How to Set Double Spacing in Word

To double-space text in a Word document, select the text, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. To apply it to the whole document, press Ctrl+A first on Windows, or Command+A on Mac. Double spacing increases the vertical space between lines, making a document easier to read, mark up, or prepare for a format that requires it. You do not need to install anything; the steps below use Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows.

What You’ll Need

A document open in the desktop version of Microsoft Word. If you are starting from scratch, open a blank document first.
Access to the text you want to format. You can select a passage, a few paragraphs, or the whole document.
If you are formatting an assignment or submission, its instructions. Some require double line spacing but specify different margins, font, or paragraph spacing.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and decide what should change. Double spacing can be applied to a few selected lines, one section, or the entire document. If the requirement applies to the whole file, it is usually simplest to format all the main document text at once. Save a copy first if you want to preserve the original formatting or are working from a template.
Select the text. To change the entire main document on Windows, click in the document body and press Ctrl+A. On Mac, use Command+A. If the document contains multiple editing regions, such as a header, footer, or text box, a selection made in the body might not include those areas. To change only a passage, drag across the relevant text, or click at its start, hold Shift, and click at its end. For one paragraph, click anywhere inside it; Word can apply paragraph formatting without selecting every character.
Open the line-spacing menu. Choose the Home tab on the ribbon. In the Paragraph group, select Line and Paragraph Spacing. The control usually looks like horizontal lines with up and down arrows. If the ribbon is collapsed, expand it or select the Home tab to reveal the controls.
Choose 2.0. In the menu, select 2.0. Word applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs. The text may take up more pages afterward; that is expected because the lines now have more vertical separation. The spacing change does not, by itself, alter the font size, margins, or text content.
Check the result in the document. Click elsewhere or remove the selection so you can see the actual spacing. Look at a few paragraphs, not just one line. If the text still looks tight, check that the correct text was selected and that you chose 2.0 rather than 1.5. You can also click inside a paragraph and reopen the spacing menu; the current setting may be indicated there.
Use the keyboard shortcut if you prefer. On Windows, select the text and press Ctrl+2 to apply double line spacing. In Word for Mac, the corresponding shortcut is Command+2. These shortcuts are convenient for a quick change, but using the Home ribbon menu makes the available spacing choices visible and helps confirm what you selected.
Save the document. Press Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. If you need to share a version that keeps its appearance on other computers, you can also export or save a PDF using Word’s file or export options, while keeping the editable Word document as your working copy.

On Mac: The ribbon option is also available under Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0 in current desktop versions. Another route is Format > Paragraph, where you can set Line spacing to Double. Ribbon labels or layout can vary slightly by Word version, but the Paragraph dialog lets you set the same line-spacing value.

To make double spacing the default for new documents: In Word for Windows, open the Home tab and select the small dialog box launcher in the lower-right corner of the Paragraph group. In the Paragraph dialog, open Indents and Spacing, set Line spacing to Double, and select Set As Default. Choose the option to apply the change to documents based on the Normal template if Word asks. This changes the starting format for future documents; it does not automatically reformat existing files. If you only need one document double-spaced, use the steps above instead of changing the default.

Common Mistakes

Changing paragraph spacing instead of line spacing. Line spacing controls the gap between lines within a paragraph. Spacing Before and After controls the gap around separate paragraphs. A large gap between paragraphs does not mean the lines themselves are double-spaced. Set the line-spacing option to 2.0, and adjust paragraph spacing separately only if the instructions call for it.
Formatting only the current paragraph. If no text is selected, Word generally applies the chosen setting to the paragraph containing the cursor. It may also affect new text typed at that location. When the entire document must be double-spaced, select the document text first, then apply 2.0.
Choosing 1.5 instead of 2.0. The menu contains several similar-looking choices. Select the item labeled 2.0, not 1.5. If you used a shortcut, remember that Ctrl+5 on Windows applies 1.5 spacing, while Ctrl+2 applies double spacing.
Assuming every part of the file changed. Headers, footers, footnotes, text boxes, and some tables can behave as separate areas. Check them if your formatting rules apply to those elements too. Select text within each area and apply the setting there when necessary.
Adding blank lines to imitate double spacing. Pressing Enter repeatedly creates extra paragraphs, not consistent double line spacing. It can make the layout uneven and can shift content unexpectedly when you edit. Remove the added blank paragraphs and use the actual line-spacing setting.

