Double Space in Word: Easy Steps for Desktop and Web

To double-space text in Microsoft Word, select it and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. To double-space the whole document, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac first, then apply the same setting.

The quickest way to double-space text

Word’s line-spacing menu is the clearest way to apply double spacing. It sets the selected text’s line spacing to 2.0, which is the conventional double-spaced setting. You can use it for one paragraph, several paragraphs, or the entire document.

Select the text you want to change. To select the entire document, use Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac.
Open the Home tab.
In the Paragraph group, select Line and Paragraph Spacing. Its icon typically shows horizontal lines and up-and-down arrows.
Choose 2.0 from the menu.

If you do not select text first, Word normally applies the setting to the paragraph containing the insertion point. For a whole document, selecting all before choosing 2.0 makes the scope clear. The change affects formatting; it does not insert extra spaces or blank paragraphs between lines.

Double-space a document in Word for Windows

In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, the ribbon path is Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. For an existing document, click in the document and press Ctrl+A, then choose 2.0. If the document contains text in separate sections, headers, footers, or text boxes, note that a standard selection may not include every separate text area. Apply the setting to those areas individually if they also need double spacing.

You can also use a keyboard shortcut in the desktop app: Ctrl+2 applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs, or to the paragraph where the cursor is located. The related shortcuts are Ctrl+1 for single spacing and Ctrl+5 for 1.5 spacing. These shortcuts are convenient for quick edits, but the ribbon menu is useful when you want to check the selected spacing visually.

To format a new document, start typing and then apply the setting to the paragraph, or set double spacing before you begin. If you need to meet a specific assignment or workplace requirement, check whether it also specifies a font, margins, indentation, or paragraph spacing. Double spacing alone does not set those other layout details.

Double-space in Word for Mac and Word for the web

In Word for Mac, select the text or use Command+A to select the document, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. The Mac keyboard shortcut for double spacing in the desktop app is Command+2. As on Windows, the shortcut applies to the selected paragraphs or the paragraph containing the cursor.

In Word for the web, select the text and use Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. The ribbon may look more compact than the desktop version, so the spacing control could appear within the Paragraph controls or under a condensed menu. If you cannot see it, expand the ribbon or open the Paragraph-related controls on the Home tab. The browser version’s available commands can differ from the full desktop app, so use the visible menu rather than assuming every desktop shortcut behaves the same way in a browser.

Word generally preserves paragraph formatting when you open a document in another version, but the ribbon layout and available controls can vary. If you are switching between Word for the web and desktop Word, check the document after changing its layout, especially if it has complex styles or page formatting.

Use Word on a phone or tablet

In the Word mobile app, select the text you want to format, open the formatting controls, and look for Paragraph or Line Spacing. Choose 2.0 if it is offered. The exact button names and arrangement can vary between iOS and Android and with app updates; on a small screen, you may need to open the Home formatting menu or scroll through its options.

For a long document or a task with strict formatting requirements, desktop Word or Word for the web is often easier to use because the full paragraph controls are more visible. After making a change on mobile, review the document on a larger screen if page breaks and paragraph spacing matter.

What double spacing means in Word

Line spacing controls the vertical distance between lines within a paragraph. Choosing 2.0 gives lines double spacing relative to the line-height Word calculates from the font and formatting. It does not mean adding two spaces between words, pressing Enter after every line, or inserting a completely blank line after each sentence.

That distinction matters because manually adding empty paragraphs can make a document difficult to edit. For example, if you press Enter after every line to make the page look more open, later changes to the font or margins can create uneven gaps and awkward page breaks. Use the line-spacing setting instead: Word can then reflow the text while keeping the spacing consistent.

Double spacing is often requested for school papers, drafts, and documents that need room for written comments. However, instructions vary. Some require double line spacing but no extra spacing between paragraphs; others specify additional paragraph spacing or a particular style. Follow the stated requirements rather than assuming that 2.0 spacing settles every formatting question.

Apply spacing to selected paragraphs or the whole document

You do not always need to change every line. Select only the passage that needs double spacing, then choose 2.0. This is useful when a document has a double-spaced main text but single-spaced captions, footnotes, or a reference list. If a requirement says the entire paper must be double-spaced, check those separate components rather than relying on the appearance of the main text.

