How to Double Space All Text in Word

To double space the text in a Word document, click in the document body, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then press Ctrl+2 or Command+2. You can also select the text and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. This changes the line spacing of the selected paragraphs, making the document easier to read or prepare for review. Save a copy first if you need to preserve the original layout.

What You’ll Need

A document open in the desktop version of Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365, or Word for Mac.
Permission to edit the document. If it is read-only or protected, you may need to save an editable copy first.
A moment to check the result, especially if the document contains tables, headings, or other special formatting.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and click in its main text. Click somewhere in the document body, not in a header, footer, text box, or comment. This gives Word a clear starting point for selecting the document’s main text. If the document is important, use File > Save As to make a working copy before changing its formatting.
Select the text you want to change. On Windows, press Ctrl+A. On Mac, press Command+A. In the usual document view, this selects the main document text, including paragraphs and text in tables. If you only want to double space one section, drag across that section instead, or click at its start, hold Shift, and click at its end.
Apply double spacing with the keyboard. With the text still selected, press Ctrl+2 on Windows or Command+2 on Mac. Word applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs. Keep the selection in place for a moment so you can confirm that the change affected the intended text; clicking elsewhere will remove the selection highlight.
Or use the Home ribbon. If you prefer menus, leave the text selected and open the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, select Line and Paragraph Spacing, then choose 2.0. The menu’s 2.0 option means double line spacing. Do not choose Add Space Before Paragraph or Add Space After Paragraph; those options add paragraph gaps and do not set double line spacing.
Inspect the document from beginning to end. Scroll through several pages and check body paragraphs, headings, lists, and table text. The vertical distance between lines should be roughly twice the single-spaced distance. Look for any paragraph that appears unchanged, as it may be in a separate text area or may not have been part of the selection.
Save the updated document. Press Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. If you made a copy, confirm that you are saving the copy rather than overwriting the source. Consider checking Print Preview or the exported PDF if the spacing must meet a submission or review requirement.

If you are using Word for the web, select the text, open Home, and use the Line and Paragraph Spacing control to choose 2.0. The exact ribbon arrangement can differ slightly from the desktop app, but the setting has the same purpose. Keyboard shortcuts are most dependable in the desktop apps, so use the ribbon if a shortcut behaves differently in your browser.

Common Mistakes

Changing paragraph spacing instead of line spacing. A larger gap between paragraphs can look like double spacing at first glance, but it is a different setting. Double line spacing increases the space between lines within a paragraph. Paragraph spacing adds space before or after a paragraph. Use the 2.0 line-spacing option, not the paragraph-gap commands.

Forgetting to select the document. If you click in one paragraph and choose 2.0 without selecting anything, Word may change only that paragraph. Select all with Ctrl+A or Command+A first when the goal is to change the whole main document. If the selection covers only a portion, only that portion will be formatted.

Expecting every area on the page to change at once. Headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, and text inside floating text boxes can be separate from the main document text. Ctrl+A from the body does not reliably include every separate story or object. Open those areas and format their text separately if they also need double spacing.

Thinking the page count should stay the same. Double spacing adds vertical space, so paragraphs may move onto later pages and the document may become longer. This is normal. It does not mean Word has duplicated the text. Check that no content was accidentally deleted, but expect page breaks and page numbering to shift.

Assuming blank lines are the same as double spacing. Pressing Enter twice between paragraphs inserts an empty paragraph. It creates inconsistent gaps and can affect editing and pagination. Use the line-spacing setting instead, and remove extra empty paragraphs if the document has them and a consistent layout is required.

Tips

Use the keyboard shortcut when you need a quick change, and use the ribbon when you want to see the available spacing choices. The same menu usually offers single spacing, 1.5 spacing, and 2.0 spacing. For a formal assignment, follow the required style or instructor instructions: some documents require double-spaced body text but specify different spacing for block quotations, captions, tables, or footnotes.

It can help to view formatting marks while diagnosing unexpected gaps. On Windows, use Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶, or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, use the Show/Hide formatting marks control on the Home tab; the shortcut may vary with keyboard and Word settings. The marks are not printed. They reveal paragraph marks and empty paragraphs, so you can distinguish an extra Enter from actual line spacing.

If you want new paragraphs in this document to use double spacing too, make the change to the relevant text and then save the document. If you need double spacing in new documents based on a particular template, update that template’s normal style or the style used for the body text. Simply applying 2.0 to the current document does not necessarily change Word’s default for every future document.

For a document with several kinds of content, work in stages: format the main body first, then check headings, lists, tables, and notes. Styles may carry their own paragraph settings, and some templates deliberately use different spacing for headings or captions. If a particular element must remain single-spaced, select and adjust that element after applying the broader change, or format it according to the document’s requirements.

When layout matters, compare the document before and after the change. Page breaks may move, a table may split across pages, or a heading may be left at the bottom of a page. Use Word’s page layout controls only if needed to correct those side effects; do not add repeated blank paragraphs to force text into place. A clean spacing setting is easier to maintain when you later edit the document.

Troubleshooting

The shortcut does nothing. First confirm that the text is selected and that Word, rather than another app or a browser field, has focus. Then try Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. On a laptop, function-key or system settings can affect some shortcuts, but Ctrl+2 on Windows and Command+2 on Mac are the usual Word commands for double spacing.

Only some paragraphs changed. Undo once with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac if the result is not what you wanted. Click in the main body, select all again, and apply 2.0. If certain areas remain unchanged, check whether they are in a header, footer, footnote, endnote, or text box, and format those separately. Also inspect whether the document is protected or has restricted editing.

The text looks too spread out. Confirm that you chose 2.0 rather than adding space after each paragraph. Turn on formatting marks and look for empty paragraphs between lines or paragraphs. Remove unnecessary blank paragraphs, then reapply the correct line spacing. If there is still extra vertical space, select an affected paragraph and open the Paragraph settings to inspect the Before and After spacing values.

The document grew by several pages. That is an expected consequence of double spacing. Check that all text is still present and review page breaks, tables, and headings. If a specific page must stay together, adjust pagination or paragraph settings for that section rather than reducing spacing across the whole document. Save after confirming the final layout.

Text in a table or special area did not change. Select the text inside the table or area and apply 2.0 directly. If a document uses separate text boxes or shapes, click into each one and format its contents. These elements may not be included in the same selection as the main body, even when they appear on the same page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ctrl+A select absolutely everything in a Word file?
It selects the main document content in the usual editing view, but separate areas such as headers, footers, and text boxes may need their own selection. Check those separately when every visible piece of text must be double spaced.

What is the shortcut to double space in Word on Windows?
Select the text and press Ctrl+2. On Mac, select the text and press Command+2. If a shortcut is unavailable or behaves differently on your setup, use Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0.

Will double spacing add a blank line after every paragraph?
No. Double spacing changes the distance between lines in a paragraph. It does not insert empty paragraphs. A separate paragraph-spacing setting can add extra space between paragraphs, so avoid confusing the two.

Can I double space just one paragraph?
Yes. Click in that paragraph and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0, or select the paragraph and use the shortcut. If no text is selected, Word typically applies the setting to the paragraph containing the insertion point.

How do I return text to single spacing?
Select the affected text and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 1.0, or press Ctrl+1 on Windows or Command+1 on Mac. If gaps remain, check paragraph Before and After spacing or remove extra empty paragraphs.

Does double spacing change the font size?
No. It changes the vertical space between lines, not the font, font size, or character spacing. If the letters themselves look larger, check the font-size setting separately.

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