Tips

Use the paragraph mark to diagnose layout. On the Home tab, select Show/Hide ¶ to display paragraph marks and other formatting symbols. A paragraph mark appears wherever Enter was pressed. If there are many extra marks between paragraphs, remove the unnecessary ones rather than treating them as spacing.
Keep line spacing separate from paragraph spacing. A common academic format uses double line spacing with no extra space after each paragraph, but requirements vary. If the document has unusually large gaps between paragraphs, select the relevant text, open Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, and look for paragraph-spacing commands such as Remove Space After Paragraph. Use the Paragraph dialog for more precise Before and After values.
Format a style when you want consistency. If you are writing a long document, applying a consistent paragraph style can make future edits easier. For a document-specific change, you can modify the Normal style through the Styles controls and set its paragraph formatting. Be careful with this option: changing a style can affect every paragraph that uses it, not just the current selection.
Check the document’s other requirements. Double spacing does not set margins, indentation, font, or page numbers. For example, if the instructions require a particular font and one-inch margins, set those independently and review the final page count after changing the spacing.
Use the Paragraph dialog when the result needs precision. The dialog provides a Line spacing list and related paragraph controls. This is useful when a document combines double-spaced body text with single-spaced notes, or when you need to keep a specific amount of space before or after headings.

Troubleshooting

The text still looks single-spaced. First click inside a paragraph and open Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing. If 2.0 is not selected, apply it again. If it is selected, make sure you are inspecting the same text you formatted; an unselected section may have kept its previous setting. Selecting the affected paragraphs and choosing 2.0 again is a safe way to correct them.
Only some paragraphs changed. The selection may have ended early, or the document may contain sections separated by text boxes or other independent areas. Select the missing paragraphs and repeat the steps. For a long document, click in the body and use Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then apply 2.0. Inspect headers, footers, footnotes, and tables separately if they also need the change.
There is too much space between paragraphs. Double spacing increases the gap between lines, but a paragraph can also have extra Before or After spacing. Select the affected paragraphs, open the Paragraph dialog from the Home tab’s Paragraph group, and check the spacing values under Indents and Spacing. Set Before or After to the required value; do not change line spacing away from Double unless your instructions say to.
New text does not match the rest of the document. Check whether you are typing in a paragraph with different formatting or using a different style. Click in the paragraph that has the correct spacing, inspect its style, and apply that style to the new paragraph if appropriate. You can also select the new text and choose 2.0 directly. Pasting from another document may bring in its formatting, so use Word’s paste options to match the destination formatting when that is what you want.
The page count changed substantially. This is normal when a document moves from single to double spacing. If the result seems extreme, check for blank paragraphs, paragraph spacing, and accidental changes to font size or margins. Do not shrink the font just to restore the old page count if a required format specifies double spacing.
The ribbon command is missing or looks different. Confirm that you are in the desktop version of Word and that the Home tab is open. A narrow window can hide group labels, so maximize Word or expand the ribbon. On Mac, use Format > Paragraph as an alternative. In Word for the web, the ribbon is simplified; select the text and look for the line-spacing control on its Home tab, or open the document in the desktop app if you need the full Paragraph dialog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does double spacing mean pressing Enter twice?
No. Double spacing sets the distance between lines in a paragraph. Pressing Enter twice creates an additional paragraph and can cause inconsistent gaps as the document changes.

How do I double-space just one paragraph?
Click anywhere inside that paragraph, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. You do not need to select every word in the paragraph. Check that nearby paragraphs retain their original spacing.

Can I double-space the whole document at once?
Yes. Click in the main document body, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, and choose 2.0 from the line-spacing menu. Check separately formatted areas such as headers, footnotes, and text boxes if they must also be double-spaced.

What is the difference between 2.0 and Double?
They refer to the same general double-line-spacing setting in Word. The ribbon menu commonly labels the choice 2.0, while the Paragraph dialog may label it Double.

Will double spacing change the margins or font?
No. It changes the vertical spacing between lines, not the page margins or typeface. Those settings must be changed separately if your assignment or document requirements specify them.

Can I make every new Word document double-spaced?
Yes. Set Line spacing to Double in the Paragraph dialog and choose Set As Default for documents based on the Normal template. This affects new documents using that template, not files that already exist.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.