To change the whole main document, click in its text and use Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac before applying 2.0. If the selection includes text with different formatting, Word will apply the new line-spacing setting across the selection while other formatting—such as font, bolding, and alignment—usually remains as it was. A document can contain multiple sections and independent text areas, so inspect headers, footers, tables, and text boxes if the requirement explicitly covers them.

If you only want to change one paragraph, click within it without selecting the entire document and choose 2.0. For multiple nonadjacent passages, select and format each passage separately. This gives you more control than changing the whole document and then trying to restore exceptions.

Fix large gaps between paragraphs

A common surprise is that double spacing can appear to create too much room between paragraphs. That may be because Word is applying both double line spacing and extra paragraph spacing after each paragraph. Line spacing and paragraph spacing are separate settings: 2.0 affects lines inside a paragraph, while Before and After settings add space around paragraph boundaries.

To inspect those values in Word for Windows, open the Home tab and select the small Paragraph dialog launcher in the Paragraph group. In the dialog, check the Spacing fields for Before and After, as well as the Line spacing setting. If your instructions call for double spacing without extra paragraph gaps, set Line spacing to Double and set Before and After to 0 pt, unless the instructions say otherwise. On Mac, open Format > Paragraph to view paragraph settings; the precise dialog layout can differ slightly.

Also check whether different paragraphs use different styles. For instance, a heading style may include extra space after the heading even when the body text is double-spaced. That can be intentional. Avoid removing all paragraph spacing blindly if it is part of the document’s design or a required format.

Make double spacing the default

If you routinely create documents that must be double-spaced, you can change the default paragraph formatting rather than correcting every new file. In desktop Word for Windows, open the Paragraph dialog from the Home tab, set Line spacing to Double, and select Set As Default. Word will ask whether to apply the choice to the current document or to documents based on the Normal template. Choose the template option only if you want it to affect new documents that use that template.

Changing a default is broader than formatting one assignment. It may change the starting layout of future documents, so consider whether double spacing is genuinely your preferred default. If you choose the current-document option, the setting applies to that file rather than changing the general starting point for new documents. On Mac, the paragraph dialog and default controls may be arranged differently; review the options Word displays before confirming.

Common problems and quick checks

The whole document did not change: Confirm that you selected the document text before applying 2.0, and check separate text areas such as headers or text boxes.
The gap still looks too large: Check paragraph Before and After spacing. Those values are independent of line spacing.
New text has different spacing: The paragraph may use a different style, or the cursor may be in a paragraph that was not included in the selection. Apply the desired spacing to that paragraph or adjust its style.
The menu does not show 2.0: Expand the ribbon or open the full paragraph controls. In some versions, the button may be hidden in a condensed interface.
The page count changed: That is expected when lines take up more vertical space. Recheck page breaks and any page-number or length requirements after changing spacing.

If the result still looks inconsistent, select a paragraph that looks wrong and inspect its paragraph settings. Mixed formatting can come from pasted text, styles, or earlier manual changes. Applying 2.0 to the affected selection usually fixes the line spacing, but it will not necessarily remove every separate paragraph or style setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut to double-space in Word?
In the desktop version, select the text or place the cursor in a paragraph and press Ctrl+2 on Windows or Command+2 on Mac. In Word for the web, use the Home tab’s Line and Paragraph Spacing menu if the shortcut is unavailable or behaves differently in your browser.

How do I double-space an entire Word document?
Click in the document, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Check separate text areas, such as headers and text boxes, if they also need the same formatting.

Does double spacing mean leaving a blank line between paragraphs?
No. Double spacing increases the distance between lines within paragraphs. It does not require an empty paragraph between each paragraph. Extra space between paragraphs is controlled separately by the Before and After paragraph-spacing settings.

How do I double-space only one paragraph?
Click inside the paragraph, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. You can also select the paragraph first. The change should apply to that paragraph without changing the rest of the document.

Why does my double-spaced document have unusually large gaps?
It may have extra paragraph spacing in addition to 2.0 line spacing. Open the paragraph settings and inspect the Before and After values. If your formatting instructions call for no extra paragraph gaps, set those values to 0 pt while leaving line spacing at Double.

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