribbon is expanded. On a compact ribbon, some controls are grouped into a smaller menu; look for the lines-and-arrows spacing icon. If you still cannot find it, select the text and use Format > Paragraph, then set Line spacing to Double.

Only one paragraph changed. Word applies formatting to the paragraph containing the insertion point when no text is selected. Select all of the paragraphs you want to change before choosing 2.0. For the whole document body, click in the body and press Command+A. If the document includes separate text boxes, headers, footers, or footnotes, those may require separate selections.

The lines are double-spaced, but there are still big gaps. Open Format > Paragraph and check the Before and After values. If the assignment requires no extra paragraph spacing, set those values to 0 pt for the selected paragraphs. Also show formatting marks to see whether blank paragraphs were inserted between sections. Do not reduce the actual line-spacing setting if the requirement is double spacing.

Some paragraphs refuse to match. The paragraphs may use different styles or direct formatting. Select the problem paragraphs and apply 2.0 directly. If that works but later text does not match, inspect the style assigned to that text in the Styles pane and consider modifying that style. Be careful with clearing all formatting: it can also remove fonts, bolding, headings, and other layout choices you want to keep.

The setting will not stick or cannot be changed. Check whether the document is in read-only mode, protected, or open with editing restrictions. Save an editable copy or ask the document owner for access. If the document is shared, wait for syncing to finish, save, and reopen it to confirm the change. For an important submission, export or print a PDF and inspect the layout before sending it; this can reveal unexpected spacing or page breaks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut to double-space in Word for Mac?
Select the text and press Command+2. To affect the entire main document, click in its body, press Command+A, and then press Command+2.

How do I double-space the whole document?
Click in the document body, press Command+A, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Review headers, footnotes, text boxes, and other separate areas if they also need to be double-spaced.

Does double spacing add a blank line after each paragraph?
No. Double spacing increases the distance between lines within paragraphs. Space before or after a paragraph is a separate setting, and an empty paragraph is a separate Return character.

How can I double-space without adding space between paragraphs?
Open Format > Paragraph, choose Double for Line spacing, and set Before and After to 0 pt if that matches your requirements. Apply the settings to the paragraphs you need to change.

Can I double-space only part of a Word document?
Yes. Select the paragraphs or text range, then choose 2.0 from the Home tab’s spacing menu or use Command+2. Unselected sections keep their existing spacing.

Why does new text switch back to single spacing?
It may be using a different paragraph style or formatting than the surrounding text. Click in the new paragraph and apply 2.0, or modify the style used for that body text if you want the spacing to remain consistent in future paragraphs.

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