How to Double Space Text in Microsoft Word Step by Step

To double-space text in Microsoft Word, select the text—or press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac to select the document body—then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. You can also use Ctrl+2 on Windows or Command+2 on Mac. Double spacing increases the space between lines; it does not automatically remove extra space between paragraphs.

What You’ll Need

A document open in Microsoft Word. These instructions apply to Microsoft 365 for Windows; Mac and Word for the web are covered where the controls differ.
Text to format. You can select a particular passage, or leave the text unselected and apply the setting to the paragraph where your cursor is placed.

You do not need to install an add-in or change a document-wide preference to double-space text. If you are following a class, workplace, or publisher style guide, check whether it also specifies paragraph spacing, margins, or a particular font. Those are separate settings from line spacing.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and decide what to format. To change only a passage, drag across the text to select it. To format one paragraph, click anywhere inside it; selecting the entire paragraph is not necessary. To apply double spacing throughout the main document, click in the document body and press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac. Check that the selection includes the content you mean to change before continuing. Text in headers, footers, text boxes, or footnotes may need to be selected and formatted separately.
Go to the Home tab. In the ribbon at the top of Word, click Home. Find the Paragraph group. The line-spacing control is usually shown as horizontal lines with up-and-down arrows. If the ribbon is collapsed or the window is narrow, expand the ribbon or widen the window to reveal the full control. The exact arrangement can vary slightly by Word version.
Choose the double-spacing preset. Click Line and Paragraph Spacing, then select 2.0 from the menu. Word applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs, or to the paragraph containing the cursor if there is no selection. Look at several lines in the affected area: the lines should have noticeably more vertical space between them. The menu may also offer options for adding or removing space before or after a paragraph; those are not the same as 2.0 line spacing.
Use a keyboard shortcut if you prefer. In Word for Windows, select the text and press Ctrl+2. On a Mac, select the text and press Command+2. These shortcuts apply double line spacing to the selected paragraphs. If a shortcut does not work, click in the document first, check that Word has focus, and use the ribbon method instead. Laptop function-key settings and other software can sometimes affect keyboard shortcuts.
Set an exact value through Paragraph settings, if needed. For more control in Word for Windows, select the relevant text, open Home > Paragraph using the small dialog launcher at the lower-right of the Paragraph group, and choose the Indents and Spacing tab. Under Spacing, set Line spacing to Double, then click OK. In Word for Mac, select the text and use Format > Paragraph; choose the double option in the line-spacing controls and confirm. This dialog is useful when you need to inspect or adjust paragraph spacing at the same time.
Check paragraph spacing separately. In the Paragraph dialog, review the Before and After spacing values. These add space around paragraphs in addition to the line spacing. If your instructions require double-spaced lines with no extra blank space between paragraphs, set Before and After to the specified values—often 0 pt—and apply the change. Do not remove paragraph spacing if your formatting requirements call for it.
Review the result and save. Click elsewhere in the document to clear the selection, then inspect the beginning, middle, and end of the formatted section. Confirm that headings, lists, and body paragraphs look as intended. Save with Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. If the document will be viewed on another computer, reopening it in Word is a useful way to confirm that the formatting remains in place.

For Word for the web: Select the text or click in the relevant paragraph, open the Home tab, and choose Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. The browser version’s ribbon may be more compact, so the control might appear within the Paragraph options. If you cannot find it, expand the ribbon or use the desktop app. Avoid relying on a shortcut in the browser if the browser itself intercepts that key combination.

Common Mistakes

Changing paragraph spacing instead of line spacing: Options such as Add Space After Paragraph can make blocks of text look more separated, but they do not set the distance between lines inside a paragraph to double. Choose 2.0 or set Line spacing to Double in Paragraph settings.

Formatting only the current paragraph by accident: If you click in one paragraph and choose 2.0 without selecting more text, Word changes the paragraph containing the cursor, not necessarily the whole document. Select the intended range first. For all body text, use Ctrl+A or Command+A, and remember that headers and text boxes can be separate areas.

Using repeated Enter presses to create space: Adding blank lines may look like double spacing, but it creates extra paragraphs and can cause uneven gaps when text moves or is edited. Apply line spacing instead. If blank lines are already present, remove only the ones that are unnecessary; do not delete intentional paragraph breaks.

Assuming every paragraph should have identical spacing: A document may use double-spaced body text but single-spaced footnotes, block quotations, or headings. Applying the setting to everything can override deliberate formatting. Follow the document’s requirements and format exceptions individually.

Expecting 2.0 to mean exactly twice the font size in every circumstance: Word’s double setting defines line spacing in relation to the font and paragraph formatting. Different fonts, font sizes, and paragraph rules can make the visible gap vary. For a required submission, use Word’s Double setting rather than trying to reproduce the appearance with blank lines or manual adjustments.

Tips

Format the whole document efficiently: Click in the main body, press Ctrl+A or Command+A, and apply 2.0 from the Home tab. Before doing this, decide whether titles, captions, footnotes, and lists should also change. If they should retain different spacing, format the body paragraphs in sections instead of selecting everything.

Use the shortcut for a quick change, and the dialog for precision: Ctrl+2 or Command+2 is convenient for a straightforward adjustment. Paragraph settings are preferable when a style guide specifies both line spacing and exact space before or after paragraphs. You can verify both values in the same dialog instead of judging the layout by appearance alone.

Apply the setting before you write, when practical: To begin a new section with double-spaced paragraphs, click in the paragraph where you plan to type and select 2.0 before entering the text. New text in that paragraph follows its formatting. When you press Enter, the next paragraph usually carries the current paragraph formatting, though styles can control spacing and may produce a different result.

Consider styles for repeated document work: If several sections need the same formatting, modifying the relevant paragraph style can make the document easier to maintain. A style may control line spacing and space after paragraphs together. Check the style settings before changing them, especially in a template with carefully formatted headings.

Keep a clean copy when changing a long document: Word’s Undo command can reverse a recent formatting change, but it is easier to compare versions if the original matters. Save a copy before applying a document-wide change, particularly when the file contains complex layouts or formatting you need to preserve.

Troubleshooting

The text still looks single-spaced: Select a few affected paragraphs and open Paragraph settings to confirm that Line spacing is set to Double. If the setting is correct, check the font size and zoom level; a small font or a zoomed-out page can make the difference less obvious. Also inspect whether you changed only paragraph spacing rather than line spacing.

Only some of the document changed: The selection may have covered only part of the text, or some content may be outside the main document body. Select the remaining paragraphs and apply 2.0. For a header or footer, double-click that area to edit it, select its text, and apply the line-spacing setting there. Text inside a shape or text box may also need to be formatted separately.

New paragraphs revert to a different spacing: A paragraph style may be setting its own line or paragraph spacing. Click in a paragraph that has the unwanted formatting, open Paragraph settings, and check both Line spacing and Before/After. If the issue happens after pressing Enter, compare the styles of the old and new paragraphs. Adjust the appropriate style only if you want that change to apply consistently wherever the style is used.

There is too much space between paragraphs: Double spacing affects lines, while the paragraph’s After value can add another gap after each paragraph. Select the affected paragraphs and check Home > Paragraph dialog launcher > Indents and Spacing on Windows, or Format > Paragraph on Mac. Set Before and After to the values required by your instructions. Avoid using the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu’s add/remove paragraph-spacing commands as a substitute for setting 2.0.

The keyboard shortcut does nothing: Confirm that the document is active and that you selected text or clicked in the paragraph. Try the correct key for your system—Ctrl+2 on Windows or Command+2 on Mac—or use the ribbon. In Word for the web, browser shortcuts can behave differently, so the Home tab is the dependable option. If the shortcut is still unavailable, check Word’s keyboard shortcut settings or use the Paragraph dialog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does double spacing apply to the whole document automatically?
Not unless you select the whole document or change the formatting of the styles used throughout it. If no text is selected, Word generally applies the setting to the paragraph containing the cursor. Headers, footers, and text boxes may need separate formatting.

What is the shortcut to double-space in Word?
Use Ctrl+2 in Word for Windows or Command+2 in Word for Mac. Select the text first to change a passage, or click inside a paragraph to change that paragraph. The Home ribbon’s 2.0 option is a useful alternative.

Is 2.0 the same as double spacing?
Yes. In Word’s line-spacing menu, 2.0 is the double-spacing preset. It controls the distance between lines in a paragraph, while Before and After settings control additional space around paragraphs.

Can I double-space only part of a document?
Yes. Select the passage or paragraphs you want to change, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Formatting applies to the paragraphs touched by the selection, so check the first and last paragraphs after applying it.

How do I double-space new text I have not written yet?
Click where you will begin, choose 2.0 from the Home tab, and then type. The paragraph uses double spacing. If later paragraphs do not keep the setting, check the paragraph style and its spacing rules.

Why does double-spaced text still have large gaps between paragraphs?
The paragraphs may have extra Before or After spacing in addition to double line spacing. Check those values in Paragraph settings and adjust them only if your formatting instructions call for less space. Blank paragraphs created by pressing Enter twice can also add visible gaps.

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